Arch Intern Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of a home-based intervention among patients with congestive heart failure discharged from acute hospital care.
We examined the effect of a home-based intervention (HBI) on readmission and death among "high-risk" patients with congestive heart failure discharged home from acute hospital care. ⋯ Among a cohort of high-risk patients with congestive heart failure, HBI was associated with reduced frequency of unplanned readmissions plus out-of-hospital deaths within 6 months of discharge from the hospital.
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The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) released a practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of unstable angina in 1994. ⋯ Older patients were less likely to receive standard therapies for unstable angina before release of the 1994 AHCPR guideline. Patients presenting with congestive heart failure also received care that was more discordant with guideline recommendations. The AHCPR guideline allows identification of patients who receive nonstandard care and, if applied to those patients with the greatest likelihood to benefit, could lead to improved health care delivery.
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To determine variations among hospitals in use of intensive care units (ICUs) for patients with low severity of illness. ⋯ A large proportion of patients admitted to the ICU have a low probability of death and do not receive ICU-specific interventions. Rates of low-severity admissions varied among hospitals. The development and implementation of protocols to target ICU care to patients most likely to benefit may decrease the number of low-severity ICU admissions and improve the cost-effectiveness of ICU care.
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The control of hyperglycemia is of major importance in the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, there is no consensus about the required degree of metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and about the role of hyperglycemia in diabetic nephropathy and in the development of atherosclerosis in relation to other risk factors. ⋯ The combination of blood pressure values in the high-normal range with moderately elevated levels of total cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c defines a high-risk group for the progression to diabetic nephropathy and for clinical events related to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Donepezil improves cognition and global function in Alzheimer disease: a 15-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Donepezil Study Group.
Donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept) is a selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor developed for the treatment of Alzheimer disease. This phase 3 study was 1 of 2 pivotal trials undertaken to establish the efficacy and safety of using donepezil in patients with mild to moderately severe Alzheimer disease. ⋯ Donepezil hydrochloride (5 and 10 mg) administered once daily is a well-tolerated and efficacious agent for treating the symptoms of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer disease.