Arch Intern Med
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently evaluated in acute care settings. Despite this, the clinical diagnosis of PE is difficult. Results of ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scans may be inconclusive, and pulmonary angiograms (PAGs) are cumbersome, involve risk, and are often unavailable. Using PAG as the standard criterion, we evaluated the relationship between PE, V/Q scans, and semiquantitative latex agglutination (LA) D-dimer levels. ⋯ Eight patients had normal D-dimer levels with angiographic evidence of PE. Algorithms in acute care settings have been proposed; they exclude PE with normal D-dimer levels using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. These cannot be extrapolated to the more widely used LA assays. A normal LA D-dimer level alone or with V/Q scan results is not recommended to preclude the treatment of PE.
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Despite major changes in health care, the prevalence and predictors of career satisfaction have not recently been comprehensively studied in either women or men physicians. ⋯ Women physicians generally report career satisfaction, but many, if given the choice, would not become a physician again or would choose a different specialty. Correctable factors such as work stress, harassment, and poor control over work environment should be addressed to improve the recruitment and retention of women physicians.
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Pulmonary mucormycosis is relatively uncommon but an important opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised persons. The literature on the subject is sparse. We describe a recent case and review the literature to delineate the clinical characteristics of this infection. ⋯ Thus, this relatively rare but often fatal disease should be suspected in immunocompromised patients who fail to respond to antibacterial therapy. Early recognition and aggressive management are warranted to maximize chances for cure. Optimal therapy requires systemic antifungal therapy, surgical resection, and, when possible, control of the patient's underlying disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Bleeding during warfarin and aspirin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: the AFASAK 2 study. Atrial Fibrillation Aspirin and Anticoagulation.
Treatment with warfarin sodium is effective for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation but many physicians hesitate to prescribe it to elderly patients presumably because of the associated risk for bleeding and the inconvenience of frequent blood tests for the patients. ⋯ Fixed mini-dose warfarin and aspirin alone or in combination were associated with both minor and major bleeding. The small number of major bleeding events in patients receiving adjusted-dose warfarin therapy as compared with those receiving less intensive antithrombotic treatments and the finding of no significant influence of age on the risk for bleeding indicate that even elderly patients with atrial fibrillation tolerate adjusted-dose warfarin therapy (INR, 2.0-3.0).
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Multicenter Study
Sex differences among adults presenting to the emergency department with acute asthma. Multicenter Asthma Research Collaboration Investigators.
Asthma is an increasing problem worldwide, particularly among women. Sex differences in acute asthma presentation, management, or outcome would have important medical and economic implications. ⋯ Of adults who presented to the ED with acute asthma, women were almost twice as common as men. Although men received less outpatient care and had worse pulmonary function, women were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and to report an ongoing exacerbation at follow-up. Further studies are needed to better understand the complex relationship between sex and acute asthma.