Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Even though the performance of coronary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures through the distal forearm arteries has become a well-established practice, only a small minority of procedures employ transcarpal approach. The aim of this review is to describe the state of art in cardiac catheterization through distal forearm arteries, to point out the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and to discuss the specific aspects in which it differs from the transfemoral approach. ⋯ The current data give a favorable view of this procedure as long as its specific requirements in terms of pretreatment, choice of materials, technique, post-procedural care, and expertise of the physician are taken into account.
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Review Meta Analysis
The morbidity and mortality associated with overweight and obesity in adulthood: a systematic review.
Overweight and obesity are generally thought to elevate morbidity and mortality. New data call this supposed association into question. ⋯ The prevailing notion that overweight increases morbidity and mortality, as compared to so-called normal weight, is in need of further specification. Obesity, however, is indeed associated with an elevated risk for most of the diseases studied.
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Cataract surgery, the most frequently performed operative procedure worldwide, typically concludes with the implantation of an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to correct aphakia (absence of the crystalline lens). ⋯ As no effective medications for cataract are available at present, its current standard treatment is the removal of the clouded lens. In industrialized countries, this is usually done with ultrasound (phacoemulsification), followed by the implantation of an IOL.
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The WHO regards hand hygiene as an essential tool for the prevention of nosocomial infection, but compliance in clinical practice is often low. ⋯ Improved compliance in hand hygiene, with proper use of alcohol-based hand rubs, can reduce the nosocomial infection rate by as much as 40%.