J Natl Med Assoc
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A study of 222 black mothers who gave birth to low-birth-weight infants in a tertiary care center showed that prenatal care plays a significant role in perinatal outcome; the effect of prenatal care was especially dramatic in the infants weighting less than 1,500 grams. In addition, maternal age is an important factor when less than 17 years. When a teenage pregnancy is associated with a lack of, or irregular, prenatal care, fetal outcome is compromised.
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A patient with cold agglutinin disease developed significant hemolysis after surgery because of intraoperative hypothermia. Convective heat losses from exposed viscera may be more significant than realized. ⋯ The elderly patient is particularly susceptible to cold exposure and its consequences during surgery. In this situation of a patient with cold agglutinins, and in others with anitbody-related hemolytic disease, control of temperature during surgery is clearly very important.
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To evaluate the cost effectiveness of home versus clinic blood pressure 11 patients with mild untreated hypertension were instructed in self-measurement of blood pressure with mercury manometers. The lower total cost of using home readings as well as problems of bias and blinding are discussed. Home blood pressure is a promising technique for clinical and epidemiologic research.
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Spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to bronchogenic carcinoma is an unusual occurrence. Reported here is a patient with adenocarcinoma of the lung whose presenting symptom was spontaneous pneumothorax. A brief review of the literature is presented.