Articles: patients.
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Connecticut medicine · Feb 2004
Informed consent for invasive medical procedures from the patient's perspective.
Written informed consent is not obtained uniformly for invasive medical procedures in critically ill patients across America. The general consent-to-treat is used by some institutions in lieu of separate, procedure-by-procedure consent. ⋯ The general consent-to-treat is not recalled well by hospitalized patients and is unlikely to suffice as informed consent for invasive medical procedures. A majority of patients do not want to have invasive procedures without first giving their informed consent.
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To discuss the pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments for atrial fibrillation occurring after cardiac surgery. ⋯ Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common complications of cardiac surgery. There are three major aims for treating atrial fibrillation: conversion to sinus rhythm, heart rate control, and anticoagulation. Only beta-blockers can be recommended for prophylaxis against postoperative atrial fibrillation. Further refinements in surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation may allow for wider applications of this therapy with lower rates of complications.
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Recent articles indicate that at the present time disastrous respiratory outcomes during the perioperative management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea are a major problem for the anesthesia community. ⋯ Adult obese patients with suspected or sleep test confirmed obstructive sleep apnea present a formidable challenge throughout the perioperative period. Tracheal intubation and extubation decisions in obese patients with either a presumptive or sleep study diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea must be made within the context that there may be excess tissue in the pharynx. If opioids are used in the extubated postoperative obese patient with sleep apnea, then one must seriously consider the need for continuous visual and electronic monitoring. Institutional and national society guidelines on these matters are badly needed.
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To assess patients' understanding of levels of training and responsibilities for residents, medical students, and attendings in the emergency department as well as their degree of comfort in being cared for by a physician-in-training. ⋯ Patients and their families do not fully understand the roles and responsibilities of the physicians-in-training that may be caring for them despite feeling it is important to know their physicians' level of training.
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Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is by far the most common complication of herpes zoster (HZ) and one of the most intractable pain disorders. Since PHN is seen most often in the elderly, the number of patients with this disorder is expected to increase in our ageing society. PHN may last for months to years and has a high impact on the quality of life. The results of PHN treatment are rather disappointing. Epidural injection of local anaesthetics and steroids in the acute phase of HZ is a promising therapy for the prevention of PHN. Since randomised trials on the effectiveness of this intervention are lacking, the PINE (Prevention by epidural Injection of postherpetic Neuralgia in the Elderly) study was set up. The PINE study compares the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a single epidural injection of local anaesthetics and steroids during the acute phase of HZ with that of care-as-usual (i.e. antivirals and analgesics) in preventing PHN in elderly patients. METHODS / DESIGN: The PINE study is an open, multicenter clinical trial in which 550 elderly (age >/= 50 yr.) patients who consult their general practitioner in the acute phase of HZ (rash < 7 days) are randomised to one of the treatment groups. The primary clinical endpoint is the presence of HZ-related pain one month after the onset of the rash. Secondary endpoints include duration and severity of pain, re-interventions aiming to treat the existing pain, side effects, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. ⋯ The PINE study is aimed to quantify the (cost-) effectiveness of a single epidural injection during the acute phase of HZ on the prevention of PHN.