JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of Acetazolamide vs Placebo on Duration of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Acetazolamide has been used for decades as a respiratory stimulant for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic alkalosis, but no large randomized placebo-controlled trial is available to confirm this approach. ⋯ Among patients with COPD receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, the use of acetazolamide, compared with placebo, did not result in a statistically significant reduction in the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation. However, the magnitude of the difference was clinically important, and it is possible that the study was underpowered to establish statistical significance.
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Seafood consumption is promoted for its many health benefits even though its contamination by mercury, a known neurotoxin, is a growing concern. ⋯ In cross-sectional analyses, moderate seafood consumption was correlated with lesser Alzheimer disease neuropathology. Although seafood consumption was also correlated with higher brain levels of mercury, these levels were not correlated with brain neuropathology.