The New England journal of medicine
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Atrial fibrillation, the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a major cause of stroke, results from simultaneous reentrant wavelets. Its spontaneous initiation has not been studied. ⋯ The pulmonary veins are an important source of ectopic beats, initiating frequent paroxysms of atrial fibrillation. These foci respond to treatment with radio-frequency ablation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of nebulized budesonide, intramuscular dexamethasone, and placebo for moderately severe croup.
In children with croup, treatment with nebulized budesonide decreases symptoms, but it is uncertain how budesonide compares with dexamethasone, the conventional therapy for croup, and whether either reduces the rate of hospitalization. ⋯ In children with moderately severe croup, treatment with intramuscular dexamethasone or nebulized budesonide resulted in more rapid clinical improvement than did the administration of placebo, with dexamethasone offering the greatest improvement. Treatment with either glucocorticoid resulted in fewer hospitalizations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A controlled trial of nonoxynol 9 film to reduce male-to-female transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
Nonoxynol 9 is a proved spermicide, but whether it is also a microbicide is uncertain. A truly effective vaginal microbicide would reduce the susceptibility of women to sexually transmitted diseases, including infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ⋯ The use of a nonoxynol 9 vaginal film did not reduce the rate of new HIV, gonorrhea, or chlamydia infection in this group of sex workers who used condoms and received treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.