The American journal of medicine
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Effectiveness and Safety of Anticoagulants in Adults with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation and Concomitant Coronary/Peripheral Artery Disease.
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are at least non-inferior to warfarin in efficacy and safety among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Limited evidence is available regarding outcomes for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients with coronary/peripheral artery disease. ⋯ All DOACs were associated with lower stroke/myocardial infarction/all-cause mortality rates compared with warfarin; differences were observed in rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding. Findings from this observational analysis provide important insights about oral anticoagulation therapy among non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with coronary/peripheral artery disease and may help physicians in the decision-making process when treating this high-risk group of patients.
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Residency applicants often use social media to discuss the positive and negative features of prospective training programs. An examination of the content discussed by applicants could provide guidance for how a medical education faculty can better engage with prospective trainees and adapt to meet the educational expectations of a new generation of digital-native physicians. ⋯ This qualitative analysis of positive and negative themes as posted by applicants in recent matching years is the first and provides new detailed insights into the motivations and desires of trainees.
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Distal esophageal spasm is a rare motility disorder presenting principally with nonobstructive dysphagia and noncardiac chest pain. In symptomatic patients, the manometric diagnosis is made when >10% of the wet swallows have simultaneous and/or premature contractions intermixed with normal peristalsis. We characterize manometry and barium as complementary diagnostic approaches, and given the intermittent nature of the disorder, one should be always aware that it is almost impossible to rule out spasm. Treatment is difficult; we propose an approach beginning with the least invasive intervention.