The American journal of the medical sciences
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Multicenter Study
Associations Between Education Level and In-hospital Treatment and Outcomes Among Acute Coronary Syndrome in China.
Previous studies have shown an inverse relationship between education and clinical outcomes in coronary heart disease. Whether a similar association exists in patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in China is unknown. ⋯ In China, less educated patients with ACS were less likely to receive appropriate coronary angiography and reperfusion therapy. Less educated patients were at higher risk for adverse clinical events; however this was explained by differences in baseline characteristics.
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Review Case Reports
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Secondary to Ehrlichia Chaffeensis in Adults: A Case Series From Oklahoma.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome of pathologic immune activation that occurs as either a familial disorder or as a sporadic condition in association with a variety of triggers. Infections are the most common cause of HLH in adults and should be searched for as early treatment usually results in a favorable outcome. ⋯ Treatment for secondary HLH is aimed at reducing hypercytokinemia and eradicating inflammatory and infected cells. It is important to promptly initiate doxycycline when tick-borne diseases are being entertained as a possible trigger, as the antibiotic is effective, safe and inexpensive.
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Effects of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on the diameter of the thoracic aorta have not been fully studied. This study examined the associations between CV risk factors and diameter of thoracic aorta. ⋯ The study results suggest that decreasing BMI and management of CV risk factors such as hypertension and modifying behavioral risk factors such as smoking are likely to be emphasized in order to decrease the rate of aortic dilatation and subsequent aortic dissection, if aortic dilatation is detected during a CT scan.
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Previous studies have revealed the disadvantages of traditional methods for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusions (TPEs) and have created interest in exploring other effective biomarkers. Many studies have focused on the correlation between pulmonary diseases and serum creatinine (Cr), a representative biomarker of renal function, but little is known about the direct relationship between Cr and TPE. Our study aimed to explore whether Cr can act as a biomarker for the diagnosis of TPE and to evaluate the correlation between Cr and TPE. ⋯ Cr has the potential for the diagnosis of TPE to some extent though its accuracy is not as good as that of ADA. Further studies are necessary for Cr to be applied in clinical practice for the diagnosis of TPE.