Annals of internal medicine
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To examine the temporal relationship between stopping smoking and total mortality rates among middle-aged women. ⋯ The risk of cigarette smoking on total mortality among former smokers decreases nearly to that of never smokers 10 to 14 years after cessation.
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Comparative Study
Positive end-expiratory pressure increases the right-to-left shunt in mechanically ventilated patients with patent foramen ovale.
To determine the effect of the presence of a patent foramen ovale on the right-to-left shunt in patients with respiratory failure who receive positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). ⋯ A patent foramen ovale was found in 7 of 46 patients (15%; CI, 6% to 29%) with acute respiratory failure. This condition is a common cause of lack of improvement in oxygenation with the addition of PEEP in the mechanically ventilated patient. In patients with a patent foramen ovale, the right-to-left shunt is usually increased by using PEEP.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The weight-based heparin dosing nomogram compared with a "standard care" nomogram. A randomized controlled trial.
To determine whether an intravenous heparin dosing nomogram based on body weight achieves therapeutic anticoagulation more rapidly than a "standard care" nomogram. ⋯ The weight-based heparin nomogram is widely generalizable and has proved to be effective, safe, and superior to one based on standard practice.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Subcutaneous morphine for dyspnea in cancer patients.
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Comparative Study
Discordance of databases designed for claims payment versus clinical information systems. Implications for outcomes research.
To determine the suitability of insurance claims information for use in clinical outcomes research in ischemic heart disease. ⋯ Our results suggest that insurance claims data lack important diagnostic and prognostic information when compared with concurrently collected clinical data in the study of ischemic heart disease. Thus, insurance claims data are not as useful as clinical data for identifying clinically relevant patient groups and for adjusting for risk in outcome studies, such as analyses of hospital mortality.