Annals of internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cost-effectiveness of nurse-led disease management for heart failure in an ethnically diverse urban community.
Randomized, controlled trials have shown that nurse-led disease management for patients with heart failure can reduce hospitalizations. Less is known about the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. ⋯ Over 12 months, the nurse-led disease management program was a reasonably cost-effective way to reduce the burden of heart failure in this community.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Massage therapy versus simple touch to improve pain and mood in patients with advanced cancer: a randomized trial.
Small studies of variable quality suggest that massage therapy may relieve pain and other symptoms. ⋯ Massage may have immediately beneficial effects on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. Given the lack of sustained effects and the observed improvements in both study groups, the potential benefits of attention and simple touch should also be considered in this patient population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Risk for opportunistic disease and death after reinitiating continuous antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV previously receiving episodic therapy: a randomized trial.
Episodic use of antiretroviral therapy guided by CD4+ cell counts is inferior to continuous antiretroviral therapy. ⋯ Reinitiating continuous antiretroviral therapy in patients previously assigned to episodic treatment reduced excess risk for opportunistic disease or death, but excess risk remained. Episodic antiretroviral therapy, as used in the SMART study, should be avoided.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Empirical fluconazole versus placebo for intensive care unit patients: a randomized trial.
Invasive infection with Candida species is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Optimal preventive strategies have not been clearly defined. ⋯ In critically ill adults with risk factors for invasive candidiasis, empirical fluconazole did not clearly improve a composite outcome more than placebo.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Low-molecular-weight heparin versus compression stockings for thromboprophylaxis after knee arthroscopy: a randomized trial.
Knee arthroscopy, the most common orthopedic operation worldwide, carries a definite risk for deep venous thrombosis; however, postsurgical thromboprophylaxis is not routinely recommended. ⋯ In patients undergoing knee arthroscopy, prophylactic LMWH for 1 week reduced a composite end point of asymptomatic proximal deep venous thrombosis, symptomatic venous thromboembolism, and all-cause mortality more than did graduated compression stockings.