Isr Med Assoc J
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Observational Study
Prospective Audit of Empirical Antibiotic Therapy for Septic Patients.
Antibiotic stewardship programs are necessary to test the appropriateness of local guidelines for empirical antibiotic treatment by audits. ⋯ In this study, initiation of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy, according to the hospital's guidelines, was found associated with reduced mortality in patients with bacteremia.
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The effect of weight reduction following bariatric surgery is already well known. ⋯ In a cohort of obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy followed by abdominoplasty, no significant changes were noted in a patient's metabolic profiles. The results suggest that abdominoplasty has no effect on the metabolic markers tested in contrast to other reports; however, the cosmetic, behavioral, and psychological advantages of abdominoplasty are well established.
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Behçet's disease is a multi-systemic chronic relapsing inflammatory disease, classified among the vasculitides. The heterogeneity of clinical manifestations challenges the disease management. ⋯ Adalimumab treatment achieved a significant improvement in arthritis, mucocutaneous manifestations, and IL-6 levels in all study patients but only 40% reported significant pain reduction. The arthritis relapsed in 90% of patients following adalimumab discontinuation and long-term treatment was required.