Neurology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Sodium valproate vs phenytoin in status epilepticus: a pilot study.
Sixty-eight patients with convulsive status epilepticus (SE) were randomly assigned to two groups to study the efficacy of sodium valproate (VPA) and phenytoin (PHT). Seizures were aborted in 66% in the VPA group and 42% in the PHT group. ⋯ The side effects in the two groups did not differ. Sodium valproate may be preferred in convulsive SE because of its higher efficacy.
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To assess the influence of the body mass index (BMI) on the prevalence and severity of chronic daily headache (CDH) and its most frequent subtypes, transformed migraine (TM) and chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). ⋯ Chronic daily headache and obesity are associated. Obesity is a stronger risk factor for transformed migraine than for chronic tension-type headache.
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Comparative Study
Neurologic prognosis and withdrawal of life support after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
To study the impact of neurologic prognostication on the decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapies (LST) in comatose patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest. ⋯ In patients with poor neurologic recovery early after resuscitation from cardiac arrest, physicians appear to use the cortical evoked potential grade to estimate prognosis. Cortical evoked potential grade correlated with the waiting time until life sustaining therapies were withdrawn after no improvement in neurologic examination was seen.
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To investigate if systemic d-dimer activation occurs after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to study its influence on clinical outcome. ⋯ Increased plasma d-dimer level following acute intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with early neurologic deterioration and poor outcome.