Mayo Clinic proceedings
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Oct 2013
Whole organ and tissue reconstruction in thoracic regenerative surgery.
Development of novel prognostic, diagnostic, and treatment options will provide major benefits for millions of patients with acute or chronic respiratory dysfunction, cardiac-related disorders, esophageal problems, or other diseases in the thorax. Allogeneic organ transplant is currently available. However, it remains a trap because of its dependency on a very limited supply of donated organs, which may be needed for both initial and subsequent transplants. ⋯ We identified the current state-of-the-art practices in tissue engineering with a focus on advances during the past 5 years. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of biological and synthetic solutions and introduce novel strategies and technologies for the field. The ethical challenges of innovation in this area are also reviewed.
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Worldwide, acupuncture is integral to everyday medical practice. In recent decades its practice has gained popularity in the United States. With increasing evidence of its clinical efficacy, acupuncture is now a widely practiced treatment modality in complementary and integrative medicine. ⋯ Patients want more information from their clinicians about the use of acupuncture and its safety and efficacy. Although many clinicians may recommend acupuncture, they often believe they are not sufficiently informed to discuss acupuncture with their patients. This article provides answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding acupuncture.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Oct 2013
ReviewEtiology and therapeutic approach to elevated lactate levels.
Lactate levels are commonly evaluated in acutely ill patients. Although most often used in the context of evaluating shock, lactate levels can be elevated for many reasons. While tissue hypoperfusion may be the most common cause of elevation, many other etiologies or contributing factors exist. ⋯ We provide an overview of the pathogenesis of lactate level elevation followed by an in-depth look at the varied etiologies, including medication-related causes. The strengths and weaknesses of lactate as a diagnostic/prognostic tool and its potential use as a clinical end point of resuscitation are discussed. The review ends with some general recommendations on the management of patients with elevated lactate levels.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Oct 2013
The necessity for clinical reasoning in the era of evidence-based medicine.
Clinical decisions are increasingly driven by evidence-based recommendations of guideline groups, which aim to be based on the highest quality knowledge-randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Although RCTs provide the best assessment of the overall value of a therapy, high-quality evidence from RCTs is often incomplete, contradictory, or absent even in areas that have been most exhaustively studied. Moreover, the likelihood of the success or failure of a therapy is not identical in all the individuals treated in any trial because therapy is not the only determinant of outcome. ⋯ Nevertheless, limitations in the extent, quality, generalizability, and transferability of evidence mean that we clinicians must still reason through the best choices for an individual because even in the absence of full and secure knowledge, clinical decisions must still be made. Clinical reasoning is the pragmatic, tried-and-true process of expert clinical problem solving that does value mechanistic reasoning and clinical experience as well as RCTs and observational studies. Clinicians must continue to value clinical reasoning if our aim is the best clinical care for all the individuals we treat.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Oct 2013
High risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with epilepsy: a nationwide cohort study.
To examine the association between epilepsy and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. ⋯ Epilepsy is an independent determinant for gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a chronological and severity-dependent pattern. We urge the development of an adequate surveillance policy and strategy for the early prevention of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in epileptic patients.