Articles: prospective-studies.
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Comparative Study
Tuberculosis chemotherapy and sputum conversion among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative patients in south-eastern Uganda.
To investigate if there is a difference in response to tuberculosis treatment between HIV seronegative and HIV seropositive patients following two months of intensive phase tuberculosis treatment. ⋯ This study demonstrates that HIV-seropositive status is not a principal factor in delaying sputum conversion among patients receiving intensive phase tuberculosis treatment.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · Apr 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRegional anaesthesia for caesarean section in severe preeclampsia: spinal anaesthesia is the preferred choice.
Standard textbooks advocate epidural rather than spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section in severe preeclampsia. The basis for this recommendation is the theoretical risk of severe hypotension but no published scientific studies have been identified to support this assertion. We therefore designed a prospective study to compare spinal versus epidural anaesthesia in severely pre-eclamptic patients requiring hypotensive therapy. ⋯ By contrast in the epidural group three patients had mild pain and four others had pain severe enough to warrant intraoperative analgesia. There were no differences in neonatal outcomes. These findings support recent studies suggesting the safety and efficacy of spinal anaesthesia in this group of patients.
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Even in intensive, adolescent-oriented programs, in which access to highly effective contraceptives is guaranteed, repeat adolescent pregnancies commonly occur. ⋯ Although early implant insertion significantly decreased the rate of rapid, repeat adolescent pregnancies, the rates of removal and of pregnancy by the end of the second year postpartum were high. Thus, health care providers need to address the motivational components of adolescent pregnancy even among those who accept ostensibly long-term methods.
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To determine the degree of interinstitutional transfusion practice variation and reasons why red cells are administered in critically ill patients. STUDY DESIGN: Multicentre cohort study combined with a cross-sectional survey of physicians requesting red cell transfusions for patients in the cohort. STUDY POPULATION: The cohort included 5298 consecutive patients admitted to six tertiary level intensive care units in addition to administering a survey to 223 physicians requesting red cell transfusions in these units. MEASUREMENTS: Haemoglobin concentrations were collected, along with the number and reasons for red cell transfusions plus demographic, diagnostic, disease severity (APACHE II score), intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and lengths of stay in the ICU. ⋯ There is significant institutional variation in critical care transfusion practice, many intensivists adhering to a 100g/l threshold, and opting to administer multiple units despite published guidelines to the contrary. There is a need for prospective studies to define optimal practice in the critically ill.
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Objectives. Prospective studies using specific outcome measures for the treatment of complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS) using spinal cord stimulation are lacking in the literature. The current prospective study followed 19 patients with the objective of analyzing such patients using specific outcome measures including the McGill Pain Rating Index, the Sickness Impact Profile, Oswestry Disability, Beck Depression Inventory, and Visual Analog Scale Scores. ⋯ The Beck Depression Inventory trended toward significant improvement. Conclusions. Patients with CRPS benefit significantly from the use of spinal cord stimulation, based on average follow-up of 7.9 months.