Articles: cations.
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Telemedicine in surgery holds promise for improving access and decreasing costs, but its role remains ill-defined. This pilot study was performed to investigate the safety, feasibility, and financial implications of providing postoperative care using an electronic clinic (eClinic) at a university hospital. ⋯ A safe and efficient postoperative telemedicine program can be constructed utilizing a widely available electronic medical record system, which can improve patient satisfaction, optimize throughput, and increase gross charges for the healthcare system.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2018
The Effects of Agrin Isoforms on Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in a Rat Streptozotocin Model.
Diabetes mellitus affects 9.3% of the US population and increases risks of surgery and complications. Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP), one of the main consequences of diabetes mellitus, is extremely difficult to treat. Current medications yield limited benefits and/or have severe adverse effects. Therefore, new, effective treatment is needed. ⋯ Agr50 had a potent suppressive effect on DNP and increased spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents and action potential firing rate from GABA neurons. Therefore, Agr50 may provide a potential therapy for DNP.
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As seen in this CME online activity (available at http://copdcme.elsevierresource.com/, COPD is characterized by pulmonary airflow obstruction that is not completely reversible. COPD presents clinically with diverse phenotypes ranging from relatively asymptomatic people to patients with severe chronic cough, abnormal sputum production, and dyspnea with exertion. Exacerbations accelerate the downward cycle of breathing difficulties, activity avoidance, and physical decline that characterizes progressive COPD. ⋯ Evidence-based education that addresses individualized maintenance regimens are needed to improve long-term outcomes in COPD. Within this CME/CE Snapshot educational series, an expert pulmonologist and a primary care educator discuss how to best longitudinally evaluate patients with COPD and incorporate the principles of pulmonary rehabilitation to maximize patient function and quality of life. They explain therapeutic tailoring over the course of disease and describe the importance of engaging patients in shared decision-making to promote acceptance of the diagnosis, appropriate physical activity, and treatment adherence.
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We wanted to assess the awareness of the nursing staff to therapeutic communications on improving the welcoming experience of patients in the operating room for outpatient surgery. ⋯ This preliminary study shows a mild improvement of the patients' comfort and satisfaction after therapeutic communication. A controlled randomized trial is needed to confirm those results.