Hospital Medicine Alert – December 1, 2009
December 1, 2009
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Immediate Angiography or Wait Until the Next Working Day for Non-ST Elevation ACS?
Many clinical trials have confirmed the benefit of early invasive therapy for high-risk patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the optimal timing of cardiac catheterization in this group remains unknown. -
Direct Thrombin Inhibitor for Atrial Fibrillation
Dabigatran etexilate is an oral compound that is converted after absorption by a serum esterase to dabigatran, a direct competitive inhibitor of thrombin. -
Does the Risk Associated With Hyperglycemia Occur Across All Patient Groups?
This retrospective cohort study reaffirms the link between hyperglycemia and mortality in the ICU, but demonstrates that the risk does not apply equally to all patient groups and, instead, varies based on admission diagnosis. -
Why Is Staphylococcus aureus so Virulent?
Recombinant Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxins showed lytic activity against human (but not murine) neutrophils. The lytic activity of culture supernatants of USA400 and USA300 strains of MRSA were completely neutralized by anti-PVL monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, phenol-soluble modulin alpha3 (PSM) failed to lyse human neutrophils but did enhance PVL-mediated neutrophil lysis. -
CRT Plus ICD vs. ICD Alone in Heart Failure and Wide QRS Patients
Current indications for cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) require that patients have New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or Class IV heart-failure symptoms.