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Pirfenidone Capsule (Esbriet®) and Nintedanib Capsules (Ofev®)

The FDA has approved two drugs for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic agent and nintedanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Both products were approved on a fast-track priority review, with orphan status and breakthrough designation. Pirfenidone is marketed by InterMune as Esbriet and nintedanib as Ofev by Boehringer Ingelheim.

Probiotic Supplementation Reduces Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

This 150-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial (RCT) with 465 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 37 years old) was designed to examine the effects of probiotics on the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI).

Aspirin for the Prevention of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism

Patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at high risk of recurrence after discontinuation of vitamin K antagonist (such as warfarin) therapy, with an approximately 10% risk of recurrence within the first year and 5% risk per year thereafter.

Emergency Medicine Reports - Full November 30, 2014 Issue in PDF

The Photosensitive Patient

A 65-year-old female presents to the emergency department with a chief complaint of a severe rash. The rash has been present for two weeks on her arms, neck, and scalp. It began while she was sitting on her porch one afternoon. She denies any associated fevers, chills, headache, or muscle ache. She denies any exposure to pets, new soaps, detergents, or lotions, and she denies recent travel.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in the ICU

Using retrospective cohort data from a national survey of medical and mixed medical-surgical ICUs, this study found that nurse practitioner (NP)/physician assistant (PA) staffing was common and not associated with any differences in in-hospital mortality compared to ICUs without NP/PAs.

Dehydration Is a Poor Prognostic Sign in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Dehydration is an independent predictor of discharge outcome and admission cost in acute ischaemic stroke.

Unplanned Extubations as a Quality-of-Care Issue

Reintubation following unplanned extubation in critically ill post-operative patients is associated with increased hospital mortality.

After-Hours ICU Discharge: A Potentially Modifiable Cause of Increased Hospital Mortality

Examination of outcomes in 710,535 patients in relation to the timing of ICU discharge showed that being moved out to the ward between 1800 and 0600 hours was associated with increased risks of both in-hospital death and unplanned ICU readmission.

Ebola Virus Disease and the ICU Clinician

As hospitals in the United States and other resource-intensive countries prepare for the care of patients with possible Ebola virus disease, the greatest impact on its clinical outcome and further spread will most likely come from the application of existing basic critical-care and infection-control principles.