Browse Clinical Articles by Topic

Treatment of Gram-Negative Bacteremia: How Long Is Long Enough?

Antibiotic administration for seven days is sufficient in stable patients with Gram-negative bacteremia.

Are Frequent PVCs Causing Left Ventricular Dysfunction?

Premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy was phenotypically different than a tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy in a swine model. Paced ventricular bigeminy led to left ventricular dyssynchrony, a decline in left ventricular ejection fraction associated with biventricular myocardial fibrosis, and a widening of the sinus QRS.

In-Ambulance Troponin Measurements

A study of triaging suspected non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome patients by employing in-ambulance troponin measurements augmented the predictive value for 45-day major adverse cardiac events. This could help identify very high-risk patients who would benefit from urgent coronary angiography.

The Natural History of Tricuspid Regurgitation

A retrospective analysis of patients with moderate or severe tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) and who underwent an earlier echo with no or mild TR showed that progression of TR was independently associated with age, female sex, new device leads, and right ventricular or tricuspid annular dilation.

TAVR Beneficial for Patients With Severely Reduced Ejection Fraction

In patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis and severe left ventricular dysfunction, transcatheter aortic valve replacement was associated with significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and similar mortality compared to patients with milder left ventricular dysfunction.

Late Mortality With Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons and Stents in Peripheral Arterial Disease

A newly published meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials concerning paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents in femoral popliteal disease patients revealed a marked increase in all-cause death at two and five years.

Pregnancy Temporarily Increases Breast Cancer Risk: Parallels to Hormonal Contraception?

In a pooled analysis of prospective studies, researchers found an increased risk of breast cancer among parous women that persists for more than 20 years after childbirth. Breastfeeding did not modify this pattern.

Low-Dose Aspirin and Preterm Birth

SYNOPSIS: A reanalysis of an earlier randomized clinical trial to assess the ability of low-dose aspirin to prevent preeclampsia has shown that the drug diminishes the risk of spontaneously delivering prior to 34 weeks by about half.

Does Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis Prevent Spontaneous Preterm Birth?

In this randomized, controlled trial from France, screening for and treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women at low risk for preterm birth with oral clindamycin or placebo did not reduce the rate of spontaneous preterm birth between 16 and 36 weeks.

Paternal Age Is Important for Perinatal Outcomes

Fathering infants at or after age 45 years is associated with negative effects on both the mothers and the resulting offspring.