The first randomized placebo-controlled trial of paracetamol (acetaminophen) for patients with acute low back pain has shown no effect of the drug on speed of recovery, pain, or many other factors associated with the condition. “The results suggest we need to reconsider the universal recommendation to provide paracetamol as a first-line treatment for low-back pain,” […]
Read MoreAuthors: Zhang L et al., Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2014 Jul 33:1189 A sensitive molecular method identified numerous bacterial species on intravascular catheters; most do not grow under standard culture conditions. Central venous catheters (CVCs) and arterial catheters (ACs) carry substantial risk for life-threatening infection. Early detection and appropriate treatment are important to […]
Read MoreAuthors: Chey WD et al., N Engl J Med 2014 Jun 19; 370:2387 About eight patients had to be treated to benefit one. Binding of opioid drugs to intestinal μ-opioid receptors causes the troublesome side effect of constipation. In two identical randomized trials, industry-sponsored researchers have examined the efficacy of naloxegol (Movantik) — a μ-opioid–receptor […]
Read MoreAuthors: Garcia-Tejada J et al., Resuscitation 2014 Jun 11; Patients with ST-segment elevation on post-arrest electrocardiogram were more likely to have acute coronary occlusion than those without it in a small study. Determining which patients will benefit from urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is not always straightforward. These researchers assessed whether […]
Read MoreAuthors: Weiss E et al., Br J Anaeth 2014 Jul 113:52 A new finger-cuff device might be useful as an early warning system for hemodynamic variability, but it is not a replacement for invasive monitoring. The Nexfin is a noninvasive finger-cuff device that uses photoplethysmographic technology to continuously measure arterial pressure. To compare Nexfin measurements […]
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