Tag: diagnosis
Transthoracic echocardiography: an accurate and precise method for estimating cardiac output in the critically ill patient
Cardiac output (CO) monitoring is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and management of critically ill patients. In the critical care setting, few studies have evaluated the level of agreement between CO estimated by transthoracic... read more
Diagnostic Value of Procalcitonin on Early Postoperative Infection After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Procalcitonin was more accurate than C-reactive protein and WBC to predict early postoperative infection, but the diagnostic properties of procalcitonin could not be observed during the first 3 postoperative days due to the... read more
Exosomes in Critical Illness
Exosomes are small, cell-released vesicles (40–100 nm in size) with the potential to transfer proteins, lipids, small RNAs, messenger RNAs, or DNA between cells via interstitial fluids. Due to their role in tissue homeostasis,... read more
New Telestroke Guidelines by American Telemedicine Association
These new telestroke guidelines were developed to assist practitioners in providing assessment, diagnosis, management, and/or remote consultative support to patients exhibiting symptoms and signs consistent with an acute... read more
Integrating Advance Care Planning into Practice
Advanced respiratory diseases progress over time and often lead to death. As their condition worsens, patients may lose medical decision making ability. Advance care planning (ACP) is a process in which patients receive information... read more
MRI in Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has high specificity but limited sensitivity for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a systematic review published in the journal Thrombosis Research. Given these inconclusive... read more
Visual Aids for Infectious Disease Diagnoses
Learning the hallmarks of proper diagnosis requires using all of our senses: hearing, to listen to a patient’s symptoms; touch, to probe an infection site; and occasionally smell, to qualitatively determine infection characteristics... read more
Biopsy first: Lessons learned from CALGB 140503
In a carefully monitored cohort of patients with suspected small NSCLC <2 cm, a substantial number are misdiagnosed (benign nodules) or understaged. These patients may not have benefited from a thoracic surgical procedure.... read more
Seizures Prior to Diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Seizures were a condition commonly experienced by patients prior to diagnosis of TSC; understanding the initial diagnoses experienced by TSC patients may help lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of TSC. Many patients... read more
Fibromyalgia as marker for seizures less reliable
The specificity of fibromyalgia as a marker for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is less reliable than previously described, results from a large analysis showed. Fibromyalgia may not be as reliable a clinical indicator... read more
CT said to be 'effective gatekeeper' for coronary angiography
Study found the length of stay was shortened by 22.9 hours with CT, and patients preferred noninvasive testing.... read more
Use of interventions improves patient care for viral hepatitis
Researchers recommend multiple, inexpensive interventions be included in screening, diagnosis and treatment programs for patients with hepatitis B and C viruses, in an effort to optimize the outcomes of hepatitis care.... read more
What goes into the first aid kit of the future?
A revolution is taking place in the recesses of bathroom mirrors and pantry cabinets as a new wave of gadgets expand our conception of the First Aid Kit.... read more
Signatures of Subacute Potentially Catastrophic Illness in the ICU
The severity of the original insult often determines prognosis, and the risk of death is further increased by events that occur during the stay, such as acute respiratory failure, sepsis, and hemorrhage. These new insults... read more