Chronic consumption of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) by patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease is very common, primarily because of their potent and profound effect on acid secretion that results in an unsurpassed rate of symptom resolution and esophageal healing. However, there have been a growing number of reports over the ...

The benefits of antiretroviral therapy during early human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection remain unproved. A5217 study team randomized patients within 6 months of HIV-1 seroconversion to receive either 36 weeks of antiretrovirals (immediate treatment [IT]) or no treatment (deferred treatment [DT]). Patients were to start or restart antiretroviral ...

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively studied the risk factors associated with relapse during remission maintenance therapy for myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (MPO-ANCA)-positive microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). METHODS: Sixty-two patients diagnosed with MPA according to the European Medicines Agency classification algorithm during a 2-year period from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2006, and who ...

Mycosis fungoides is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. There are a wide range of treatments for early-stage and advanced-stage mycosis fungoides. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a new treatment modality due to its safety and efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety ...

ABSTRACT Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a key issue for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The multicenter LRF CLL4 trial, in which 777 patients were randomized to receive chlorambucil or fludarabine, alone or with cyclophosphamide (FC), assessed HRQoL at baseline, months 3, 6 and 12, then annually until 5 ...

Case Description-A 3-year-old neutered male Lhasa Apso (dog 1) was evaluated because of chronic swelling at an 8-month-old enucleation site, a 10-year-old spayed female Japanese Chin (dog 2) was evaluated because of chronic swelling at a 6-year-old enucleation site and chronic discharge from a 1-year-old enucleation site, and a 7-year-old ...

The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of five weekly two-needle arthrocentesis plus hyaluronic injections vs. the same protocol performed with a single-needle technique in patients with inflammatory-degenerative disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). 80 patients with TMJ osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to the two-needle or single-needle ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Robotic-assisted walking training after stroke aims to enhance the odd of regaining independent gait. Recent studies have suggested that this approach is more effective than conventional therapy alone only in severely affected patients. We determined whether these results persist at long-term follow-up. METHODS: Forty-eight nonambulant participants after ...

We observed 44 patients with 2-stage revisions for septic hip prostheses. We used a uniform protocol consisting of the implantation of a preformed spacer (interval 12-26 weeks), specific systemic antibiotic therapies, and cementless total hip arthroplasty at time of reimplantation. The minimum follow-up was 36 months (mean, 67 months; range, ...

A case of recurrent sudden sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear is presented. The patient was a 58-year-old Chinese woman with profound hearing loss, a feeling of fullness in the ear, vomiting and severe dizziness for 2 months. A head scan and MRI of the brain and neck showed ...

Background Pegylated Interferon-α (PEG-IFN) provides potential advantages over nucleos(t)ide analogues in the treatment of chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) given its finite course, durability and lack of drug resistance. Much of the evidence is derived from controlled studies and it is unclear whether these results can be replicated in an everyday, ...

Background and Aim Adefovir add-on therapy is recommended for patients infected with lamivudine- resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV). We aimed to describe the long-term treatment outcome and predictors for good response of adefovir add-on therapy. Methods A total of 559 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had been treated for ...

OBJECTIVE:To determine the immediate and long-term therapeutic efficacies of Gufoni and head-shaking maneuvers in apogeotropic type of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo involving the horizontal semicircular canal (HC-BPPV), a randomized, prospective, sham-controlled study was conducted. METHODS:In nationwide 10 dizziness clinics of Korea, 157 consecutive patients (95 women, age range: 18-89 years, ...

IntroductionPropranolol was recently discovered to be an effective treatment for infantile haemangiomas, and varying doses and monitoring regimens have been proposed. Adverse events, although uncommon, have been reported.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective chart review of infants with haemangiomas who were started on propranolol at a dose of 3 milligrams ...

We conducted a randomized controlled trial in patients with acne vulgaris with moderate to severe inflammatory lesions. The patients were assigned to the following three treatment groups: group A received monotherapy with 0.1% topical adapalene gel for 4 weeks; group B received combination therapy with 0.1% topical adapalene gel and 600 mg ...

Objective. To compare the effects of aggressive tight control therapy and conventional care on radiographic progression and disease activity in patients with early mild inflammatory arthritis.Methods. Patients with two to five swollen joints, Sharp-van der Heijde radiographic score (SHS) <5 and symptom duration ≤2 years were randomized between two strategies. ...

OBJECTIVES: The design and implementation of an antibiotic intravenous (iv) to oral switch therapy (IVOST) guideline in a Third World health setting. METHODS: The guideline was developed and integrated into daily practice by a ward pharmacist over a period of 7 weeks. Patients were switched once they were deemed clinically ...

Objective  To determine the complications and nonrecurrence rates following superficial lamellar keratectomy, bulbar conjunctivectomy, and adjunctive carbon dioxide (CO(2) ) photoablation for corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the horse. Study design  Retrospective study. Sample population  Twenty-four horses with corneolimbal SCC. Procedure  Medical records of horses diagnosed with corneolimbal SCC ...

The standard recommendation for treating chronic osteomyelitis is 6 weeks of parenteral antibiotic therapy. However, oral antibiotics are available that achieve adequate levels in bone, and there are now more published studies of oral than parenteral antibiotic therapy for patients with chronic osteomyelitis. Oral and parenteral therapies achieve similar cure ...

No data on whether brucellar meningitis or meningoencephalitis can be treated with oral antibiotics or whether an intravenous extended-spectrum cephalosporin, namely, ceftriaxone, which does not accumulate in phagocytes, should be added to the regimen exist in the literature. The aim of a study conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, was to compare ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether treatment with oral azithromycin compared with topical tetracycline reduces the recurrence of trichiasis for up to 3 years following surgery for trichiasis. METHODS: The Surgery for Trichiasis, Antibiotics to Prevent Recurrence (STAR) trial is a randomized, single-masked, clinical trial conducted in southern Ethiopia, a region where ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim was to retrospectively assess the results of treatment of upper urinary tract stones with the Sonolith vision manufactured by EDAP, and purchased in 2004. METHODS: The subjects were 226 Japanese patients who underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) alone as an initial treatment and could be ...

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to assess and quantify changes in voiding parameters and prostate size in men with prostate cancer from before the start of endocrine treatment and during long-term follow-up. Material and methods. Seventy-seven patients were recruited from three clinics and followed prospectively until death, ...

This prospective study was initiated in 1993 with the aim to study late effects and responses to antiviral therapy in a cohort of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. A total of 195 patients were included from 12 centers. In all, 134 patients had undergone allogeneic and 61 autologous hematopoietic SCT ...

Forgotten ureteral stents represent a difficult problem for urologists; the major complications are infection, migration, encrustation, stone formation, and multifractured stent, and a consensus on the best therapeutic approach is lacking. Here we present our experience with endoscopic management of this challenging problem and discuss the various endourological approaches for ...

BACKGROUND: the primary prevention of ischaemic stroke in chronic non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) typically involves consideration of aspirin or warfarin. CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc estimates annual stroke rates for untreated AF patients, which are reduced by 60% with warfarin and by 20% with aspirin. HAS-BLED estimates annual rates of major bleeding on warfarin. ...

Background  The incidence of actinic keratoses (AK) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in organ transplant recipients (OTRs) is significantly higher than in immunocompetent patients. Rates of progression and recurrence following treatment are higher too, in part due to the effects of the immunosuppressant drugs. Conventional therapies for AK, using curettage, ...

Background: Mitoxantrone has been extensively used as a disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis. However, estimates of the associated risk of therapy-related acute leukaemia and cardiomyopathy have been derived from short-term studies. This study aimed to ascertain the long-term risk of therapy-related acute leukaemia or cardiomyopathy after mitoxantrone therapy for multiple ...

Dasatinib is a highly potent BCR-ABL inhibitor with established efficacy and safety in imatinib-resistant/intolerant patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In the phase 3 DASISION trial, patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase (CP) CML were randomized to receive dasatinib 100 mg (n=259) or imatinib 400 mg (n=260) once daily. Primary data ...

To evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of target percutaneous laser disc decompression (T-PLDD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. PLDD using the Nd:YAG laser has been regarded as an effective alternative treatment for disc herniation. However, all the previous studies were concentrated on vaporizing the nucleus pulposus in ...

We described three patients with collagenous colitis (CC) who developed side effects or were refractory to both budesonide and methotrexate and were given adalimumab (ADA) as a third-line treatment. Three patients (two women, mean age 45 years and one man, 74 years old) were included. Mean bowel movements per day ...

The objective of the study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of early combined treatment with intratympanic steroid injection (ITSI) in patients with severe to profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), who did not respond to initial systemic steroid treatment (SST). The study design included historical controlled trials (retrospective analysis ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that radiofrequency isolation of the pulmonary veins (PVI) is an effective treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Based on these positive results, non- pharmacological therapy has been incorporated in the guidelines for drug refractory atrial fibrillation, resulting in an increased popularity. The prevention of thromboembolic complications ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is to provide information on clinical outcome of the patients affected by HCV-positive mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) treated with PEG-IFN and Ribavirin for 6 or 12 months according to the HCV genotype. METHODS: Eighty-six patients (42 women and 44 men) were enrolled in 8 ...

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) with self-expandable bare stents for malignant superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) and to analyze predictive factors of EVT efficacy. METHODS: Retrospective review of the 164 patients with malignant SVCS treated with EVT in our hospital from August 1992 to December 2007 ...

Purpose. To evaluate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods. Retrospective case series. Thirty eight eyes of 38 patients with exudative AMD underwent combined therapy consisting first of IVR, followed by PDT within a week and the ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of infliximab for inducing and maintaining benefit in children with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Patients (6-17 years old) that had active UC (Mayo scores of 6-12; endoscopic subscores ≥2) and had not responded to or tolerated conventional ...

The goal of this study is to evaluate the stability of lyophilized siRNA formulations. The gene silencing efficiency of a stored lyophilized siRNA formulation (i.e. siRNA nanosomes) was evaluated in interferon-α (IFN-α) resistant hepatitis C virus (HCV) at different time points up to three months in an in vitro cell ...

  The nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol is an effective therapy for infantile hemangiomas. Systemic propranolol therapy shows a rapid therapeutic effect with good drug tolerability. We report on the efficacy of local application of propranolol ointment in superficial hemangiomas of the skin. In our outpatient department, 45 children with ...

ABSTRACTBackground: The feasibility, test-retest reliability, and accuracy of different fall recording methods have not been studied in older persons with dementia.Methods: This was a prospective observational study, nested within a randomized controlled trial on motor training, in which 110 participants were monitored for falls over 12 months. Seven methods of ...

Various combination strategies for treating Babesia gibsoni have been described. However, relapses after administering some combinations of antibabesial drugs and the presence of drug-resistant B. gibsoni still pose significant challenges to veterinarians. To compare the efficacy of a combination of clindamycin, diminazene, and imidocarb (CDI) to that of a combination ...

Background: IMPROVE HF, a 24-month performance improvement initiative for outpatient cardiology and multispecialty practices, demonstrated significant improvement in guideline-based use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for patients with heart failure (HF). We investigated patient, physician, and practice factors associated with improvements in ICD use. Methods: Patients with HF or postmyocardial infarction ...

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Bevacizumab delivered as a submucosal and topical intranasal therapy effectively controls hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT)-associated epistaxis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective institutional review board-approved study. METHODS: Between December 2009 and December 2010, 19 patients with HHT-associated epistaxis were treated with 100 mg of intranasal submucosal bevacizumab. Following treatment, patients were contacted ...

Background: Preservation of locomotor activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is of utmost importance. Robotic-assisted body weight-supported treadmill training is a promising method to improve gait functions in neurologically impaired patients, although its effectiveness in MS patients is still unknown.Objective: To compare the effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) with ...

As there is little information regarding the recovery from Uhthoff phenomenon (UP) in the multiple sclerosis (MS) literature, the objective of this study was to assess the phenotypes of UP. A one-page questionnaire was sent to 80 consecutive optic neuritis (ON) patients seen in a tertiary neuro-ophthalmology clinic. Of the ...

Background Ttremendous healthcare resources have been spent on the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and its related complications. Therefore, a proper evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of pharmacotherapy is vital in aid of decision-making. Aim To study the long-term economic and clinical impact if lamivudine was replaced by entecavir in ...

OBJECTIVE: A prospective, long-term randomized controlled trial was designed to support the use of rituximab (RTX) for severe mixed cryoglobulinemia or cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV). METHODS: Fifty nine patients with CV and related skin ulcers, active glomerulonephritis, or refractory peripheral neuropathy were enrolled. Antiviral therapy had previously failed or was not ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes of patients who underwent local excision of adenomyoma and to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study of 86 women undergoing local excision of symptomatic uterine adenomyoma at laparotomy. Dysmenorrhea was assessed before and after operation by questionnaire, and the average duration ...

BackgroundCerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVT) is an uncommon cause of stroke that is usually treated medically with intravenous heparin therapy followed by long-term anticoagulation therapy. A series of patients with CVT who underwent rheolytic thrombectomy with the AngioJet as a first-line adjunctive treatment in addition to standard anticoagulation therapy is ...

Antistaphylococcal penicillins are the treatment of choice for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection. Ceftriaxone can be dosed once daily and is less expensive for outpatient therapy than oxacillin. We compared patient outcomes of MSSA osteoarticular infections treated with ceftriaxone versus oxacillin. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with ...