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Patients with Emphysema often have very limited ability to exercise and have very restricted quality of life. This study from spain showed that Epidural perfusion (injection directly around the spinal cord) of methadone at chest level appears to not only reduce symptom of shortness of breath in patients with emphysema but also improve exercise capacity and quality of life in these patients with advanced emphysema without making the breathing any worse. chest
Rhinitis (swelling of the lining of the nose causing runny or stuffy nose) and asthma are considered to be parts of the same disease or allergic syndrome. It is important to treat both problems in order to control asthma. In this study here, researchers showed that treating both conditions help control asthma much better than treating asthma alone. chest
Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486, is currently being used as an "abortion pill" or medical abortion. There is a report of 4 cases of women who died after taking the abortion pill due to severe infection and shock associated with organism called Clostridium sordellii after taking this abortion pill. This is being reported so as to raise awareness and that does not mean these infections were caused by the abortion pill. New England Journal Medicine
Hepatitis C
testing for
antibody to hepatitis C may not be enough to screen organ donors. Unfortunately a recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed transmission of hepatitis C to organ donor recipients from an organ donor whose hepatitis C antibody testing was actually negative. Later testing for
Hepatitis C Nucleic Acid testing was positive in this organ donor. Since an organ donor tissues such as tendons, skin, cornea can be given to as many as 100 recipients, a more through screening of the donors may have to be done.
Bacterial infection of vagina,
is a serious health problem for millions of women. This condition is not very well understood. This New England Journal of Medicine study showed that these infections are complicated and involve number of different bacterias some of which were rather specific for this problem and of Clostridiales family. This hopefully should result in finding a more effective treatment for these patients.
Bacterial
infection
of
vagina,
is
a
serious
health
problem
for
millions
of
women.
This
condition
is
not
very
well
understood.
This
New
England
Journal
of
Medicine
study
showed
that
these
infections
are
complicated
and
involve
number
of
different
bacterias
some
of
which
were
rather
specific
for
this
problem
and
of
Clostridiales
family.
This
hopefully
should
result
in
finding
a
more
effective
treatment
for
these
patients.
Vestibular neuritis is the second most common cause of peripheral vestibular vertigo. Its assumed cause is a reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. Therefore, corticosteroids, antiviral agents, or a combination of the two might improve the outcome in patients with vestibular neuritis. This study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that steroids significantly improves the recovery of vestibular function in patients with vestibular neuritis, whereas
anti-viral drug does not.
For
patients with proliferative lupus
nephritis,
short-term
treatment with intravenous Cytoxan
followed
by maintenance
therapy with mycophenolate mofetil or
azathioprine
appears to be
more effective and safer than
long-term therapy
with
intravenous Cytoxan.
The
New England Journal of Medicine
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