B-Type Natriuretic Peptide to Rule out Heart Failure: Different Cutoffs for Different Patients?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Adjusting BNP thresholds for clinical covariates improved the test's ability to differentiate between cardiac and noncardiac causes of dyspnea.
Reviewing:
Rogers RK et al., Am J Cardiol 2009 Sep 1; 104:689
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: On Pump or Off Pump?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
On-pump surgery bested off-pump surgery in a randomized trial, but important questions remain unaddressed.
Reviewing:
Shroyer AL et al. for the Veterans Affairs Randomized On/Off Bypass (ROOBY) Study Group., N Engl J Med 2009 Nov 5; 361:1827
Peterson ED., N Engl J Med 2009 Nov 5; 361:1897
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
The drug provides little benefit and might cause harm.
Reviewing:
Pfeffer MA et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Oct 30
H. pylori and Gastric Cancer
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Eradication of H. pylori infection did not significantly reduce the incidence of gastric cancer.
Reviewing:
Mabe K et al., World J Gastroenterol 2009 Sep 14; 15:4290
Chest Compression Fraction and Survival from Cardiac Arrest
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Minimizing interruption of chest compressions is associated with improved survival.
Reviewing:
Christenson J et al., Circulation 2009 Sep 29; 120:1241
Chest X-Ray Abnormalities Associated with H1N1 Influenza Infection
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Patchy consolidation, often bilateral, was the most common finding.
Reviewing:
Agarwal PP et al., AJR Am J Roentgenol 2009 Oct 12
Intranasal Naloxone Is Effective for Opioid Overdose
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Time from patient contact to clinical response was the same with intranasal and intravenous naloxone.
Reviewing:
Robertson TM et al., Prehosp Emerg Care 2009 Oct-Dec; 13:512
Screening for Prostate and Breast Cancers
FEATURE
Have the benefits been overstated?
Interview
Reviewing:
Esserman L et al., JAMA 2009 Oct 21; 302:1685
Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Infections: The Surge Continues
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
The incidence of infection is increasing faster than the rate of implantation.
Reviewing:
Voigt A et al., Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2009 Sep 30
HLA-DR Recovery and Risk for Secondary Infections in Sepsis
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Slow recovery of depressed HLA-DR was associated with increased risk for secondary infections.
Reviewing:
Lukaszewicz A-C et al., Crit Care Med 2009 Oct; 37:2746
