All
Influence of a UTI empiric treatment pathway on physician prescribing in an academic medical center
February 1st 2006In an attempt to improve patient outcomes and control costs, a guide to empiric antimicrobial therapy, including a urinary tract infection (UTI) algorithm, was distributed to hospital physicians at an academic medical center. A retrospective study was conducted to assess the impact of the guide on physician prescribing of empiric antimicrobial therapy for UTIs. Prior to the implementation of the guide, 45% (n=55) of patients with UTIs were treated consistently with the algorithm. Although not statistically significant, consistency increased to 51% (n=45) after implementation of the guide. The initial publication of a guide to empiric antimicrobial therapy did not significantly influence physician prescribing patterns regarding UTIs. Educational sessions at the time of implementation along with reinforcement of the guidelines may further impact prescribing habits and influence algorithm compliance.
Retrospective analysis demontrates that switching statins hinders treatment compliance, persistence
January 1st 2006Patients who have switched statins should receive special care as they are substantially less likely to be compliant and remain on the treatment long enough to obtain its full benefits, researchers reported in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Formulary policy to be shaped this year by Medicare, IT, and push for drug development
January 1st 2006The number-one health policy issue for the new year is to find ways to keep healthcare costs under control. An aging population and more costly medical technology could increase current spending trends. These developments could have an impact on efforts to reduce the number of uninsured people in the United States and could prompt initiatives to make consumers more aware of treatment costs and options.
Chest 2005: Sitaxsentan more effective than bosentan as PAH therapy
January 1st 2006Sitaxsentan, a highly selective endothelin-A (ET-A) receptor antagonist undergoing FDA review as an alternative to bosentan for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment, demonstrated improved efficacy over bosentan in a recent study.
Chest 2005: Combination drug therapies may improve efficacy, reduce side effects in PAH
January 1st 2006Because several molecular pathways are relevant in the pathogenesis and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), combinations of therapies are being explored to better manage the disease.
Chest 2005: Heparin antibodies, independent of HIT, common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery
January 1st 2006The presence of antibodies to heparin is an independent risk factor for potentially serious complications following cardiac surgery, even in patients who do not develop heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), said David Kress, MD, at the 71st international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Monoclonal antibody demonstrates efficacy in postmenopausal osteoporosis
January 1st 2006A pivotal phase 3 trial of a fully human monoclonal antibody, denosumab, that prevents bone destruction is under way and includes 7,800 postmenopausal, osteoporotic women aged 60 to 90 years. The primary endpoint is new vertebral fractures versus placebo and secondary end points are safety and tolerability of the new agent. Phase 2 clinical trials have demonstrated that denosumab is superior to aldendronate in preserving bone mineral density (BMD), reported researchers during the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, Calif.
Study diminshes value of beta blockers in treatment of hypertension
January 1st 2006Beta blockers, touted for 3 decades as first-line drugs in the treatment of hypertension, are less than optimum in comparison to other antihypertensive drugs and raise the risk of stroke, according to a meta-analysis published online by The Lancet.
Early invasive stategy no better than selectively invasive approach for acute coronary syndromes
January 1st 2006Early invasive strategy, recommended by the current guidelines in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), did not excel when compared with its more conservative alternative in a randomized study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Retrospective analysis demontrates that switching statins hinders treatment compliance, persistence
January 1st 2006Patients who have switched statins should receive special care as they are substantially less likely to be compliant and remain on the treatment long enough to obtain its full benefits, researchers reported in the American Journal of Managed Care.
2005 AHA Scientific Sessions: EURIDES/ADONIS
January 1st 2006Dronedarone, a class III multichannel blocker developed for maintenance of sinus rhythm and ventricular rate control, reduces the risk of all-cause hospitalizations and death in patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFl), according to a post-hoc analysis of 2 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
2005 AHA Scientific Sessions: REVIVE II/SURVIVE trials
January 1st 2006The calcium sensitizer levosimendan was associated with an improvement in the clinical course of patients compared with placebo when used for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), but the drug failed to reduce 6-month mortality when compared with dobutamine in a similar set of patients.
2005 AHA Scientific Sessions: CAF? trial
January 1st 2006Drugs that reduce brachial blood pressure similarly can have different effects on central blood pressure. This finding may explain differences in clinical end points between antihypertensive drugs that lower blood pressure similarly, said Bryan Williams, MD, lead investigator of the Conduit Artery Function Evaluation (CAF?) trial, a substudy of the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT).
2005 AHA Scientific Sessions: IDEAl trial
January 1st 2006In a trial comparing high-dose atorvastatin with moderate-dose simvastatin in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD), the aggressive LDL-lowering strategy offered no significant advantage over the less aggressive strategy in reducing the number of coronary events, said Terje R. Pedersen, MD.