Astudy conducted by the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) has shown that zidovudine is effective in preventing transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from mother to child.¹ In this trial (protocol 076), women were given oral ...

Quantitative analysis of bacteria in urine cultures was developed several decades ago¹–⁴ to establish reliable criteria for discriminating between infection and contamination in asymptomatic subjects, with the expectation that asymptomatic infection might ...

Central diabetes insipidus is a heterogeneous condition characterized by polyuria and polydipsia due to a deficiency of arginine vasopressin. In many patients, especially children and young adults, it is caused by the destruction or degeneration of the ...

The postural tachycardia syndrome is a chronic form of orthostatic intolerance that primarily affects young women. This disorder is characterized by symptoms (such as lightheadedness, dimming of vision, confusion, and anxiety) and signs (such as bluish-...

In developed countries, approximately 1 in every 10 pregnancies ends in early death of the embryo or the fetus (that is, before 20 weeks of gestation), and 1 in every 200 pregnancies ends in late fetal loss.¹–³ Although fetal loss in the first trimester ...

Figure 1. What do these photographs of the eye of a 19-year-old man show, and what systemic disorder does the man have?

Since the pioneering work of Gowans and colleagues in the 1960s,¹,² much progress has been made in understanding the pivotal role of cell migration in immunity. We now have considerable knowledge of the way in which specialized leukocytes are channeled to ...

The complex clinical trial described by Lallemant and colleagues in this issue of the Journal ¹ was designed to determine the optimal duration of treatment with zidovudine to prevent the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) ...

The introduction of quantitative urine cultures in the mid-1950s coincided with the introduction and widespread use of antimicrobial drugs. The first studies of quantitative urine bacteriology, in fact, included a diverse group of asymptomatic patients — ...

To the Editor: The article by Keller et al. (May 18 issue),¹ in which 29 authors contributed to a comparison of the efficacy of treatment with an antidepressant alone, psychotherapy alone, and their combination in 681 patients with chronic depression, ...

To the Editor: In the April 6 issue, Aricò et al.¹ report on a retrospective study of the characteristics of and treatment for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. The authors state that Ph-positive ALL is ...

To the Editor: The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor–associated periodic syndrome is a dominantly inherited, chronic inflammatory condition characterized by lifelong febrile attacks of abdominal and musculoskeletal pain associated with skin lesions. ...

To the Editor: In their study of patients with acute myocardial infarction that was treated with either thrombolytic therapy or primary angioplasty, Canto et al. (May 25 issue)¹ found that in hospitals with angioplasty facilities, a higher volume of ...

To the Editor: In their recommendations for travelers, Ryan and Kain (June 8 issue)¹ unfortunately do not include sufficient information about the adverse effects of mefloquine (Lariam). Recent studies from Spain, Sweden, and California²–⁴ found that one ...

To the Editor: Chadee et al. (June 22 issue)¹ describe a 70-year-old Trinidadian man with symptomatic reactivation of Plasmodium malariae infection seven days after neurosurgery. Their conclusion is that the infection was reactivated “after decades of ...

To the Editor: Critically ill patients who are receiving enteral feeding are susceptible to pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. Measures to enhance the early detection of aspiration include the tinting of feedings with the food dye FD&C blue no. 1.^...

This book is an extraordinary work of scholarship. The concepts and findings set forth so lucidly in Social Epidemiology help to clarify puzzling phenomena in medical practice and investigation. It is remarkably free of jargon and should prove accessible ...

Gambling has always existed, but only recently has it taken on the colorful and highly accessible forms we know today. Essentially, gambling stakes something valuable — usually money — on the outcome of an entirely unpredictable event. In other words, ...

The abuse of psychoactive substances is among the leading causes of disability and criminal activity in the world. Drug addiction is difficult to study. Most drug transactions are effected illegally, which limits the acquisition of accurate data on drug ...

Since the introduction of “post-traumatic stress disorder” into the psychiatric nomenclature in 1980, there has been growing interest in literary and medical accounts of reactions to extremely stressful events. These modern reviews aim to document the ...