Issue IndexA searchable index of tables of contents
Find An Issue
Table of contents for
August 26, 2004 Vol. 351 No. 9
- Free Full Text
Because the waiting list is long, critically ill patients in need of a cardiac transplant may require a “bridge” to transplantation. This is usually accomplished with the use of a left ventricular assist device, but not all patients are candidates for it. In this study, 81 patients received a total artificial heart as a bridge to transplantation. Seventy-nine percent survived to transplantation, and 70 percent were alive at one year.
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
This double-blind trial involving 387 women with recurrent candidiasis evaluated the effectiveness of a regimen of 150 mg of oral fluconazole once per week. Six months after the completion of therapy, 90.8 percent of the women in the fluconazole group remained free of candidiasis, as compared with 35.9 percent in the placebo group.
- Free Full Text
The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) results from a deficiency of functional surfactant in the airways. These investigators carried out a multicenter study in which patients with ARDS were treated with a recombinant human surfactant protein C–based surfactant. No clinical benefits were noted.
- Free Full Text
Variations in the clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) make decisions about treatment difficult. In more than 300 patients with the disease, the level of ZAP-70, an intracellular tyrosine kinase, in the leukemic cells correlated best with the median time from diagnosis to treatment.
A 43-year-old man has a two-week history of nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and fatigue. He has used an over-the-counter nasal decongestant and acetaminophen, without relief. During the past few days, facial pain and pressure have developed and have not responded to decongestants. In addition, his nasal discharge has turned from clear to yellow. How should he be treated?
A 79-year-old woman had an 18-month history of repeated falls and memory loss. She had truncal ataxia, a wide-based gait, Romberg's sign, increased muscle tone and cogwheeling, and reduced perception of vibration and proprioception. During the next two years hypophonia, dysarthria, and difficulty swallowing developed, with urinary urge incontinence and constipation. The patient died five years after the onset of the illness.
In this Health Policy Report, the author examines the economics of the pharmaceutical industry. Research-and-development costs, patent laws, and health insurance coverage all influence drug pricing. The author discusses the policy dilemmas resulting from the complex economics of pharmaceutical research and development and reviews potential strategies to control prices.
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
- Free Full Text
