Referral for testing is at the discretion of the treating
physician, accounting for the high proportion of women and adenocarcinoma histology. Selection of mutation-positive tumors for treatment with gefitinib or erlotinib is associated with good responses to treatment. This study supports the use of gefitinib or erlotinib in routine clinical practice in patients with NSCLC carrying an EGFR mutation.”
“Introduction and objectives. To investigate factors associated with short-term mortality in elderly patients seen in emergency departments for an episode of acute heart failure.
Methods. A prospective, non-interventional, multicenter, cohort study was carried out in patients aged 65 years see more and older who were treated in the emergency department of one of eight tertiary hospitals in Spain. Twenty-eight independent variables
that could influence www.selleckchem.com/products/gw2580.html mortality at 30 days were assessed. They covered epidemiological and clinical factors and daily functioning. Data were obtained by reviewing medical records or by interviewing the patient or a relative. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.
Results. The study included 623 patients, 42 of whom (6.7%) died within 30 days of visiting the emergency department. Four variables were significantly associated with higher mortality: functional dependence at baseline (i.e., Barthel index=60; odds ratio [OR]=2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-6.5), New York Heart Association class III-IV (OR=3; 95% Cl, 1.3-7), systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg (OR=4.8; 95% Cl, 1.6-14.5) and blood sodium <135 mEq/l (OR=4.2; 95% Cl, 1.8-9.6).
Conclusions. Several factors evaluated selleck screening library on initial assessment in the emergency department, including the level of functional dependence, were found to determine a poor short-term prognosis in elderly patients who present with an episode of acute heart failure.”
“Introduction and objectives. A great variety of different types of vascular fistula are referred to cardiac catheterization laboratories for diagnosis
and percutaneous occlusion. In addition, a wide range of devices is available for treating them percutaneously. The objectives of this study were to assess the usefulness and difficulty of treating vascular fistulas percutaneously using controlled-release coils or Amplatzer vascular plugs and to report on the complications and overall outcomes observed with these two devices.
Methods. Retrospective review of percutaneous embolizations performed from January 2004 through June 2008.
Results. In total, 51 vascular fistulas in 30 patients aged from 6 days to 28 years (mean, 8.4 years) underwent successful embolization. The underlying diagnoses were: 27 venous collaterals in 16 patients after the Glenn procedure, four surgical (i.e.