Increased efficacy of internal carotid artery stenting using a low-profile stent with a tapered tip

Angioplasty and stent placement is becoming a widely accepted method of carotid artery revascularization. Two cases are presented where 1 standard low-profile stent failed to cross the lesion, but a different low-profile stent with a tapered tip delivery system was successfully deployed. The technical advantages of the tapered delivery system in certain anatomic situations are described.     

Prevalence of superantigen-secreting bacteria in patients with Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of superantigen secreting bacteria in children with acute Kawasaki disease (KD) relative to control patients. STUDY DESIGN: Bacterial cultures were obtained in a blinded fashion from the throat, rectum, and groin of 45 patients with untreated acute KD and 37 febrile control patients from 6 centers in the United States. Cultures were processed for the presence of superantigen-producing bacteria at a central laboratory. RESULTS: Staphylococci or streptococci that produced superantigens (TSST-1, SEB, SEC, SPEB, SPEC) were isolated from 25 of 45 patients with KD (56%) as compared with 13 of 37 (35%) control patients (P =.078). Because SEB- and SEC-producing Staphylococcus aureus have not been associated with KD and because they do not induce a Vbeta2+ T-lymphocyte response, we analyzed the difference between groups relative to superantigens TSST-1 or SPEB/SPEC production. TSST-1 secreting S aureus or SPEB/SPEC producing group A streptococci were isolated from 20 of 45 (44%) patients with KD compared with 7 of 37 (19%) control patients (P =.019). CONCLUSIONS: The overall isolation rates of superantigen (TSST-1, SPEB, SPEC, SEB, SEC) producing bacteria between patients with KD and febrile control patients were not statistically significant. However, future studies should further examine the potential role of Vbeta2-stimulatory superantigens (TSST-1 and SPEB/SPEC) in KD.     

A randomized comparison of care provided by a clinical nurse specialist,an inpatient team,and a day patient team in rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES: To compare in a randomized, controlled trial the clinical effectiveness of care delivered by a clinical nurse specialist, inpatient team care, and day patient team care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have increasing functional limitations. METHODS: Between December 1996 and January 1999, 210 patients with RA were recruited in the outpatient clinic of the rheumatology department of 6 academic and nonacademic hospitals. Clinical assessments recorded on study entry and weeks 6, 12, 26, and 52 included the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire as primary outcome measures, and the RAND-36 Item Health Survey, the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life questionnaire, the Health Utility Rating Scale, and the Disease Activity Score as secondary outcome measures. Patient satisfaction with care was measured on a visual analog scale in week 6 in all 3 groups and again in week 12 in the nurse specialist group. RESULTS: Within all 3 groups, functional status, quality of life, health utility, and disease activity improved significantly over time (P < 0.05). However, a comparison of clinical outcome among the 3 groups and a comparison between the nurse specialist group and the inpatient and day patient care groups together did not show any sustained significant differences. Subgroup analysis showed that age had a significant impact on differences between the 3 treatment groups with respect to functional outcome as measured with the HAQ (P < 0.001). With increasing age, the most favorable outcome shifted from care provided by a clinical nurse specialist and inpatient care to day patient care. Patients' satisfaction with care was significantly lower in the nurse specialist group than in the inpatient and day patient care groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Care provided by a clinical nurse specialist appears to have a similar clinical outcome in comparison with inpatient and day patient team care. Although all patients were highly satisfied with multidisciplinary care, patients who received care provided by a clinical nurse specialist were slightly less satisfied than those who received inpatient or day patient team care. Age appeared to be the only factor related to differences in functional outcome between the 3 treatment groups. The choice of management strategy may, apart from age, further be dependent on the availability of facilities, the preferences of patients and health care providers, and economic considerations.     

Diagnosis of heart failure in older adults: predictive value of dyspnea at rest

The objective of this study was to describe the predictive value of dyspnea at rest in the diagnosis of heart failure in older adults. We have conducted a retrospective chart review of older adults hospitalized with heart failure in 11 hospitals in Alabama, US. We defined dyspnea at rest as dyspnea not accompanied by activities, sleep, or lying down. We confirmed diagnosis of heart failure using modified Framingham criteria (based on available variables). We estimated values for sensitivity, specificity, predictive value positive and likelihood ratio positive of dyspnea at rest along with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Patients had a mean (+/-S.D.) age 79 (+/-7.5) years, were 60% female and 18% African-American. The prevalence (pre-test probability) of heart failure was 77%. Dyspnea at rest was reported by 975 (89%) patients. Dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea were, respectively, reported by 279 (26%), 356 (33%) and 230 (21%) patients. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (post-test probability) of dyspnea at rest were, respectively, 92% (95% CI = 90 - 94%), 19% (95% CI = 14 - 24%) and 79% (95% CI = 77 - 82%). Patients with dyspnea at rest were 13% (likelihood = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.06 - 1.20) more likely to have heart failure than those without. Presence of any three of the symptoms of dyspnea at rest, dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, fatigue and lower extremity edema increased the positive predictive value to 90% (95% CI = 87 - 93%). Dyspnea at rest was the commonest symptom among elderly hospitalized HF patients and had high sensitivity, but low specificity and positive predictive value, which increased in the presence of other symptoms.