Accuracy of point-of-care multiorgan ultrasonography for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Background: Presenting signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE) are nonspecific, favoring a large use of second-line diagnostic tests such as multidetector CT pulmonary angiography (MCTPA), thus exposing patients to high-dose radiation and to potential serious complications. We investigated the diagnostic performance of multiorgan ultrasonography (lung, heart, and leg vein ultrasonography) and whether multiorgan ultrasonography combined to Wells score and D-dimer could safely reduce MCTPA tests.

Methods: Consecutive adult patients suspected of PE and with a Wells score > 4 or a positive D-dimer result were prospectively enrolled in three EDs.

Progression of aortic valve sclerosis and aortic valve stenosis: what is the role of statin treatment?

Background: It has recently been suggested that statins could slow the progression of aortic stenosis, but this hypothesis has not been validated in large series. Moreover, there is little information about the role of statin treatment in patients with aortic valve sclerosis.

Methods: From our database 1988--2002, we retrospectively identified 1136 consecutive patients with aortic valve sclerosis (peak aortic velocity [Vmax] > 1.

[Efficacy of insulin Lispro in the control of late postprandial hypoglycemia: comparison with regular human insulin].

Background: Lispro insulin a recently developed analogue of human insulin, is more rapidly adsorbed and has a lower duration of activity as compared with regular insulin. This implies a glycemic profile closer to the physiologic one with a reduction of early post-prandial hyperglycemic peak and of drop in late postprandial glycemia. This results in a reduction of mild or severe hypoglycemia occurring during treatment with regular human insulin.

[Ursodeoxycholic acid in the therapy of chronic hepatitis after treatment with interferon].

Unlabelled: Interferon alfa is to day the only therapy of proven benefit for the treatment and control of chronic hepatitis C. Therefore only 25% of patients receive from it a sustained biochemical and serological response; often when the treatment is stopped there is a flare up of ALT and reappearance of HCV-RNA in the serum. The most common schedule is 6 MU t.