[Diagnostic concordance between emergency room and hospitalization in medical patients].

Background: The purpose of this study was to know the concordance of diagnosis between emergency rooms amd hospitalization wards and to analyze the mistake index, the epidemiological characteristics and the main reasons for the mistakes.

Patients And Method: We analyzed hospitalized patients and used a three-level concordance: exact diagnosis (A), syndromical concordance (B) and mistake (C). We compared age, sex, time and days of hospitalization between the groups A+B and C.

[Indications and diagnosis efficiency of lumbar puncture in emergencies].

Background: To know the frequency, indications and diagnosis efficiency of lumbar puncture (LP) in the Emergency Department (ED) when suspecting a central nervous system (CNS) infection.

Patients And Method: We analyzed all the LP performed over a 2-year period in the ED. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with and without CNS infection.

High-dose saquinavir plus ritonavir: long-term efficacy in HIV-positive protease inhibitor-experienced patients and predictors of virologic response.

The year-long antiviral efficacy of a high-dose salvage regimen consisting of saquinavir (800 mg twice daily) plus ritonavir (400 mg twice daily) was evaluated in 58 HIV-positive patients who had seen no improvement under first-line protease inhibitor-containing regimens, nor in baseline predictors of virologic response. The efficacy of therapy was determined by CD4+/CD8+ and HIV-1 RNA values. The primary endpoint of our study was the percentage of patients with HIV-1 RNA levels <200 copies/ml (virologic success) at 6 and 12 months of of follow-up.