Value of nitroglycerin test in the diagnosis of heart failure in emergency department patients with undifferentiated dyspnea.

Background: Rapid diagnosis of heart failure (HF) in acutely dyspneic patients can be challenging for emergency department (ED) physicians.

Hypothesis: Cardiac output (CO) change with sublingual nitroglycerin (NTG) could be helpful in the diagnosis of HF in patients with acute undifferentiated dyspnea.

Materials And Methods: A prospective study of patients >18 years admitted to the ED for acute dyspnea.

2-Day versus C-reactive protein guided antibiotherapy with levofloxacin in acute COPD exacerbation: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Duration of antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is most commonly based on expert opinion. Biomarker guided strategy is increasingly recommended to limit unnecessary antibiotic use. We performed a randomized controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of 2-day versus C-reactive protein (CRP)-guided treatment with levofloxacin in patients with AECOPD.