Mortality Outcomes in Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices Before and After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) carries a risk of high-grade AV block requiring cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation, which has been associated with a higher mortality rate. However, the outcomes of TAVR in patients with preexisting CIEDs are not well understood. We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent TAVR from December 2014 to December 2019 at our institution.

Suspected COVID-19 Immunization-Induced Probable Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

In this report, we describe the case of a woman with suspected COVID-19 immunization-induced probable catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome. The patient is a 35-year-old female with a past medical history significant for antiphospholipid syndrome, not on anticoagulation, who presented with a 5-day history of abdominal pain and distention, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. She had received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine one day prior to the onset of symptoms.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers: Practices, Controversies, and What Lies Ahead.

Issue: Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are responsible for negotiating payment rates for a large share of prescription drugs distributed in the U.S. Recently, policymakers have expressed concern that certain PBMs' business practices may not be consistent with public policy goals to improve the value of pharmaceutical spending.

Outcomes-Based Pharmaceutical Contracts: An Answer to High U.S. Drug Spending?

Issue: Brand-name prescription drug prices are increasing in the United States, putting pressure on payers and patients. Some manufacturers have responded by offering outcomes-based contracts, in which rebate levels are tied to a specified outcome in the target population.

Goal: To assess the expected benefits and limitations of outcomes-based pharmaceutical contracts in the U.

Autobiographical memory in schizophrenia: an examination of the distribution of memories.

Patients with schizophrenia display numerous memory impairments. Examination of autobiographical memory distribution across the life span can constrain theories of how schizophrenia affects memory. Previously, schizophrenic patients were shown to produce fewer memories from early adulthood than from childhood or the recent past (A.