Design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a mobile relational agent to enhance atrial fibrillation self-care.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic cardiovascular disease that frequently causes disruptive symptoms, adverse outcomes, and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We have developed a mobile health application for individuals with AF which provides a longitudinal, patient-centered program to improve self-care. The defining feature of the application is the use of a relational agent, which uses synthetic speech accompanied by animation to provide health education, empathic counseling, and monitoring.

Brief motivational enhancement intervention to prevent or reduce postpartum alcohol use: a single-blinded, randomized controlled effectiveness trial.

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the effect of brief motivational enhancement intervention postpartum alcohol use.

Design: This study is a single-blinded, randomized controlled effectiveness trial in which pregnant women were assigned to receive usual care or up to 5 face-to-face brief motivational enhancement sessions lasting 10-30 minutes each and occurring at study enrollment, 4 and 8 weeks after enrollment, 32 weeks of gestation, and 6 weeks postpartum.

Setting: The setting is in a large, urban, obstetrics clinic.

Ritodrine treatment for uterine hyperactivity during the active phase of labor.

Forty consecutive patients with uterine hyperactivity, defined as either tachysystole and/or hypertonus during the active phase of vertex delivery, were treated with intravenous ritodrine (50 up to 300 micrograms/min, in 50 micrograms increments/5 min). Thirty-four patients (85%) responded within 20 min with termination of the uterine dysfunction and all (21, 52%) concomitant fetal heart rate distress signs disappeared. The treatment did not prolong labor, as this was significantly correlated to parity and cervical dilation when treatment was initiated (P less than 0.

[Ultrasonically-guided aspiration of clear pelvic cysts].

In 33 women aged 13-80, clear pelvic cysts were aspirated. The diameter of the cysts was between 4-11 cm and the aspiration, by either the vaginal or abdominal routes, was ultrasonically guided. In 25 cases (76%) there was no recurrence of a cyst during continuing follow-up.