Efficacy and safety of long-acting pasireotide in patients with somatostatin-resistant acromegaly: a multicenter study.

Introduction: Pasireotide, a multi-somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-ligand with high affinity for SSTR was recently approved for acromegaly treatment.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective multicenter study investigating the efficacy and safety of long-acting (LAR) pasireotide treatment in 35 patients (20 males) with active acromegaly (28 macroadenomas).

Results: Mean baseline insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) at diagnosis was 3.

A novel potential therapy for vascular diseases: blood-derived stem/progenitor cells specifically activated by dendritic cells.

Background: Vascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in diabetic patients. Stem/progenitor cell treatments with bone marrow-derived cells show safety and promising outcomes, albeit not without some preprocedural adverse events related to cell collection and mobilization. We describe a novel technology for generating a therapeutic population (BGC101) of enriched endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from non-mobilized blood, using dendritic cells to specifically direct stem/progenitor cell activity in vitro.

Can in-hospital urinary catheterization rates be reduced with benefits outweighing the risks?

Urinary catheterization has risks and its use should be limited because it is the main cause of healthcare-associated urinary tract infection. Other risks are the potential for urethral injuries and the possibility that the catheter will be left in permanently. Rates of urinary catheterization in internal medicine departments generally range from 8% to 20%, with higher rates in older adult patients.

The clinical response of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

The aim of the study was to determine whether intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) treatment is effective in patients with West Nile Virus (WNV) neuroinvasive disease. We contacted hospital based infectious disease experts in Israeli hospitals to identify patients with WNV neuroinvasive disease who were treated with IVIG. The main outcome measure was neurological response after treatment.

Transient lymphopenia and neutropenia: pediatric influenza A/H1N1 infection in a primary hospital in Israel.

Background: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 carries a relatively high morbidity, particularly in young people. Early identification would enable prompt initiation of therapy, thereby improving outcomes.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics of children admitted to hospital with the clinical diagnosis of influenza with reference to pandemic influenza A/H1N1.

Increased emergency department chief complaints of fever identified the influenza (H1N1) pandemic before outpatient symptom surveillance.

Objective: To determine whether a sentinel clinic network or an emergency department (ED) was more timely in identifying the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

Methods: All reasons for presenting to the adult regional medical ED were coded online by admission secretaries, without the aid of medical personnel. Increased influenza activity defined by weekly chief complaints of fever was compared with activity defined by the Israel Center for Disease Control (viral surveillance as well as a large sentinel clinic network).

The effect of urinary bladder catheterization on patient care in an internal medicine department.

Introduction: Recommendations for urinary catheterization in newly hospitalized patients are inconsistent and unclear.

Methods: The authors studied prospectively consecutive patients who were catheterized in an internal medicine department over a 3-month period, with follow-up for 6 months or until the catheter was removed. Patient records were reviewed to determine if catheterization was definitely not indicated by commonly accepted criteria.

The addition of fiber and the use of continuous infusion decrease the incidence of diarrhea in elderly tube-fed patients in medical wards of a general regional hospital: a controlled clinical trial.

Goals: To determine if feeds high in fiber continuously administered might minimize diarrhea.

Background: The addition of soluble fiber to enteral feedings has not consistently decreased diarrhea in controlled clinical trials, and the effect of the use of intermittent or continuous infusions on the rate of diarrhea is similarly controversial.

Study: We studied 148 of 160 selected elderly well-nourished patients with acute disease prohibiting oral intake in a controlled clinical trial in the setting of an internal medicine departments in a regional hospital who were divided into 4 groups and fed according to combinations of intermittent or continuous systems, with fiber-free or fiber rich formulas.

Fatal invasive pulmonary aspergillosis presenting as profound hypoglycemia in a patient with anorexia nervosa.

A 29-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa was admitted because of an episode of severe and persistent hypoglycemia. Chest X-ray showed multiple cavitary lesions and subsequent sputum culture revealed heavy growth of Aspergillus niger. In spite of intensive antimicrobial and supportive therapy, the patient died of respiratory failure and cardiovascular collapse.

Overnight dexamethasone suppression test: a reliable screen for Cushing's syndrome in the obese.

Objective: Reevaluation of the validity of the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (ODST) as a screening test for Cushing's syndrome in obese patients.

Research Methods And Procedures: Eighty-six obese patients (body mass index, 30 to 53 kg/m(2)) that were referred to a general endocrine outpatient clinic for evaluation of simple obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, polycystic ovary disease, or pituitary tumor. One milligram dexamethasone was administered orally at 11:00 PM, and serum cortisol levels were measured the following morning between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM.