Narrative Forewarnings: A Qualitative Analysis of the Themes Preceding Disorganized Speech in Schizophrenia.

Disorganized speech is a critical barrier to recovery in schizophrenia, with profound negative impacts on one's ability to engage with the world. Despite the limited efficacy of existing treatments in addressing disorganization, a qualitative analysis of what leads to disorganization in patient narratives has been lacking. This study addresses this gap through inductive thematic analysis of 30 narrative interviews with individuals with schizophrenia, matched based on whether Formal Thought Disorder (FTD) is present.

Mild vs. moderate: How behavioral speech measures predict metacognitive capacity across different levels of formal thought disorder.

Disorganized speech is a key component of formal thought disorder (FTD) in schizophrenia. Recent work has tied disorganized speech to deficits in metacognition, or one's ability to integrate experiences to form complex mental representations. The level of FTD at which differences in metacognitive capacity emerge remains unclear.

A single topical agent is clinically equivalent to the combination of topical and oral antibiotic treatment for otitis externa.

Objective: To demonstrate clinical equivalence (statistical noninferiority) of topical ciprofloxacin and hydrocortisone (CHC, Cipro HC) and topical neomycin/polymyxin b/hydrocortisone (NPH, Cortisporin) with systemic amoxicillin (AMX, Amoxil), for treatment of acute otitis externa (AOE).

Design: Randomized, active-control, observer-blind, multicenter trial.

Patients: Altogether, 206 patients were enrolled (CHC, 106; NPH + AMX, 100).

Efficacy and safety of inhaled zanamivir in the prevention of influenza in community-dwelling, high-risk adult and adolescent subjects: a 28-day, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Influenza can cause significant morbidity and mortality in subjects at high risk for complications, including the elderly (age >or=65 years) and those with chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, or metabolic conditions. Effective prophylaxis can significantly reduce the disease burden in this population. Previous studies conducted primarily in non-high-risk subjects have reported the efficacy of inhaled zanamivir in preventing influenza.

Impact of influenza treatment with oseltamivir on health, sleep and daily activities of otherwise healthy adults and adolescents.

Objective: To determine the effect of oseltamivir (75mg twice daily) on time to return to baseline health, sleep and activity in patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection.

Patients And Methods: Data from 1642 otherwise healthy adults (aged 13-64 years), who had experienced a febrile influenza-like illness (>38 degrees C) of up to 36 hours' duration together with at least one respiratory and one systemic/constitutional symptom, were pooled from four randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Patients in these trials had been randomised to receive either oseltamivir or placebo for 5 days and had been allowed unlimited use of symptom-relief medications.

Comparison of once-daily extended-release ciprofloxacin and conventional twice-daily ciprofloxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women.

Background: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) is currently the first choice for empiric therapy of acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in women. In areas where resistance to TMP/SMX is known to be high, ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones are recommended as first-line choices for the empiric therapy of UTI.

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety profile of once-daily extended-release ciprofloxacin 500 mg (referred to hereafter as ciprofloxacin QD) with those of conventional ciprofloxacin 250 mg BID, each administered orally for 3 days, in the treatment of uncomplicated UTI in women.

Ezetimibe coadministered with simvastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ezetimibe administered with simvastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Despite the availability of statins, many patients do not achieve lipid targets. Combination therapy with lipid-lowering agents that act via a complementary pathway may allow additional patients to achieve recommended cholesterol goals.

A multicenter, randomized, investigator-blinded study of 5- and 10-day gatifloxacin versus 10-day amoxicillin/clavulanate in patients with acute bacterial sinusitis.

Background: Treatment guidelines for acute bacterial sinusitis recommend 10 to 14 days of therapy with amoxicillin/clavulanate, high-dose amoxicillin, cefpodoxime, cefuroxime, or a newer fluoroquinolone.

Objective: This study compared the clinical efficacy of short-course (5-day) gatifloxacin with standard 10-day regimens of amoxicillin/clavulanate or gatifloxacin in patients with a diagnosis of acute, uncomplicated maxillary sinusitis.

Methods: This was a multicenter, investigator-blinded study in adult patients (age >18 years) with physical findings, signs and symptoms (for at least 7 days), and radiographic findings indicating acute, uncomplicated maxillary sinusitis.