Video clips for patient comprehension of atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis in emergency care. A randomised clinical trial.

Integrating video clips in the discharge process may enhance patients' understanding and awareness of their condition. To determine the effect of video clip-integrated discharge discussion on patient comprehension of atrial fibrillation (AF) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and their main complications (stroke and pulmonary embolism), we designed a multicentre, pragmatic, parallel groups, randomised clinical trial, that was conducted at two Emergency Units in Italy. A convenience sample of 144 adult patients (or their caregivers) discharged home with either AF or DVT were randomised to receive standard verbal instructions (control) or video clip-integrated doctor-patient discharge discussion.

Investigation on the clinical efficacy and safety of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment (Protopic) in canine atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

Topical tacrolimus is successfully used in people with atopic dermatitis. Preliminary studies in dogs with atopic dermatitis using tacrolimus in a compounded lotion formulation indicated that tacrolimus significantly decreased erythema and pruritus according to investigator, but no significant improvement was reported by the dog owners. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the commercially available 0.

Investigation on the effects of topical therapy with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment (Protopic) on intradermal skin test reactivity in atopic dogs.

Tacrolimus ointment (TAC) is an effective treatment for atopic dermatitis in humans and dogs. The purposes of the present study were to evaluate the effect of 4 weeks of TAC on intradermal skin testing (IST), and in case of suppression, to investigate if reactivity returned to baseline by 2 or 4 weeks post treatment. Intradermal skin test was performed using saline, histamine, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.

HIV infection in women: an escalating health concern.

The proportion of women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to increase. Over one-half of women acquire the virus through heterosexual contact. The diagnoses that define the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and the use of antiretroviral therapy are similar in men and women, except in pregnancy.

Evaluation of a rapid theophylline test strip assay in the emergency department setting.

Test strips recently have become available to measure theophylline levels. One such test strip (AccuLevel) had not been tested in an actual clinical situation with nontechnician personnel. We prospectively evaluated the test strip on consecutive emergency department patients, comparing it with the agglutination inhibition method used by our hospital laboratory.

Rapid assay kits for common microbiologic agents.

Commercial rapid assay kits are available to assist in making diagnoses such as gonorrhea, rubella, and chlamydial and Group A streptococcal infections. Most assays contain either antigens to detect antibodies or antibodies to detect the antigens of the specific agents. Methods include latex agglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, solid-phase enzyme immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence.

Use of a radioimmunoassay to quantify thrombospondin.

Results of radioimmunoassay procedures applied to samples containing thrombospondin indicated that reliable values are obtained either in saline or in plasma. Plasma levels in apparently normal individuals ranged from approximately 20 to 300 ng/ml. The mean for 20 individuals was 175 ng/ml.