Potential aetiologies and prognostic implications of worsening renal function in acute decompensated heart failure.

Background: One third of patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) develop a worsening renal function (WRF) that is associated with increased in-hospital morbidity and mortality. However, previous investigations have not evaluated the various etiologies of WRF and its impact on prognosis.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients admitted with ADHF who had a rise of serum creatinine ≥ 0.

Resistant tennis elbow: shock-wave therapy versus percutaneous tenotomy.

Fifty-six patients who suffered from chronic persistent tennis elbow of more than six months duration were randomly assigned to two active treatment groups. Group 1 (n = 29) received high-energy extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT; 1,500 shocks) at 18 kV (0.22 mJ/mm(2)) without local anaesthesia; group 2 (n = 27) underwent percutaneous tenotomy of the common extensor origin.