Quality of care and attributable healthcare costs in diabetic hypertensive patients initiated on calcium antagonist therapy.

Background And Objective: Calcium antagonists (CAs) from two classes - dihydropyridine and non-dihydropyridine (DCAs and NDCAs, respectively) - are important add-on agents in goal blood pressure (BP) attainment. This study compared drug regimens to which DCAs or NDCAs had been added; for each class, BP reduction and healthcare costs were evaluated in a diabetic hypertensive population.

Design, Setting And Patients: This was a retrospective observational study using administrative claims data within two US health plans.

Patterns of brachytherapy practice for patients with carcinoma of the cervix (1996-1999): a patterns of care study.

Purpose/objective: To analyze the details of brachytherapy practice in patients treated for carcinoma of the cervix in the United States between 1996 and 1999.

Methods And Materials: Radiation facilities were selected from a stratified random sample. Patients were randomly selected from lists of eligible patients treated at each facility.

Patterns of radiotherapy practice for patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a patterns of care study.

Purpose: To determine the influence of research findings and evolving technology on the practice of radiotherapy in patients with carcinoma of the cervix.

Methods And Materials: Radiation oncology facilities were randomly selected from two strata: those that treated <500 and those that treated >/=500 new cancer patients annually. Patient records were randomly selected from lists of eligible patients treated between 1996 and 1999 at each institution.

Human embryonic zeta-globin chains in fetal and newborn blood.

A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human embryonic zeta-globin chains was used to study normal fetal blood and newborn cord blood as well as cord blood from newborns with alpha-thalassemias. From 17 weeks until 37 weeks of gestation, zeta-globin chains were present in almost all fetal and cord blood samples (0.27% +/- 0.

Hereditary stomatocytosis: consistent association with an integral membrane protein deficiency.

We studied the RBC membrane proteins of four patients, including a mother and daughter, with hereditary stomatocytosis. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that a 28 kDa integral protein, present in normal RBC membranes, was absent in all four patients. This abnormality, reported once previously (Lande et al, 1982), appears to be a characteristic feature of hereditary stomatocytosis, and may be related to the underlying permeability defect in this disorder.