Prof Giuseppe Martucciello MD, Dr Romano Tripodi MD. The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9812, Page e19, 21 January 2012
In 2003, after the second Gulf War, the authors were medical doctors at the humanitarian Mission of the Red Cross Field Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Our experience in the field indicated that civilians were at a high risk for injuries caused by stray bullets...
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Dr Bengt Zöller MD a , Xinjun Li MD a, Prof Jan Sundquist MD a b, Prof Kristina Sundquist MD a
The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9812, Pages 244 - 249, 21 January 2012
Summary
Background
Some autoimmune disorders have been linked to venous thromboembolism. We examined whether there is an association between autoimmune disorders and risk of pulmonary embolism.
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Effect of intravenous β-2 agonist treatment on clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (BALTI-2): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial
Prof Fang Gao Smith MD a b , Prof Gavin D Perkins MD a b, Simon Gates PhD a, Duncan Young MD c, Prof Daniel F McAuley MD d e, William Tunnicliffe FRCP f, Zahid Khan FRCA g, Prof Sarah E Lamb DPhil a c, for the BALTI-2 study investigators
The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9812, Pages 229 - 235, 21 January 2012
Summary
Background
In a previous randomised controlled phase 2 trial, intravenous infusion of salbutamol for up to 7 days in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) reduced extravascular lung water and plateau airway pressure. We assessed the effects of this intervention on mortality in patients with ARDS.
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Samuel Loewenberg
The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9812, Page 205, 21 January 2012
Mismanagement of tuberculosis in Mumbai has led to the emergence of India's first known cases of a totally drug-resistant form of the disease, say doctors. Samuel Loewenberg reports.
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The Lancet Neurology, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 14 - 15, January 2012
Eugene O Major, Avindra Nath
Each year, the highest incidence of microbial infections in the nervous system is caused by pathogens such as meningococcus, toxoplasmosis, and Cryptococcus, and by encephalitic viruses such as those that cause Japanese encephalitis. For example, this year an outbreak of viral encephalitis in northern India resulted in 2300 hospital admissions and over 400 deaths.1 The herpes virus family also accounts for many cases of encephalitic infections, as does influenza virus, with the likelihood of encephalitic infections relating each year to the severity of the pandemic. However, notable in 2011 was the occurrence of infections that might be considered unanticipated and that were linked either to globalisation, which readily spreads infectious agents between countries, or to new treatments that alter immune physiology.
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The Lancet Neurology, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 12 - 13, January 2012
Andrew IR Maas; David K Menon
In the past decade, evidence-based medicine has guided treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), with an increased number of systematic reviews leading to standardised treatment guidelines. Although some success has been achieved with this approach, it ignored substantial injury-specific and patient-specific variability. Clinical trials during this time had similar limitations because they unsuccessfully targeted discrete disease mechanisms in the hope of finding a magic bullet that would universally benefit all patients with TBI, and ignored underlying interindividual pathophysiological heterogeneity. In the past year there has been a shift in thinking, and recognition of the need for better, more uniform characterisation to guide management. Such characterisation, together with new developments, provides opportunities for personalised approaches to clinical management.
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Dr Aeron C Hurt PhD, Prof Tawee Chotpitayasunondh MD, Nancy J Cox PhD, Rod Daniels PhD, Alicia M Fry MD, Larisa V Gubareva PhD, Prof Frederick G Hayden MD, David S Hui MD, Olav Hungnes PhD, Angie Lackenby PhD, Wilina Lim MD, Adam Meijer PhD, Charles Penn PhD, Masato Tashiro MD, Timothy M Uyeki MD, Prof Maria Zambon PhD on behalf of the WHO Consultation on Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Virus Resistance to Antivirals
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 19 December 2011
Influenza A H1N1 2009 virus caused the first pandemic in an era when neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral drugs were available in many countries. The experiences of detecting and responding to resistance during the pandemic provided important lessons for public health, laboratory testing, and clinical management. We propose recommendations for antiviral susceptibility testing, reporting results, and management of patients infected with 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1. Sustained global monitoring for antiviral resistance among circulating influenza viruses is crucial to inform public health and clinical recommendations for antiviral use, especially since community spread of oseltamivir-resistant A H1N1 2009 virus remains a concern.
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Prof Pierre-Alain Clavien MD, Mickael Lesurtel MD, Prof Patrick MM Bossuyt PhD, Prof Gregory J Gores MD, Prof Bernard Langer MD, Prof Arnaud Perrier MD, on behalf of the OLT for HCC Consensus Group. The Lancet Oncology, Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages e11 - e22, January 2012
Although liver transplantation is a widely accepted treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), much controversy remains and there is no generally accepted set of guidelines. An international consensus conference was held on Dec 2—4, 2010, in Zurich, Switzerland, with the aim of reviewing current practice regarding liver transplantation in patients with HCC and to develop internationally accepted statements and guidelines.
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Joyce S Balami MRCP, Prof Alastair M Buchan FMedSci. The Lancet Neurology, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 101 - 118, January 2012
Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is the most devastating type of stroke and is a leading cause of disability and mortality. By contrast with advances in ischaemic stroke treatment, few evidence-based targeted treatments exist for ICH.
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Dr Marcus J Rijken MD, Rose McGready PhD, Machteld E Boel MD, Rini Poespoprodjo PhD, Neeru Singh PhD , Din Syafruddin PhD, Prof Stephen Rogerson PhD , Prof François Nosten PhD. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 75 - 88, January 2012
Most pregnant women at risk of for infection with Plasmodium vivax live in the Asia-Pacific region. However, malaria in pregnancy is not recognised as a priority by many governments, policy makers, and donors in this region.
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B Taylor Thompson. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 12 December 2011
In The Lancet , Fang Gao Smith and the BALTI-2 study investigators 1 report the findings of their phase-3 randomised trial of intravenous salbutamol for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The trial, based on reliable preclinical evidence and an encouraging phase-2 trial, was stopped early because of safety concerns. 2
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Prof Fang Gao Smith MD a b , Prof Gavin D Perkins MD a b, Simon Gates PhD a, Duncan Young MD c, Prof Daniel F McAuley MD d e, William Tunnicliffe FRCP f, Zahid Khan FRCA g, Prof Sarah E Lamb DPhil a c, for the BALTI-2 study investigators. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 12 December 2011doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61623-1Cite or Link Using DOI
Background
In a previous randomised controlled phase 2 trial, intravenous infusion of salbutamol for up to 7 days in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) reduced extravascular lung water and plateau airway pressure. We assessed the effects of this intervention on mortality in patients with ARDS.
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Dr Damian Cruse PhD a b , Srivas Chennu PhD c, Camille Chatelle MSc d, Tristan A Bekinschtein PhD b, Davinia Fernández-Espejo PhD a, Prof John D Pickard MD e, Prof Steven Laureys MD d, Prof Adrian M Owen PhD a b. The Lancet, Volume 378, Issue 9809, Pages 2088 - 2094, 17 December 2011 <Previous Article|Next Article>doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61224-5Cite or Link Using DOIPublished Online: 10 November 2011
Background
Patients diagnosed as vegetative have periods of wakefulness, but seem to be unaware of themselves or their environment. Although functional MRI (fMRI) studies have shown that some of these patients are consciously aware, issues of expense and accessibility preclude the use of fMRI assessment in most of these individuals. We aimed to assess bedside detection of awareness with an electroencephalography (EEG) technique in patients in the vegetative state.
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Prof Nicola Latronico MD a , Prof Charles F Bolton MD b. The Lancet Neurology, Volume 10, Issue 10, Pages 931 - 941, October 2011
Critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) and myopathy (CIM) are complications of critical illness that present with muscle weakness and failure to wean from the ventilator. In addition to prolonging mechanical ventilation and hospitalisation, CIP and CIM increase hospital mortality in patients who are critically ill and cause chronic disability in survivors of critical illness.
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Prof Andreas Greinacher MD a *, Sigrun Friesecke MD b *, Peter Abel MD b, Alexander Dressel MD c, Sylvia Stracke MD d, Michael Fiene MD d, Friedlinde Ernst MD d, Kathleen Selleng MD a, Karin Weissenborn MD e, Bernhard MW Schmidt MD f, Mario Schiffer MD f, Prof Stephan B Felix MD b, Prof Markus M Lerch MD d, Jan T Kielstein MD f †, Prof Julia Mayerle MD d †. The Lancet, Volume 378, Issue 9797, Pages 1166 - 1173, 24 September 2011. Published Online: 05 September 2011
Background
In May 2011, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing enterohaemorrhagic E coli O104:H4 in northern Germany led to a high proportion of patients developing post-enteritis haemolytic uraemic syndrome and thrombotic microangiopathy that were unresponsive to therapeutic plasma exchange or complement-blocking antibody (eculizumab). Some patients needed ventilatory support due to severe neurological complications, which arose 1 week after onset of enteritis, suggesting an antibody-mediated mechanism. Therefore, we aimed to assess immunoadsorption as rescue therapy.
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