Does This Adult Patient Have Acute Meningitis?
Article Abstract:
A thorough clinical examination can improve the diagnosis of acute meningitis. Researchers reviewed 10 clinical studies of the examination of patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial or viral meningitis. Most patients with meningitis will complain of headache, neck stiffness, and altered mental status. The presence of headache and nausea or vomiting alone are not very sensitive indicators of meningitis. Meningitis is likely in patients with a worsening headache when they rapidly and repeatedly turn their head horizontally. The lumbar puncture is the best diagnostic tool in high-risk patients.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1999
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Applying clinical trial results: how to use an article measuring the effect of an intervention on surrogate end points
Article Abstract:
Doctors should learn how to evaluate clinical studies that use surrogate end points. The best clinical trials are those that study the effect of a treatment on survival rates. However, such a trial could take a long time and require studying thousands of patients. For this reason, many doctors study the effect of the treatment on a surrogate end point instead. Surrogate end points include physiologic variables such as bone mineral density as a surrogate for bone fractures, blood pressure for stroke, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels for heart attack, and CD4 cell count for AIDS.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1999
User Contributions:
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