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29, 2000 |
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Risk
of the Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome
Children who have gastrointestinal infections with Escherichia coli O157:H7
are at risk for the hemolyticuremic syndrome, and treatment of the infections
with antibiotics may increase that risk. Among 71 children with E. coli
O157:H7 diarrhea, the hemolyticuremic syndrome developed in 5 of the 9
who received antibiotics (56 percent). In contrast, the syndrome developed
in only 5 of the 62 children who had not received antibiotics (8 percent). |
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Prognostic Value of Cardiac
Electrophysiologic Testing
Electrophysiologic testing is used to assess the prognosis in patients with
coronary artery disease and unsustained ventricular tachycardia, but the
value of this approach is uncertain. This study compared the outcomes of
1397 patients without inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmias with those
of 353 patients with inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmias who received
no antiarrhythmic therapy. Those without inducible arrhythmia had a lower
risk of sudden death or cardiac arrest and a lower overall mortality rate. |
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A
Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor for Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Because patients with familial adenomatous polyposis have a nearly 100 percent
risk of colorectal cancer, treatments that could prevent cancer might avert
the need for colectomy. In this six-month study of a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor,
400 mg of celecoxib twice daily, as compared with placebo, was associated
with a significant reduction in the number of colorectal polyps. |
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Anticoagulant
Therapy and Cancer
In this study of six weeks or six months of prophylaxis with warfarin after
an episode of deep-vein thrombosis, the risk of cancer was found to be increased
for at least two years after the thrombotic event. Cancer developed in a
significantly higher proportion of the patients who were treated with warfarin
for six weeks than of the patients given warfarin for six months; cancers
of the urogenital tract were the most frequent types. This difference was
attributed to an antineoplastic effect of warfarin. |
