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The image illustrates platelets, which are essential for normal blood clotting in the body. Platelets are the focus of a large, multicenter study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. The researchers want to know whether maintaining platelets in cold storage is as effective in reducing blood loss as platelets stored at room temperature and whether the shelf life of cold platelets can be safely extended to 21 days.
Patients undergoing complex cardiac surgery are at risk of excessive bleeding, a life-threatening complication that can occur during or after the operation and often requires a transfusion of platelets. Platelets help blood clot, preventing blood loss.
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People with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) found some relief wearing a waist-high compression garment, according to a small 30-person trial with randomized crossover design.
On the 10-minute head-up tilt test (HUT), larger areas of compression around the torso were associated with significant downward trends in heart rate (HR) and Vanderbilt Orthostatic Symptom Score (VOSS) symptoms:
No compression: HR 109 beats/min on average, with mean VOSS ~25 units
Lower leg compression: 103 beats/min, and VOSS ~23 units
Abdominal and thigh compression: 97 beats/min, with VOSS ~15 units
Full abdominal and leg compression: 92 beats/min, and VOSS ~10 units
The study therefore provides proof-of-principle evidence to support the acute efficacy of this relatively inexpensive and easy to implement treatment for people with POTS, according to Satish Raj, MD, of University of Calgary in Alberta, and colleagues reporting in the Jan. 26 issue of the
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Sooner was not better when using ECG to determine candidates for urgent coronary angiography after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), according to the PEACE study from Europe.
The earlier the ECG acquisition after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the higher the false positive rate, as determined by the proportion of patients with ECG findings suggestive of ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) who were subsequently found to have no significant obstructive coronary artery disease on angiography:
ECG time under 8 minutes: false positive rate 18.5%
ECG time 8-33 minutes: 7.2% false positives (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13-0.87)
ECG time over 33 minutes: 5.8% false positives (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.15-0.47)
Psoriasis doesn’t just pop up on our hands, arms or scalp. The truth is that the itchy autoimmune skin condition can present itself pretty much anywhere you have skin and sometimes in the strangest areas. And it’s those tucked away, sensitive, or just plain tough-to-reach spots that are often the most difficult to treat. Here, dermatologists and real patients highlight seven lesser-known locations psoriasis can show up, plus how to deal when they do.
The Nose
Not only can psoriasis land on the outside of your nose and nostrils, it can show up inside it as well. If that happens, try smoothing an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream on the affected spot for three days or see your doc for a topical steroid medication, says Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, who typically recommends a gentle one in the Class V or VI strength for the nose.