Automatic Cardiac Event Recorders Reveal Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation after Unexplained Strokes or Transient Ischemic Attacks

Background: The etiology of stroke or transitory ischemic attack (TIA) remains frequently unknown. While paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is often suspected, its presence remains difficult to establish. Therefore, we investigated the occurrence of PAF episodes in such a population using a long‐term automatic cardiac event recorder. Methods: We prospectively investigated 60 consecutive subjects admitted in our university hospital for stroke (n = 44) or TIA (n = 16) , adding long‐term automatic cardiac event recorders, with a target duration of 4 days, to standard investigations, which included 12‐lead ECGs and 24‐hour Holter recordings. Results: In 28 patients no etiology was found for their stroke or TIA. However, one or more than one PAF episode was found in 4 of them (14.3%) using the long‐term automatic event recorder. In the 32 remaining patients, 8 presented with PAF, and this was considered as the cause of their stroke. In both groups, AF was paroxysmal. The PAF episodes' duration went from 1 to 96 hours (mean ± standard deviation, 18 hours and 30 minutes ± 30 hours). Conclusions: Patients suffering PAF episodes after ischemic stroke or TIA were statistically less often recognized using the 24‐hour Holter ECG recording alone than the R‐Test Evolution alone.     

短暂性脑缺血发作的动物模型

短暂性脑缺血发作（TIA）动物模型是研究TIA的病理生理学机制和防治措施不可缺少的工具。文章系统地回顾了各种．TIA动物模型的制作方法、基本原理和优缺点。     

短暂性脑缺血发作的动物模型

短暂性脑缺血发作(TIA)动物模型是研究TIA的病理生理学机制和防治措施不可缺少的工具。文章系统地回顾了各种TIA动物模型的制作方法、基本原理和优缺点。     

Barriers to Medication Adherence in Behaviorally and Perinatally Infected Youth Living with HIV

The study explored barriers to antiretroviral medication adherence in perinatally and behaviorally HIV infected adolescents and young adults in a cross-sectional, multisite sample. The study included a subset of a convenience sample from a cross-sectional analysis. Participants were youth with HIV ages 12–24 who were prescribed HIV medication and reported missing medication in the past 7 days (n = 484, 28.4 % of protocol sample). The top barriers were similar for perinatally and behaviorally infected youth, but perinatally infected youth reported significantly more barriers. Forgetting, not feeling like taking medication and not wanting to be reminded of HIV infection were the most common barriers reported. Number of barriers was significantly correlated with percent of doses missed, viral load, and psychological distress for perinatally infected youth and with doses missed, psychological distress, and substance use for behaviorally infected youth. Interventions to improve adherence to HIV medications should not only address forgetfulness and choosing not to take medications, but also consider route of infection.     

颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作患者脑动脉狭窄的分布特征

目的通过数字减影血管造影检查,研究颈动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作与颅内外供血动脉狭窄的关系。方法对251例颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作患者的全脑血管造影术资料进行分析,计算颅内外血管狭窄发生率,对不同年龄组患者颅内外血管狭窄情况进行统计学比较。结果 251例颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作的患者,有248例检出了脑动脉狭窄,占98.8%。共检出病变血管688支,前循环病变587支(85.3%),后循环病变101支(14.7%)。青年组颅内动脉狭窄高于颅外动脉,老年组颅外动脉狭窄高于颅内动脉,老年组颅外动脉狭窄高于中年组和青年组,中年组颅外动脉狭窄高于青年组。结论本研究资料提示,前循环动脉狭窄为颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作的主要原因。不同年龄患者脑动脉狭窄的空间分布明显不同。     

美国国家卒中协会短暂性脑缺血发作处理指南

目的：短暂性脑缺血发作（TIA）是常见和重要的卒中先兆。其处理方法多样，大多数发表的指南在近年来均未被更新。我们试图制定一个全面的、无偏倚的、循证的TIA处理指南。方法：根据一种客观标准（可以预测在该研究领域中执业医师对专家提名的文献测量学方法）挑选出15名专家组成员。通过系统回顾检索到过去发表的指南，由专家对其中的推荐意见的质量进行独立评价。选择出质量最高的推荐意见，然后让专家组采用改良Delphi法通过多次问卷调查的方式进行修订，从而对新的修改达成共识。给专家们提供近期临床研究的系统评价，要求专家根据新的证据判断措辞修改的合理性并且根据证据等级和质量对最终的推荐意见进行评定。不允许专家在预期有可能存在任何利益冲突的专题方面提出推荐意见。结果：通过系统回顾检索到257个指南，其中有13篇文献包括的137条推荐意见符合所有纳入标准。需要6次重复的问卷调查对53条最终推荐意见的措辞达成共识。最终的推荐意见涉及TIA的初步处理、评价、内科治疗、外科治疗和危险因素控制。结论：对TIA患者医疗诊治的最终推荐意见强调了紧急评价和治疗的重要性。这种用于制定本指南的新方法是可行的，考虑到了快速更新并能减少偏倚。     

Medication Adherence and Heart Failure

Heart failure remains among the most prevalent and burdensome medical conditions in the United States. With increasing awareness regarding resource use and costs of care, there has been significant interest in the identification of factors that influence rates of hospitalization and readmission in individuals with heart failure. Medication adherence has been identified as one such modifiable factor. Many barriers to medication adherence have been identified and include factors related to the patient, those related to their medical condition, their medical regimen, the healthcare system and others that are social and socioeconomic in nature. Identification of these barriers has led to novel interventions for improving medication adherence with the goal of improving the care of individuals with heart failure.     

Impact of an Adherence Intervention Program on Medication Adherence Barriers,Asthma Control,and Productivity/Daily Activities in Patients With Asthma

Objective. This study evaluated the impact of an asthma patient intervention program, with a focus on medication adherence on adherence barriers, asthma control, and productivity/daily activities. Methods. Patients ≥18 years old who were employed by a large Southeastern public school system, had ≥1 medical claim for asthma, and were taking ≥1 asthma medication were invited to participate in the study. The ASK-20, the Asthma Control Test (ACT), and a productivity questionnaire were administered before and after a 6-month period of intervention that involved the use of baseline ASK-20 results to create patient-specific reports on adherence barriers and talking points for care managers to use during the two outbound telephone calls addressing barriers identified. Patients also received three educational mailings. The ASK-20 is a brief, self-reported instrument developed to identify patient-specific barriers to medication adherence and to improve provider/patient communication about adherence. Results. Of 112 individuals who enrolled, 87 completed the program (77.7%). Participants' mean age was 48.2 years (SD = 10.5), and most were female (86.2%) and white (64.4%). The mean number of years with asthma was 17.5 (SD = 14.7); approximately one third (36.8%) of participants had had asthma for >20 years. The intervention was associated with a significant reduction in the number of adherence barriers (3.8 to 2.8; p = .0021) as well as improvement in asthma control as reflected in an increase in the percentage of participants with controlled asthma defined as having an ACT score > 19 (50.0% to 64.6%; p = .0285). Significant reductions in the mean number of days that housework or schoolwork was limited by asthma (p = .0059) and the mean number of days that family, social, or recreational activities were missed or limited because of asthma (p = .0185) were also observed. The majority of the participants (95%) rated the program as being good, very good, or excellent. Conclusion. Programs incorporating a clinical assessment tool such as the ASK-20 for identifying a broad range of risk factors for nonadherence and for developing patient-specific intervention may reduce adherence barriers and improved disease control and ability to perform daily activities in patients with asthma.     

磁共振血管成像、彩色多普勒超声及经颅多普勒在短暂性脑缺血发作中的诊断价值

目的探讨磁共振血管成像、彩色多普勒超声和经颅多普勒对短暂性脑缺血发作的诊断价值。方法90例短暂性脑缺血发作患者分别行磁共振血管成像、彩色多普勒超声及经颅多普勒检查,并进行分析。结果磁共振血管成像示76例短暂性脑缺血发作患者颅内—外动脉狭窄或闭塞;单纯颅外动脉、单纯颅内动脉、颅内—颅外动脉多发狭窄或闭塞分别为27.8%(25/90)、24.4%(22/90)和32.2%(29/90);颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组单纯颅内动脉狭窄或闭塞明显高于椎—基底动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组(P<0.01),而椎—基底动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组颅内—颅外动脉多发狭窄或闭塞高于颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组(P<0.05),两组单纯颅外动脉狭窄或闭塞相近。所有短暂性脑缺血发作患者中,颅外动脉狭窄或闭塞(54.1%)高于颅内动脉狭窄或闭塞(45.9%),颈内动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组颅内动脉狭窄或闭塞(53.3%)高于颅外动脉狭窄或闭塞(46.7%),椎—基底动脉系统短暂性脑缺血发作组颅外动脉狭窄或闭塞(64.1%)明显高于颅内动脉狭窄或闭塞(35.9%;P<0.05)。彩色多普勒超声示45例短暂性脑缺血发作患者有颈动脉或椎动脉狭窄或闭塞,73例有颈动脉或椎动脉斑块。72例经颅多普勒异常。结论磁共振血管成像、彩色多普勒超声及经颅多普勒联合应用可对短暂性脑缺血发作的病因作出客观评价,指导治疗。     

A Comparison of Medication Adherence Indices to Assess Long-Term Inhaled Corticosteroid Medication Use

This study examined associations between select hypothesized adherence predictors in claims databases and long-term inhaled corticosteroid adherence. Medication adherence was measured by using medication possession indexes and a refill regularity measure in 1595 older adults using inhaled corticosteroids for 2 years. Medication possession indices were highly correlated with each other but not with the refill regularity measure. Additionally, the hypothesized predictors explained a larger percentage of the variance in the medication possession indices compared to the refill regularity measure. Although long-term retrospective medication utilization poses many measurability issues, the use of multiple indices gives a more complete picture of usage behavior.     

高血压服药依从性的研究进展

高血压是全球常见的慢性疾病,其控制率低与服药依从性差密切相关。在临床实践中需要运用服药依从性的测量方法,分析高血压患者服药依从性的影响因素,并采取各种干预措施,以提升患者的服药依从性,从而达到控制血压及预防并发症的目的。     

反复短暂性脑缺血发作对认知功能累积性损害的临床研究

目的:研究反复短暂性脑缺血发作(TIA)对认知功能的累积性损害.方法:采用事件相关电位、改良威斯康辛卡片分类测试、数字连线测试、数字广度测验、言语流畅性测验等评价42例反复TIA患者每次TIA发作后的认知功能状况,并对不同发作次数后的认知功能状况进行比较和分析.结果:不同发作次数后的认知功能状况、P300潜伏期和波幅、轻度认知障碍的检出率存在显著差异.随着发作次数增加,认知功能损害加重,轻度认知障碍的检出率逐渐增高.结论:反复TIA对认知功能可产生累积性损害效应,防治TIA有可能成为降低认知障碍患病率的重要途径.