BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE UK-279,276 (neutrophil inhibitory factor) reduced infarct volume in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion model. ASTIN (Acute Stroke Therapy by Inhibition of Neutrophils) was an adaptive phase 2 dose-response-finding, proof-of-concept study to establish whether UK-279,276 improves recovery in acute ischemic stroke. The prime objective was to determine the dos...

BACKGROUND This study proposes a definition of futile care and quantifies its cost in injured elders. METHODS This was a retrospective study of Medicare patients with an International Classification of Diseases-9 injury diagnosis admitted to 171 Oregon and Washington facilities from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2002, who died within 6 months of admission. Futile care was defined as d...

Background and aims: Basilar artery occlusion is a most devastating form of stroke, and the current practice is to reverse it with revascularization therapies. Pharmacological thrombolysis, intravenous or intraarterial, has been adjuncted or replaced with invasive, endovascular thrombectomy procedures. The preferred approach remains unknown and many recanalizations are futile with no clinical b...

There has been increasing recognition of various laboratory markers of thrombophilia that are associated with increased risk of thrombosis either through hereditary (especially Factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A mutation, and protein C, S and antithrombin deficiencies) and/or acquired means (e.g., antiphospholipid antibodies) over past decades. This has led to an explosion of clinical request...

OBJECTIVE First, to assess the pattern of the prediction of intensive care unit patients' outcome with regard to survival and quality of life by nurses and doctors and, second, to compare these predictions with the quality of life reported by the surviving patients. DESIGN Prospective opinion survey of critical care providers; comparison with follow-up for survival, functional status, and qua...

Affi liations: From the Chest Department, Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Financial/nonfi nancial disclosures: The authors have reported to CHEST that no potential confl icts of interest exist with any companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed in this article. Correspondence to: Kun-Ta Chou, MD, Chest Department, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Section 2 S...