This is an a posteriori analysis of previously published data to assess whether improving vitamin A (VA) status resolves measles-related pneumonia (MP). Nonhospitalized acute measles patients (2 d of rash onset) had their VA status determined based on the molar ratio of retinol-binding protein to transthyretin (RBP/TTR). Using a cutoff value of </=0.36, indicative of marginal VA deficiency, 82 ...

BACKGROUND Many veterans have dual Veterans Administration (VA) and Medicare healthcare coverage. We compared 3-year overall and cancer event-free survival (EFS) among patients with nonmetastatic colon cancer who obtained substantial portions of their care in both systems and those whose care was obtained predominantly in the VA or in the Medicare fee-for-service system. METHODS We conducted ...

purpose: to assess the efficacy of polyhexamethylene biguanide (phmb) in treating acanthamoeba keratitis (ak) and also to identify related factors affecting final visual outcome in ak patients treated with phmb methods: in these interventional case series study, 27 eyes of 25 patients with ak received phmb 0.02% and divided into two groups according to the final visual acuity (va) va equal to o...

The incidences of arterial dissection of the vertebral artery (VA) of aortic origin and VA of subclavian artery origin were determined. The origins of the left and right VAs were confirmed by angiography in 860 and 717 patients, respectively. Left VA of aortic origin was found in 21 patients (6 females and 15 males) but no right VA of aortic origin was found. Left VA of left subclavian artery o...

BACKGROUND The prevalence, gender- and age-related differences, ablation success rate and inter-relationship between the origins of the idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (I-VA) have not been clarified. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 625 consecutive patients with symptomatic, drug resistant I-VA (315 males and 310 females; mean age, 54 ± 17 years; 218 ventricular tachycardias, 407 premature v...