No abstract

Insulin-using patients made errors in more than half of the manually calculated insulin doses. Use of the automated bolus calculator in the FreeStyle InsuLinx meter minimized errors in dose determination. The patients also expressed confidence and preference for using the meter. This may increase adherence and help optimize the use of mealtime insulin.

Amiodarone prophylaxis decreases the occurrence of atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and stroke and length of stay after cardiac surgery. To further evaluate the potential benefits of concomitant prophylaxis with beta-blockers and amiodarone, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial with cardiovascular outcomes that compares amiodarone with placebo in patients already receiving beta-blocker prophylaxis is needed.

Endotracheal CO monitor is a promising technology that needs further evaluation in clinical trials.

Objectives Some patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) demonstrate improved dysautonomic symptoms following treatment for pelvic venous insufficiency (PVI). This study assessed the prevalence of significant left common iliac vein (LCIV) compression in POTS patients. Methods Radiologists retrospectively reviewed CT images of pelvic veins for 216 women (191 with POTS and 25 age-comparable controls).Quantitative vascular analysis identified percent-diameter compression of the LCIV by the right common iliac artery. Significant LCIV compression was defined as >50%. Results Significant LCIV compression was found in 69% (131/191) of females with POTS versus 40% (10/25) in controls. The hypothesis that venous compression and presence of POTS are independent was rejected ( p = .005). Conclusions Significant LCIV compression was noted in a majority of female POTS patients, suggesting that incidence of iliac venous obstruction may be higher than the general population. Patients with POTS and symptoms of PVI may benefit from assessment for venous outflow obstruction.