Acute Pericarditis

N Engl J of Medicine November 18, 2004  V.351  N.21  p.2195-2202

Clinical Practice

Richard A. Lange, M.D., and L. David Hillis, M.D.

Full Text

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/351/21/2195

PDF

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/351/21/2195.pdf

CORRECTION

Full Text

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/352/11/1163-a

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http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/352/11/1163-a.pdf

Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B: are we doing any good to patients?

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy  August 2009  V.64  N.2  p.223-226

Vincent Wai-Sun Wong1,2 and Joseph Jao-Yiu Sung1,2,*

1 Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 2 Institute of Digestive Disease, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

At the recent National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference, the value of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B in improving clinical outcome was hotly debated. In patients with chronic hepatitis B, antiviral therapy has proved effective in viral load reduction, alanine aminotransferase normalization and histological improvements. However, its efficacy in reducing decompensated liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death remains unclear. To date, animal studies and observational studies, but very few randomized controlled trials, have shown improved clinical outcomes after antiviral therapy. The difficulties of conducting clinical trials using clinical endpoints are highlighted. Before more clinical outcome data are available, it is important to validate the clinical implications of surrogate markers including biochemical, virological and histological responses.

abstract

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/64/2/223

PDF

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/64/2/223

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Using HIV resistance tests in clinical practice

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy  August 2009  V.64  N.2  p.218-222

Stephen Taylor1,2,*, Ashini Jayasuriya1 and Erasmus Smit1,3

1 Directorate of Sexual Medicine and HIV, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK 2 Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK 3 HPA Birmingham, Public Health Laboratory, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK

Genotypic resistance testing is now a standard of care in HIV management. Although there are clear, published guidelines to recommend the appropriate use of these tests, clinicians and scientists still struggle to determine the optimal use of resistance tests given the finite budgets and time constraints under which they work. In this article we discuss some ‘real-life’ clinical situations and aim to provide a useful insight into when and where genotypic resistance testing can be optimally applied in the management of HIV-positive adults.

abstract

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/64/2/218

PDF

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/64/2/218