Sixty-nine percent of patients (90/130) were in stable SR after a median period of 48 months, whereas 28% (36/130) were in AF and 3% (4/130) were in atrial flutter. In between the 12-month follow-up and the long-term follow-up, seven patients converted to AF after having documented SR, two patients converted to typical right atrial flutter after being in SR, and two patients from AF to left atrial macroreentry. After left and biatrial SICTRA, SR rates were comparable (73% vs 66%, P = 0.45). Echocardiography revealed 73% of patients in SR to have effective left atrial contraction.
Conclusions:
SICTRA restores long-term stable SR in 69% of all patients. Nine percent of patients reconverted back to atrial arrhythmia after having documented buy DAPT SR at 12 months. (PACE 2009; 32:653-659)”
“Background: One year after the adoption of artesunate-amodiaquine (AS/AQ) as first-line therapy for the treatment
of uncomplicated malaria, this study was designed to assess the treatment practices regarding anti-malarial drugs at health facilities in four rural areas in southern Cameroon.
Methods: Between April and August 2005, information was collected by interviewing fifty-two health professionals from twelve rural health facilities, using a structured questionnaire.
Results: In 2005, only three anti-malarial drugs were CHIR-99021 used in rural health facilities, including: amodiaquine, quinine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. Only 2.0% of the health professionals prescribed the recommended AS/AQ combination. After reading the treatment guidelines, 75.0% were
in favour of the treatment protocol with the following limitations: lack of paediatric formulations, high cost and large number of tablets per day. Up to 21.0% of professionals did not prescribe AS/AQ because of the level of adverse events attributed to the use of amodiaquine as monotherapy.
Conclusion: The present study indicates that AS/AQ was not available in the public health facilities at the time of the study, and health practitioners were not informed about the new treatment guidelines. Results of qualitative analysis suggest that prescribers should Adriamycin be involved as soon as possible in projects related to the optimization of treatment guidelines and comply with new drugs. Adapted formulations should be made available at the international level and implemented locally before new drugs and treatments are proposed through a national control programme. This baseline information will be useful to monitor progresses in the implementation of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Cameroon.”
“PATHOWIKI (www.pathowiki.org) is a new specialized information system in the form of a web-based wiki with content from all sub-disciplines of human pathology. Essential components are articles and specimens which are located thematically in dermatopathology.