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Biomedical subjects

Rajeev Chaudhry

Publications and source records attributed to Rajeev Chaudhry.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Nurse-based telephone protocol versus usual care for management of URI and acute sinusitis: a controlled trial.

Two hundred and twelve patients with upper-respiratory-tract infection (URI) or sinusitis were treated using a nurse-based telephone protocol. This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and satisfaction of the patients compared with patients receiving usual care. For patients with URI, the rate of antibiotic administration was lower in the nurse-based telephone-treatment group (28% vs. 34%; P = .46), and for those with sinusitis, a greater proportion of the telephone treatment group received first-line antibiotics for the infection, compared with the usual care group (81% vs. 53%; P = .01). A guideline-based nurse telephone treatment protocol may decrease inappropriate use of antibiotics for URI and can result in a greater use of first-line antibiotics for patients with sinus infection with similar clinical outcomes.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Importance of device evaluation for point-of-care prothrombin time international normalized ratio testing programs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of 2 commercially available point-of-care devices relative to plasma international normalized ratio (INR) values. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Point-of-care INR testing was performed with the CoaguChek and ProTime 3 devices in consecutive patients attending an anticoagulation clinic between June 18, 2003, and August 6, 2003. Results were compared with plasma INRs using a sensitive thromboplastin (International Sensitivity Index, 1.0). RESULTS: Ninety-four patients agreed to participate in the study. Relative to the plasma INR, values were in agreement +/-0.4 INR unit 82% and 39% of the time for the CoaguChek and ProTime 3 devices, respectively. The mean +/- SD CoaguChek INRs were 0.2+/-0.31 unit lower, whereas ProTime 3 INRs were 0.8+/-0.68 unit higher than plasma INR values. Treatment decisions based on these data would have resulted in inappropriate dose adjustments 10% and 22% of the time for these 2 respective devices. Correlation with plasma was greater for the CoaguChek (r2=0.90) compared with the ProTime 3 device (r2=0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal warfarin treatment requires accurate measurement of the INR. The choice of a point-of-care device for INR management depends on the reliability of INR data generated by the device.

Adult↗

Recollection of previous colon cancer screening in Minnesota adults.

Regularly scheduled screening of patients has been shown to be effective for decreasing morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer. We used a questionnaire to assess patients' ability to accurately recall the date and type of their most recent colorectal cancer screening. The study included 200 consecutive patients whose records indicated they had undergone previous colorectal cancer screening (8 patients were later excluded because they had been screened more than 5 years earlier). Overall, 32.3% of patients could not recall the date of their last colorectal cancer screening, 34.3% recalled the date inaccurately, and 33.3% recalled the date accurately within 1 month. The results suggest that recall alone is not sufficient to determine the date and type of previous colorectal cancer screening, especially if the screening was performed more than a year earlier.

Aged↗

Patient satisfaction with point-of-care international normalized ratio testing and counseling in a community internal medicine practice.

Point-of-care international normalized ratio (POC INR) testing is increasingly used to monitor anticoagulant therapy. This study assessed patient satisfaction with registered nurse--managed POC INR testing in a primary care internal medicine practice. One hundred eighty-seven of the first 216 (87%) patients using the program responded to the survey. The respondents were surveyed for satisfaction after they had experienced the nurse-managed POC INR system at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, for one month. Eighty-eight percent of patients indicated that they were very satisfied or satisfied with the POC INR system. The authors conclude that nurse-managed POC INR testing is quick, convenient, less painful, and more satisfying for patients compared with traditional venipuncture and telephone follow-up.

Anticoagulants↗