Prophylactic intranasal application of mupirocin did not significantly reduce the rate of S. aureus surgical-site infections overall, but it did significantly decrease the rate of all nosocomial S. aureus infections among the patients who were S. aureus carriers.

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Patients with stroke have an increased incidence of obstructive sleep apnea compared with normal sex- and age-matched control subjects. Hypoxia and hemodynamic responses to obstructive sleep apnea may have predisposed these patients to stroke.

Abstract-Low-dose thiazide-type diuretics are recommended as initial therapy for most hypertensive patients. Chlorthalidone has significantly reduced stroke and cardiovascular end points in several landmark trials; however, hydrochlorothiazide remains favored in practice. Most clinicians assume that the drugs are interchangeable, but their antihypertensive effects at lower doses have not been directly compared. We conducted a randomized, single-blinded, 8-week active treatment, crossover study comparing chlorthalidone 12.5 mg/day (force-titrated to 25 mg/day) and hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/day (force-titrated to 50 mg/day) in untreated hypertensive patients. The main outcome, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, was assessed at baseline and week 8, along with standard office BP readings every 2 weeks. Thirty patients completed the first active treatment period, whereas 24 patients completed both. An order-drug-time interaction was observed with chlorthalidone; therefore, data from only the first active treatment period was considered.

Objective-To investigate systematically the natural history of visual outcome in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Design-Cohort study.Participants-667 consecutive CRVO patients (697 eyes) with CRVO, first seen in our clinic from 1973 to 2000.Methods-At first visit, all patients had a detailed ophthalmic and medical history, and comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Visual evaluation was done by recording visual acuity, using the Snellen visual acuity chart, and visual fields with a Goldmann perimeter. The same ophthalmic evaluation was performed at each follow-up visit. CRVO was classified into nonischemic (588 eyes) and ischemic (109 eyes) at initial visit, based on functional and morphological criteria. Main Outcome Measures-Visual acuity and visual fields.Results-Of the eyes first seen within 3 months of onset, visual acuity was 20/100 or better in 78% in non-ischemic CRVO and only 1% in ischemic CRVO (p<0.0001), and visual field defects were minimal or mild in 91% and 8% respectively (p<0.0001). Final visual acuity, on resolution of macular edema, was 20/100 or better in 83% in non-ischemic CRVO and only 12% in ischemic CRVO (p<0.0001), and visual field defects minimal or mild in 95% and 18% respectively (p<0.0001). On resolution of macular edema, in eyes with initial visual acuity 20/70 or worse, visual acuity improved in 59% of the non-ischemic CRVO, with no significant (p=0.55) improvement in ischemic CRVO. Similarly, on resolution of macular edema, in eyes with moderate to severe initial visual field defect, improvement was seen in 86% of non-ischemic CRVO eyes but no significant (p=0.83) improvement in ischemic CRVO. In non-ischemic CRVO, development of foveal pigmentary degeneration and/or epiretinal membrane was the main cause of poor final visual acuity. This shows that initial presentation and the final visual outcome in the two types of CRVO are totally different.Correspondence to: Dr. S.S. Hayreh, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University Hospitals & Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1091, Telephone No. 319-356-2947 sohan-hayreh@uiowa.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptOphthalmology. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 1. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptConclusion-A clear differentiation of CRVO into non-ischemic and ischemic types, based primarily on functional criteria, is crucial and fundamental in determining visual outcome. Visual outcome is good in non-ischemic CRVO and poor in ischemic CRVO Unders...