Available evidence consistently shows that age- and context-specific reference intervals for international normalized ratio (INR) exist in neonates, but a laboratory critical INR threshold remains undefined. In healthy term neonates, an investigation utilizing point-of-care INR testing (CoaguChek XS) demonstrated a narrow reference interval at 4 days of life, with a median INR of 1.10 and a range of 0.90-1.30 after routine vitamin K administration, indicating that modest elevations above adult norms may still be physiologic in this population. Larger population-based data from the Copenhagen Baby Heart Study and COMPARE further confirm that normal neonatal INR values are higher than adult values and vary by gestational age, with reference intervals of approximately 1.1-1.7 in late-preterm/early-term neonates and 1.2-1.8 in full-term neonates, reinforcing that neonatal INR interpretation must be age-stratified rather than based on adult thresholds. [1-4] In contrast to healthy ...

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The 2025 European Association of Urology (EAU) discusses the prophylactic efficacy of various nutraceuticals for preventing recurrent cystitis has been the focus of several research studies. Investigations into probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus spp. administered vaginally and in combination with oral probiotics, show effectiveness in preventing symptomatic cystitis recurrence. However, a systematic review finds lactobacilli alone do not demonstrate superiority over placebo or cranberry monotherapy, highlighting the need for better quality evidence to guide recommendations on administration routes or dosages. Cranberry prophylaxis, particularly with standardized cranberry extract, has been shown to significantly reduce cystitis recurrence in diabetic postmenopausal women and in adult women with recurrent cystitis. Yet, optimal dosing remains unclear, though increased fluid intake with cranberry juice may help reduce cystitis rates. [1] Preliminary evidence has found some supp...

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Carbapenems’ known ability to cause seizures may be directly tied to their beta-lactam ring structure, which is similar enough to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to antagonize central GABA receptors. Individual carbapenems and seizure activity data are sparse. A literature search of the MEDLINE (1966-May 2010), EMBASE (1974-May 2010), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-May 2010) databases was conducted to determine the existing evidence on the connection between carbapenem agents and seizure activity. There have been multiple instances of seizures linked to imipenem-cilastatin, with seizure rates ranging from 3 to 33%. The seizure rate for meropenem, doripenem, and ertapenem is stated to be less than 1%. However, as their usage grows and expands into new patient populations, the rate of seizures associated with these drugs may rise. High-dose therapy also increases the chance of seizure activity, especially in patients with renal impairment, prior central nervous system...

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A search of the published medical literature revealed 0 studies investigating the researchable question:

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The 2012 American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for the prevention of VTE in nonsurgical patients recommend for acutely ill hospitalized medical patients who are at increased risk of thrombosis to be on anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), low-dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH) twice daily, LDUH three times daily, or fondaparinux. The recommended prophylaxis dose for unfractionated heparin is 5000 units twice or three times daily; there is no distinct recommendation on doses for patients who are obese. [1,2] A 2016 review in response to the 2012 ACCP guidelines examined different chemical prophylaxis to prevent venous thromboembolism in morbidly obese patients (BMI > 40 kg/m2) since the specific patient population is not defined in previous ACCP guidelines. The paper concludes that if unfractionated heparin (UFH) is used, then the recommended dose is 7,500 units SQ TID (increased from 5,000 units BID to TID). The review advise...

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