Team 2 June 14 Roundup:

Some fascinating stuff I learned or was reminded of this week:

- ITP is a hypercoagulable state

-Valacyclovir may be better than acyclovir for preventing postherpetic neuralgia, but the cochrane metanalysis suggested that no antiviral is effective for PHN.

- PFO closure:  The evidence is lacking for this procedure in preventing recurrent cryptogenic stroke. See also the primary evidence from the Closure and Respect Trials.

Plus here is some of the other evidence I owe the team:

A) Post hoc analysis of the DIG trial suggesting that serum dig concentrations should be lower that our "normal" range:

                  Men with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45% or less may be optimized in the SDC range of 0.5 to 0.8 ng/mL, and likely similar for women, but with no mortality benefit.

B) Constrictive and effusive pericarditis: a good review

And last but not least a GREAT REVIEW on orthostatic hypotension