Is transcranial Doppler a worthwhile addition to screening tests for cerebrovascular disease?
Less than 50% of the patients referred for first-time cerebrovascular examination had access for an interpretable transcranial Doppler examination. Though the number of positive findings is reasonably high, no material impact on diagnostic or treatment plans was seen in the patients in this series. These results indicate that selection criteria for examination of the intracranial arteries should be refined and that transcranial Doppler scanning should not be incorporated as part of the "routine" noninvasive cerebrovascular examination.
Probiotics affect intestinal bacterial flora by increasing anaerobic bacteria and decreasing the population of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. A decrease in luminal endotoxin may result in less endotoxin translocation or bacterial translocation.