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General Medicine
Journal Watch condenses summaries of key research across specialties from more than 250 medical journals into concise yet comprehensive articles, incorporating clinical commentary from prominent physician-editors in the field.
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Featured Article
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Update: Breast Cancer and Hormone Therapy in the WHI Observational Study
- May 21, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
New findings about breast cancer risk reinforce older ones from the Women's Health Initiative.
- Reviewing:
- Chlebowski RT et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 2013 Apr 17; 105:526
Special Notice
ID Learning Unit — Antibiotics with Excellent Oral Absorption
Dr. Paul Sax is attending on the general medical service, and has set a goal to teach the medical residents one ID-related thing a day. The first lesson from the "ID Learning Unit": What antibiotics can be given orally in place of their intravenous counterparts? Find out in his HIV and ID Observations blog, and check back here for more ID lessons.
Recent General Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
When Should CV Risk Be Remeasured in People at Low or Intermediate Risk?
- May 21, 2013
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Few people whose baseline cardiovascular risk was very low or low became high risk after 8 years.
- Reviewing:
- Bell KJL et al. BMJ 2013 Apr 3; 346:f1895
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Sleeve Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity
- May 21, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
Complication rates and weight-loss outcomes were between those of gastric bypass and gastric banding.
- Reviewing:
- Carlin AM et al. Ann Surg 2013 May; 257:791
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Prophylactic Platelet Transfusion in Hematologic Cancer
- May 8, 2013
- Michael E. Williams, MD
- Oncology and Hematology
Transfusion decreased the frequency of serious bleeding events in patients receiving chemotherapy or stem-cell transplantation.
- Reviewing:
- Stanworth SJ et al. N Engl J Med 2013 May 9; 368:1771
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Calcium-Channel Blockers and Chronic Eczematous Eruptions of the Aged
- May 17, 2013
- Jeffrey P. Callen, MD
- Dermatology
Findings confirm the association of CCBs with chronic eczematous eruptions of "unknown" cause in patients 50 years and older.
- Reviewing:
- Summers EM et al. JAMA Dermatol 2013 May 1
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
CAC Scores Improve Prediction of CV-Related Mortality in DiabeticsFree
- May 16, 2013
- Kirsten E. Fleischmann, MD, MPH
Assessing coronary artery calcium was better than relying on traditional risk factors alone for determining cardiovascular risk.
- Reviewing:
- Agarwal S et al. Diabetes Care 2013 Apr; 36:972
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Questionable Value of Resident Duty-Hour Regulations
- May 16, 2013
- Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
Studies show more errors, perceived reductions in quality of care, and little evidence of improved resident well-being.
- Reviewing:
- Desai SV et al. JAMA Intern Med 2013 Apr 22; 173:649
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Orlistat Probably Doesn't Cause Acute Liver Injury
- May 14, 2013
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Excess risk for liver injury was present for 90 days before and after first orlistat prescription.
- Reviewing:
- Douglas IJ et al. BMJ 2013 Apr 12; 346:f1936
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
New Cardiovascular Risk Factor: Gut Bugs, Lecithin, and TMAO
- May 14, 2013
- Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
Bacteria in the gut convert dietary lecithin to proatherogenic trimethylamine-N-oxide.
- Reviewing:
- Tang WHW et al. N Engl J Med 2013 Apr 25; 368:1575
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Reversing the New Anticoagulants
- May 14, 2013
- Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
A barrier to use of factor Xa inhibitors might be falling.
- Reviewing:
- Lu G et al. Nat Med 2013 Apr; 19:446
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
The "Oregon Experiment" at 2 YearsFree
- May 9, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
A lottery for Medicaid enrollment simulates a randomized trial.
- Reviewing:
- Baicker K et al. N Engl J Med 2013 May 2; 368:1713
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation Is Common in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke
- April 30, 2013
- By Hooman Kamel, MD
- Neurology
An implantable loop recorder established new diagnoses of atrial fibrillation in 25% of patients with cryptogenic stroke.
- Reviewing:
- Neurology 2013 Apr 23; 80:1546
NEWS IN CONTEXT
FDA Lowers Age Restriction on Plan B One-Step
- May 2, 2013
- By Anne A. Moore, DNP, APRN, FAANP
- Women's Health
Decision makes EC available without prescription (but with proof of age) to women aged 15 and older.
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Has the "Breast Is Best" Campaign Gone Too Far?Free
- May 2, 2013
- By Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP
- Women's Health
A physician's personal experience illustrates the shame and guilt that policies promoting breast-feeding can cause.
- Reviewing:
- Obstet Gynecol 2013 Apr; 121:869
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Predicting Medication Response in Older Depressed Patients
- April 29, 2013
- By Joel Yager, MD
- Psychiatry
Duration of illness is the largest moderator of response.
- Reviewing:
- Am J Psychiatry 2013 Apr 19
Journal Watch General Medicine summarizes important medical journal articles about a wide variety of medical subjects including arthritis,asthma, diabetes, genetics, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, palliative care, pneumonia, and thrombocytopenia.
