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General Medicine
The original Journal Watch. Readable summaries and practical interpretation of the most recent and most important research – all from the perspective of practicing physicians.
Featured Article
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Comparison of Three Insulin RegimensFree
- November 5, 2009
- Allan S. Brett, MD
Adding once-daily basal insulin to oral therapy conferred some advantages over alternate regimens.
- Reviewing:
- Holman RR et al. N Engl J Med 2009 Oct 29; 361:1736
Recent General Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes: Review of Cardiovascular Outcomes
- November 5, 2009
- Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
Intensive control led to fewer nonfatal MIs but no change in 5-year all-cause mortality.
- Reviewing:
- Kelly TN et al. Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 15; 151:394
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Cruise Ship Restrooms: An Exposé
- November 5, 2009
- Abigail Zuger, MD
Some are very clean, but most are not . . . until an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurs.
- Reviewing:
- Carling PC et al. Clin Infect Dis 2009 Nov 1; 49:1312
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Multifocal Glasses and Risk for Falling
- November 5, 2009
- Allan S. Brett, MD
Ground-level obstacles can be precarious with these glasses.
- Reviewing:
- Menant JC et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 2009 Oct; 57:1833
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Long-Acting Bronchodilators With or Without Inhaled Steroids in COPD
- November 5, 2009
- Allan S. Brett, MD
Risk for moderate COPD exacerbations, but not severe exacerbations, was lower with combined therapy.
- Reviewing:
- Rodrigo GJ et al. Chest 2009 Oct; 136:1029
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Darbepoetin 
in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Anemia
- November 3, 2009
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
The drug provides little benefit and might cause harm.
- Reviewing:
- Pfeffer MA et al. N Engl J Med 2009 Oct 30
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Supplemental and Active Forms of Vitamin D Prevent Falls Among Elders
- November 3, 2009
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Daily doses of vitamin D >700 IU were associated with significantly fewer falls.
- Reviewing:
- Bischoff-Ferrari HA et al. BMJ 2009 Oct 1; 339:b3692
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Common Mental Disorder Elevates Risk for Subsequent Obesity
- November 3, 2009
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
However, obesity is not associated with elevated risk for later mental disorder.
- Reviewing:
- Kivimäki M et al. BMJ 2009 Oct 6; 339:b3765
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Ambulatory Care: Where Are the Young Men?
- November 3, 2009
- Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
Young men have the lowest use of ambulatory and preventive care.
- Reviewing:
- Fortuna RJ et al. Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 15; 151:379
FEATURE
Screening for Prostate and Breast Cancers
- October 29, 2009
- Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
Have the benefits been overstated?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Intimate Partner Violence Linked to Various Health Conditions
- October 29, 2009
- Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
Women who reported IPV had significantly higher rates of musculoskeletal, psychosocial, and reproductive diagnoses.
- Reviewing:
- Bonomi AE et al. Arch Intern Med 2009 Oct 12; 169:1692
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
H1N1 Rapid Tests: Poor SensitivityFree
- October 14, 2009
- By Stephen G. Baum, MD
- Infectious Diseases
Rapid tests for seasonal influenza generally have relatively low sensitivity; their sensitivity for detecting the 2009 H1N1 virus seems even worse.
- Reviewing:
- Emerg Infect Dis 2009 Oct; 15:1662
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Mastectomy Instead of BCS: What Is the Role of the Surgeon's Recommendation?Free
- October 22, 2009
- By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
- Women's Health
Reasons for mastectomy are related to surgeon's recommendation, patient's preference, and contraindications to breast-conserving surgery.
- Reviewing:
- JAMA 2009 Oct 14; 302:1551
LETTER TO READERS
A Wait-and-See Approach to Management of Otitis Media in Children: Readers Weigh InFree
- August 21, 2009
- By Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FAAEM
- Emergency Medicine
The preponderance of evidence opposes the routine use of antibiotics, although some readers disagree.
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Does Your Patient Really Need Another Chest CT?
- August 21, 2009
- By Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM
- Emergency Medicine
Repeat chest CT angiography scans have a low yield for diagnosing pulmonary embolism.
- Reviewing:
- Ann Emerg Med 2009 Jul; 54:41
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.
