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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
Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment — A Cause of Abdominal Wall PainFree
- May 23, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
A randomized trial suggests that surgery is effective for this syndrome.
- Reviewing:
- Boelens OB et al. Ann Surg 2011 Dec; 254:1054
Special Notice
ID Learning Unit — "Isolator" Blood Cultures
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 next lesson from the "ID Learning Unit": What are isolator blood cultures and when should you order them? Find out in his HIV and ID Observations blog, and check back here for more ID lessons.
Recent General Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Steroid Injection Is Effective for Some Patients with Morton Neuroma
- May 23, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
But the durability of the effect is unclear.
- Reviewing:
- Thomson CE et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2013 May 1; 95:790
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Cutoffs in Assessing Suspected Venous Thromboembolism
- May 23, 2013
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Age-based cutoffs improve specificity of D-dimer testing.
- Reviewing:
- Schouten HJ et al. BMJ 2013 May 3; 346:f2492
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Safety of Sitagliptin: An Observational Study
- May 23, 2013
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Sitagliptin wasn't associated with excess risk for hospitalization or death.
- Reviewing:
- Eurich DT et al. BMJ 2013 Apr 25; 346:f2267
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Depression in Nursing Home Residents: Prevalent and Serious
- May 23, 2013
- Bruce Soloway, MD
Some evidence supports a multidisciplinary approach to helping residents without dementia.
- Reviewing:
- Leontjevas R et al. Lancet 2013 May 2
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Discovery of a Natural Heart-Rejuvenating Molecule in Mice
- May 23, 2013
- Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
Raising the serum concentration of GDF11 in old mice rescued the myocardium.
- Reviewing:
- Loffredo FS et al. Cell 2013 May 9; 153:828
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Penicillin-Susceptible S. aureus Bacteremia — Treat with Penicillin, if Possible!Free
- May 22, 2013
- Thomas Glück, MD
- Infectious Diseases
In patients with penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, risk for 30-day mortality was 2.5-fold higher with cefuroxime treatment than with penicillin treatment.
- Reviewing:
- Nissen JL et al. J Antimicrob Chemother 2013 Apr 18
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Beta-Blockers for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome?
- May 21, 2013
- Jaime Toro, MD
- Neurology
A trial of low-dose propranolol to improve measures of exercise capacity POTS
- Reviewing:
- Arnold AC et al. Neurology 2013 May 21; 80:1927
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
More Data from the National Lung Screening TrialFree
- May 22, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
This report focuses on findings and follow-up testing during the first round of computed tomography screening.
- Reviewing:
- The National Lung Screening Trial Research Team. N Engl J Med 2013 May 23; 368:1980
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE WATCH
2013 ACCP Guideline on Screening for Lung CancerFree
- May 22, 2013
- Allan S. Brett, MD
The American College of Chest Physicians recommends screening with low-dose computed tomography — but only in a carefully defined population.
- Reviewing:
- Detterbeck FC et al. Chest 2013 May; 143:e78S
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
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.
