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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.

Thiazolidinediones and Risk for Fractures
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
In an observational study, users of TZDs had higher risk for fractures than those taking other antidiabetes medications.
- By Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Arch Intern Med 2008 Apr 28
More Data on Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
Extending endocrine therapy beyond 5 years prevents some breast cancer relapses.
- By Allan S. Brett, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 20
Should Patients Be Fed Orally After Upper GI Surgery?
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
No difference was noted in postoperative complications with enteral-tube or oral feeding.
- By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Ann Surg 2008 May
Multislice CT for Pulmonary Embolism Makes Leg Ultrasound Unnecessary
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
A simplified diagnostic approach is efficient and less costly than the standard protocol.
- By Bruce Soloway, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Lancet 2008 Apr 19
Smoking Prevention Intervention in Adolescents
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
A specific provider- and peer-delivered intervention raised both continuing abstinence rates among nonsmokers and cessation rates among smokers.
- By Howard Bauchner, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Pediatrics 2008 Apr
Studies Reveal How Influenza Virus Antigenic Variation Develops and Spreads
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
During the past decade, influenza strains causing winter epidemics worldwide have originated in the Asian tropics.
- By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Science 2008 Apr 18
Rapid Sequencing of an Individuals Entire Genome
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
Technology has surpassed our understanding of the genome — at least for the present.
- By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
- May 8, 2008
- Covering Nature 2008 Apr 17
Diagnostic (In)accuracy in Patients with Dyspnea
- Emergency Medicine
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
Natriuretic peptide testing adds diagnostic value to physician judgment in determining which dyspneic patients have congestive heart failure in the ED.
- By J. Stephen Bohan, MD, MS, FACP, FACEP
- May 2, 2008
- Covering Arch Intern Med 2008 Apr 14
Gestational Diabetes: Controversies About Diagnosis and Treatment Persist
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
Increasing maternal glucose intolerance is associated with increasing birth weight, neonatal hypoglycemia, and fetal insulin levels.
- By Robert W. Rebar, MD
- May 7, 2008
- Covering N Engl J Med 2008 May 8
Chronic Pain Common After Pfannenstiel Incision
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
Abdominal wall nerve entrapment was present in more than half of women with moderate-to-severe pain.
- By Robert W. Rebar, MD
- May 7, 2008
- Covering Obstet Gynecol 2008 Apr
Folic Acid, B Vitamins, and Heart Disease in Women
- Summary and Comment
- Free
No evidence shows that supplementation is beneficial, despite lower homocysteine levels.
- By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- May 6, 2008
- Covering JAMA 2008 May 7
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
Is Expedited Partner Therapy for STIs Legal in Your State?
- Women's Health
- Summary and Comment
- Free
EPT was determined to be legally permissible in 12 jurisdictions and probably prohibited in 13.
- By Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP
- March 20, 2008
- Covering Am J Public Health 2008 Feb
Which New Medications May Cause SJS or TEN?
- Dermatology
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
A useful summary of which drugs are most likely to cause these severe adverse reactions
- By Jeffrey P. Callen, MD
- February 15, 2008
- Covering J Invest Dermatol 2008 Jan
Warfarin: To Stop or Not to Stop?
- Dermatology
- Summary and Comment
- Subscription required
In outpatients on anticoagulant therapy undergoing minor procedures, the risks for clinically significant bleeding and thromboembolic events must be considered on an individual basis.
- By George J. Hruza, MD
- February 15, 2008
- Covering Arch Intern Med 2008 Jan 14
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.
