General Medicine: Archives

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Loopholes in the Clinical Trials Registration Process

• September 29, 2009
• Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Only about half of published trials were registered adequately, and only about half of registered trials were published within 2 years after completion.

• Reviewing:
• Mathieu S et al., JAMA 2009 Sep 2; 302:977 Ross JS et al., PLoS Med 2009 Sep 8; 6:e1000144

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

• September 24, 2009
• Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM

This procedure is effective as a second-line treatment in selected patients.

• Reviewing:
• Terasawa T et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Aug 4; 151:191

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Overdiagnosis in PSA Screening

• September 24, 2009
• Allan S. Brett, MD

An analysis suggests that many men have been treated unnecessarily because of PSA screening.

• Reviewing:
• Welch HG and Albertsen PC., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Aug 31 Brawley OW., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Aug 31

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

CT Screening for Lung Cancer: Early Results

• September 24, 2009
• Allan S. Brett, MD

Preliminary outcomes from the DANTE trial show no differences between screening and control groups. CME

• Reviewing:
• Infante M et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009 Sep 1; 180:445

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Quantifying the Benefit of Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation

• September 24, 2009
• Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM

Half of AF patients will benefit, half will not — risk stratification is a vital component of decision making. Interview

• Reviewing:
• Singer DE et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 1; 151:297 Hart RG and Halperin JL., Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 1; 151:355

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers for MicroalbuminuriaFree

• September 24, 2009
• Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM

ARBs didn't prevent adverse renal outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

• Reviewing:
• Mann JFE et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Jul 7; 151:1 Bilous R et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Jul 7; 151:11 Parfrey PS., Ann Intern Med 2009 Jul 7; 151:63

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Nonsurgical Approach to Dupuytren Contractures

• September 22, 2009
• Allan S. Brett, MD

A trial of collagenase clostridium histolyticum injections produced promising results.

• Reviewing:
• Hurst LC et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Sep 3; 361:968

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Effect of Growth Hormone on Adult Height of Children Born Small for Gestational Age

• September 22, 2009
• Howard Bauchner, MD

Growth hormone leads to taller adult height, but the clinical importance of that gain is variable. CME

• Reviewing:
• Maiorana A and Cianfarani S., Pediatrics 2009 Sep; 124:e519

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Sex Hormone–Binding Globulin Is Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk

• September 22, 2009
• Robert W. Rebar, MD

Circulating SHBG levels predicted risk beyond that associated with traditional factors.

• Reviewing:
• Ding EL et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Sep 17; 361:1152

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Good News and Bad News About 2009 H1N1 Influenza ("Swine Flu")Free

• September 17, 2009
• Abigail Zuger, MD

Only a minority of stored serum samples in the U.S. contained antibodies against H1N1, but a new vaccine easily elicited them.

• Reviewing:
• Hancock K et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Sep 10 Clark TW et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Sep 10 Greenberg ME et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Sep 10