General Medicine: Archives

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE WATCH

Primary Care for HIV-Positive Patients

• September 17, 2009
• Abigail Zuger, MD

All the usual benchmarks apply to care of HIV-positive patients.

• Reviewing:
• Aberg JA et al., Clin Infect Dis 2009 Sep 1; 49:651

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Cost and Quality of Care at Retail Clinics

• September 17, 2009
• Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM

Quality scores at retail clinics rivaled those at urgent care centers, physician offices, and EDs. Interview

• Reviewing:
• Mehrotra A et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 1; 151:321

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Evaluating Syncopal Episodes in Elders

• September 17, 2009
• Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH

Start with simple inexpensive tests, such as postural blood pressure measurement.

• Reviewing:
• Mendu ML et al., Arch Intern Med 2009 Jul 27; 169:1299

FEATURE

"Timing Hypothesis" for Hormone Therapy: Still Viable, or Time to Let Go?Free

• September 17, 2009
• Allan S. Brett, MD

In a new analysis, researchers examine outcomes associated with HT use in the early postmenopausal period.

• Reviewing:
• Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators., JAMA 2002 Jul 17; 288:321 The Women's Health Initiative Steering Committee., JAMA 2004 Apr 14; 291:1701 Rossouw JE et al., JAMA 2007 Apr 4; 297:1465 Manson JE and Bassuk SS., Am J Epidemiol 2007 Sep 1; 166:511 Barrett-Connor E., Am J Epidemiol 2007 Sep 1; 166:506 Prentice RL et al., Am J Epidemiol 2009 Jul 1; 170:12 Banks E and Canfell K., Am J Epidemiol 2009 Jul 1; 170:24

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Physician Recommendations to Limit Life Support — What Do Surrogates Want?

• September 17, 2009
• Allan S. Brett, MD

And when are physicians obligated to offer a recommendation? Interview

• Reviewing:
• White DB et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009 Aug 15; 180:320

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Mediterranean Diet Can Lower Need for Antihyperglycemic Medication in Type 2 Diabetes

• September 15, 2009
• Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM

Four years after diabetes diagnosis, only 44% of patients on that diet required medication to reduce HbA_1c levels.

• Reviewing:
• Esposito K et al., Ann Intern Med 2009 Sep 1; 151:306

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Sex Differences in ACS Mortality

• September 15, 2009
• Kirsten E. Fleischmann, MD, MPH

Age, comorbidities, and disease severity were factors in the higher 30-day mortality among women.

• Reviewing:
• Berger JS et al., JAMA 2009 Aug 26; 302:874

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Corticosteroids, Antivirals, Both, or Neither for Bell Palsy?

• September 15, 2009
• Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

A meta-analysis shows definite value for corticosteroids. CME

• Reviewing:
• de Almeida JR et al., JAMA 2009 Sep 2; 302:985 Steiner JF., JAMA 2009 Sep 2; 302:1003

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus ("Swine Flu") Probably Is More Virulent Than Seasonal Flu VirusFree

• September 10, 2009
• Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

In animal models, the pandemic virus replicates faster and damages lungs more.

• Reviewing:
• Itoh Y et al., Nature 2009 Aug 20; 460:1021

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Mutation Shortens Length of Sleep

• September 10, 2009
• Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Investigators examined a genetic component of sleep duration.

• Reviewing:
• He Y et al., Science 2009 Aug 14; 325:866