Internal Medicine
CPAP Use in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What a Cardiologist Needs to Know
2 May, 2017 | 17:17h | UTCReview: CPAP Use in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What a Cardiologist Needs to Know – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology(free)
Use of antibiotics during pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion
2 May, 2017 | 17:21h | UTCUse of antibiotics during pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free) (RT @CMAJ see Tweet)
Commentary: Use of Certain Antibiotics in Pregnancy Tied to Spontaneous Abortion – Physician’s First Watch (free)
In this nested case-control study, use of common antibiotics such as macrolides (excluding erythromycin), quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and metronidazole during early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.
Echocardiography and lung ultrasonography for the assessment and management of acute heart failure
2 May, 2017 | 17:18h | UTCExpert consensus document: Echocardiography and lung ultrasonography for the assessment and management of acute heart failure – Nature Reviews Cardiology (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
Women with symptoms of a urinary tract infection but a negative urine culture
2 May, 2017 | 17:15h | UTCWomen with symptoms of a urinary tract infection but a negative urine culture: PCR-based quantification of Escherichia coli suggests infection in most cases – Clinical Microbiology and Infection (link to abstract – Free and legal PDF here – via @unpaywall)
Sources: The most reliable test and predictive entity for uncomplicated UTI is the patient’s symptoms – Emergency Literature of Note Blog(free) AND Negative Urine Culture + Symptoms = UTI in Most Women – MedPage Today (free registration required)
This study suggests that women with symptoms of uncomplicated cystitis and a negative urinary culture should be treated nonetheless.
Review: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
2 May, 2017 | 17:16h | UTCReview: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome – European Respiratory Review (free)
UK guideline for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis
1 May, 2017 | 16:50h | UTCUK clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis – Archives of Osteoporosis (free)
ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
1 May, 2017 | 16:51h | UTC2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA Focused Update of the 2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure (free)
Commentaries: Societies Update Heart Failure Management Guidelines – Heart Failure Society of America (free) AND Societies Release HF Guideline Focused Update – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
For Pregnant Women, Getting Serious About Whooping Cough
2 May, 2017 | 17:13h | UTCFor Pregnant Women, Getting Serious About Whooping Cough – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related: Effectiveness of Vaccination During Pregnancy to Prevent Infant Pertussis – Pediatrics (free) AND Study: Pertussis shot in pregnant moms protects newborns – CIDRAP (free) AND Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine While You Are Pregnant – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (free)
Guidelines for treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis and patient care
1 May, 2017 | 16:52h | UTCGuidelines for treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis and patient care (2017 update) – World Health Organization (free) (RT @paimadhusee Tweet)
Normal-Weight Central Obesity and Risk for Mortality
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:38h | UTCNormal-Weight Central Obesity and Risk for Mortality – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Waist circumference stronger predictor of death risk than BMI – Haelio (free) AND Forget Your BMI and Focus on This Measurement Instead – TIME (free) AND Central Obesity Ups Mortality Across BMI Range – Physician’s Briefing (free) AND Central obesity may increase mortality risk from cardiovascular disease – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND People with a normal BMI who carry weight around the middle at greatest risk of death – HealthCanal (free)
Advil, Motrin and other NSAIDs painkillers should be prescription only, Danish study says
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:37h | UTCAdvil, Motrin and other NSAIDs painkillers should be prescription only, Danish study says – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (free) (RT @medpagetodaysee Tweet)
Original article: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is associated with increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide case–time–control study – European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy (free)
See more commentaries on this study in our March 17 issue, see #5.
Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:33h | UTCEditorial: WOMAN: reducing maternal deaths with tranexamic acid (free)
Commentary: Overlooked Drug Could Save Thousands Of Moms After Childbirth – NPR Goats and Soda (free)
“Tranexamic acid reduced deaths of mothers caused by bleeding after childbirth by 1/3” (RT @LSHTMpress see Tweet)
A better way to care for the dying
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:39h | UTCA better way to care for the dying – The Economist (a few articles per month are free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
“How the medical profession is starting to move beyond fighting death to easing it”.
Guidelines For Management Of Dyslipidemia And Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:29h | UTCGuidelines For Management Of Dyslipidemia And Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease – American Association Of Clinical Endocrinologists And American College Of Endocrinology (free PDF) (RT @greg_folkers)
Role of Biomarkers for the Prevention, Assessment, and Management of Heart Failure
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:32h | UTCGuideline: Role of Biomarkers for the Prevention, Assessment, and Management of Heart Failure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (free PDF)
News release: New guidance on heart failure tests can improve care – American Heart Association News (free)
Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50
26 Apr, 2017 | 16:07h | UTCMeta-analysis: Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis – British Journal of Sports Medicine (free)
Source: Exercise Could Benefit Cognition in Older Adults – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“Physical exercise interventions significantly improved cognitive function in adults older than 50 years, regardless of baseline cognitive status”.
After Knee or Hip Replacement, No Place Like Home
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:28h | UTCAfter Knee or Hip Replacement, No Place Like Home – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
See also: Time to Rethink Inpatient Rehab After Knee Replacement? – The Rheumatologist (free)
Original article abstract ($ for full-text): Effect of Inpatient Rehabilitation vs a Monitored Home-Based Program on Mobility in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty: The HIHO Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free)
The NYT commentary talks about the futility of some interventions currently used to postpone surgery and about the benefits of outpatient rehabilitation.
Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Diagnosis and Treatment
25 Apr, 2017 | 16:03h | UTCReview: Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Diagnosis and Treatment – Deutsches Ärzteblatt international (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter (free)
Recommendations on hepatitis C screening for adults
25 Apr, 2017 | 15:50h | UTCGuideline: Recommendations on hepatitis C screening for adults – Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (free)
News release: CTFPHC Releases Its First Hepatitis C Population-wide Screening Guideline (free)
See also: Summary of recommendations for clinicians and policy-makers (free) AND Clinician FAQ (free)
Commentary: Canada recommends against testing everyone for hepatitis C – Reuters Health (free) (RT @CMichaelGibson)
“Guideline recommends against screening for HCV in adults who are not at elevated risk”.
Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Primary Care
26 Apr, 2017 | 16:09h | UTCUpdated Guideline: Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Primary Care – Toward Optimized Practice (TOP) Guidelines (free)
Practical guideline for primary care providers.
Azithromycin doesn’t seem to increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmia
26 Apr, 2017 | 16:04h | UTCCohort study: Use of azithromycin and risk of ventricular arrhythmia – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)
Source: No Major Azithromycin Arrhythmia Risk in Huge European Cohort – Medscape (free registration required)
Contradicting a previous study (free) and a 2013 safety warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (free), this large cohort did not show an association between azithromycin and ventricular arrhythmia when compared to amoxicillin.
Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:30h | UTCPerspective: Focusing on High-Cost Patients — The Key to Addressing High Costs? – NEJM Catalyst (free) (RT @brhospitalist)
Related commentaries: Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients — An Urgent Priority – New England Journal of Medicine (free) AND Richard Smith: The challenge of high need, high cost patients – The BMJ Blogs (free)
Playbook: Better Care for People with Complex Needs – Institute for Healthcare Improvement (free)
Effect of Weight Reduction on Hemoglobin A1c
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:27h | UTCSystematic review: Effect of Weight Reduction on Hemoglobin A1c in weight loss trials of Type 2 Diabetes Patients – Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
“Each 1kg reduction in weight loss trials associated with 0.1% reduction in HbA1c” (RT @kamleshkhunti see Tweet)
Standardized Criteria for Palliative Care Consultation
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:25h | UTCProspective, before-after cohort study: Standardized Criteria for Palliative Care Consultation on a Solid Tumor Oncology Service Reduces Downstream Health Care Use – Journal of Oncology Practice (free)
Editorial: Making the Right Thing Easier to Do: Standardized Integration of Oncology and Palliative Care – Journal of Oncology Practice (free)
Related Guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free)
Commentaries on the study: Standardized Palliative Care Consults Cut Cancer Readmissions – Also, less chemotherapy after discharge – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Standardized Cancer Palliative Care Consults Linked to Stronger Home-Based Support – AJMC (free)
Patients with at least one of the following 4 criteria: 1) advanced solid tumor; 2) prior hospitalization within 30 days; 3) hospitalization > 7 days; or 4) active symptoms – received automatic palliative care consultation. The rates of 30-day readmissions dropped from 35% to 18% and chemotherapy after discharge dropped from 44% to 18%.
The efficacy of bedside chest ultrasound
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:23h | UTCReview: The efficacy of bedside chest ultrasound: from accuracy to outcomes – European Respiratory Review (free)