TOP 10 Medical News Stories
Mon, March 19 – 10 Stories of The Day!
19 Mar, 2018 | 00:01h | UTC
Commentaries: New study casts further doubt on the idea that you can be ‘fat and fit’ – NHS Choices (free) AND A ‘Sweet Spot’ for Heart Health – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND A ‘sweet spot’ BMI to reduce heart disease risk? What you need to know – HealthNewsReview (free)
2 – Clinical Guideline Synopsis: Evaluation and Treatment of Male Hypogonadism – JAMA (free)
Original Guideline: Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline – The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (free PDF)
Commentary: New Testosterone Treatment Guidelines ‘Useful but Not Gospel’ – Medscape (free registration required)
3 – Free Online Course (small fee if applying for certificate). Starts March 26, 2018. The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future – University of Copenhagen and Coursera
4 – New Series from The Lancet Journals: Pathology and laboratory medicine in low-income and middle-income countries (free registration required for all articles and commentaries)
5 – Preventing physician suicide – ACP Hospitalist (free)
Related: What I’ve learned from my tally of 757 doctor suicides – The Washington Post (free) AND Why are doctors killing themselves? – MJA InSight (free) AND Why are doctors plagued by depression and suicide? A crisis comes into focus – STAT (free) AND Protecting interns and other physicians from depression and suicide – STAT (free)
Commentary: Imaging is the only way to diagnose blood clots in pregnancy – NIHR Signal (free)
“No blood test can accurately tell if a pregnant or recently pregnant woman has a blood clot. All pregnant women with a suspected clot should continue to have imaging investigations” (via @NIHR_DC see Tweet)
8 – Older Abuse: Sometimes It’s Self-Inflicted – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
“The house is filthy. The elderly resident is struggling. But who has the right to intervene?” (via @NYTHealth see Tweet)
9 – Diastolic Blood Pressure and Adverse Outcomes in the TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist) Trial – Journal of the American Heart Association (free for a limited period)
“DBP values ≥90 and <60 mm Hg are associated with a significant risk of adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction who are treated for hypertension”.
Commentary: Oral vs. Intramuscular Vitamin B12: Efficacy, Safety Compared – MPR (free)
Fri, March 16 – 10 Stories of The Day!
16 Mar, 2018 | 02:54h | UTC
1 – Mapping child growth failure in Africa between 2000 and 2015 – Nature (free)
Invited commentary, by Kofi Annan: Data can help to end malnutrition across Africa (free)
Other commentaries: Africa ‘very, very far away’ from meeting global target to end child malnutrition – The Guardian (free) Local Burden of Disease – Child Growth Failure – IHME (free) AND Zooming in on advances and opportunities – IHME (free)
2 – Guideline: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
3 – State of The Art Review: Pulmonary arterial hypertension: pathogenesis and clinical management – The BMJ (free for a limited period)
Related Guidelines: Pharmacologic Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Adults – CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report (free) AND 2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (free)
4 – Very interesting resource: A Visual introduction to the basic concepts of probability theory – Seeing Theory (free) (via @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Commentaries: High Cardiovascular Fitness in Midlife Tied to Lower Dementia Risk Later – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Physically fit women nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia – American Academy of Neurology, via ScienceDaily (free)
6 – Like It Or Not, Personal Health Technology Is Getting Smarter – NPR (free)
“Nice article about wearables related issues, such as medicalization of the healthy, privacy loss, low adherence, uncertain reliability of measurements and uncertain health benefits”. (via @RasoiniR see Tweet)
Related: Get Ready For A Tsunami Of ECGs – Cardiobrief (free) AND: Thoughts on the Apple Watch and Mobile ECG, by Dr John Mandrola (free) AND Overdiagnosis Only a Matter of Time With ECG Watches – Medscape (free registration required)
8 – Panic, chronic anxiety and burnout: doctors at breaking point – The Guardian (free)
9 – Statement: American Diabetes Association® Deeply Concerned About New Guidance from American College of Physicians Regarding Blood Glucose Targets for People with Type 2 Diabetes (free)
See original guideline and commentary: ACP Guideline: Hemoglobin A1c Targets for Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes
10 – Calcium and vitamin D supplementation and increased risk of serrated polyps: results from a randomised clinical trial – Gut (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Calcium and vitamin D supplements may raise risk of polyps – MedicalNewsToday (free) AND Calcium Supplements Up Risk for Precancerous Serrated Polyps – Medscape (free registration required)
See related meta-analysis of RCT showing calcium and vitamin D don’t prevent bone fractures
Thu, March 15 – 10 Stories of The Day!
15 Mar, 2018 | 01:50h | UTC
Editorial: Recognizing the Global Impact of Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy (free)
Quick Take Video Summary: Pregnancy Outcomes after Zika (free)
Commentaries: Study: 7% risk of birth defects in Zika pregnancies – CIDRAP (free) AND Birth defect rate pegged at 7 percent for babies born to Zika-infected women – Reuters (free)
Commentary: Combo Tx Offers New Hope for Cryptococcal Meningitis – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
4 – Grader Variability and the Importance of Reference Standards for Evaluating Machine Learning Models for Diabetic Retinopathy – Ophthalmology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Google’s AI program: Building better algorithms for detecting eye disease – ScienceDaily (free)
5 – Editorial: AI diagnostics need attention – Nature (free) (via @RasoiniR see Tweet)
Related systematic review (just published): Perioperative beta-blockers for preventing surgery-related mortality and morbidity – Cochrane Library (free)
Commentaries: Gout Drug Febuxostat Linked to More CV Deaths Without Uptick in CV Events: CARES Trial – TCTMD (free) AND CARES: Increased Risk of Death With Febuxostat in Patients With Gout and CV Disease – American College of Cardiology (free)
8 – Colonoscopy and Colorectal Cancer Mortality in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System: A Case–Control Study – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Colonoscopy significantly reduces mortality from colorectal cancer in Veterans Affairs study – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Colonoscopy Significantly Reduces CRC Deaths – Medscape (free registration required)
9 – N-Terminal Pro–B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in the Emergency Department – Journal of the Americana College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: NT-proBNP cutpoints validated for diagnosing and ruling out heart failure in the ED – ACP Hospitalist (free)
Related review: BNP in the emergency department: The evidence – First10EM (free)
“In acutely dyspneic patients seen in the ED setting, age-stratified NT-proBNP cutpoints may aid in the diagnosis of acute HF. An NT-proBNP <300 pg/ml strongly excludes the presence of acute HF”.
10 – Sustained Physical Activity, Not Weight Loss, Associated With Improved Survival in Coronary Heart Disease – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: For CHD Patients, Physical Activity More Meaningful Than Weight Changes Over Time – TCTMD (free)
Wed, March 14 – 10 Stories of The Day!
14 Mar, 2018 | 00:22h | UTC
Related guideline: 2018 Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association (free PDF) AND Summary for ED-relevant care: 2018 AHA/ASA Ischemic Stroke Updates – emDocs (free)
“In routine clinical practice, endovascular treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke is at least as effective and safe as in the setting of a randomized controlled trial”.
2 – Editorial: Dialysis Modality Survival Comparison: Time to End the Debate, It’s a Tie – American Journal of Kidney Diseases (free)
Related commentary: PD or HD: Which Road Do We Take? – AJKD Blog (free)
Original article: Comparison of Patient Survival Between Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Among Patients Eligible for Both Modalities – American Journal of Kidney Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: Hemodialysis vs. Peritoneal Dialysis for End-Stage Renal Disease – NEJM Journal Watch ($)
Commentaries: Lead and the heart: an ancient metal’s contribution to modern disease – The Lancet Public Health (free) AND Lead exposure may be linked to 412,000 premature US deaths yearly, study says – The Guardian (free) AND Lead and CDV deaths in US adults – Science Media Centre (free) AND Expert reaction to lead and CVD deaths in the US – Science Media Centre (free)
4 – Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries – JAMA (free article, editorials, author interview and video summary)
Commentaries: Why Is U.S. Health Care So Expensive? Some of the Reasons You’ve Heard Turn Out to Be Myths – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Huge cost of US healthcare driven by drug prices and salaries – The Guardian (free) AND Healthcare: It’s The Prices, Stupid. Isn’t It? – Forbes (free) AND Physician Salaries, Drug Prices Drive High US Health Costs – Medscape (free registration required)
Commentaries: New analysis recommends against using digital rectal exam in primary care – American Academy of Family Physicians, vie EurekAlert (free) AND Little Evidence Supports Use of Digital Rectal Exam – Medscape (free registration required) AND Digital Rectal Exams for Routine Prostate Screening Discouraged – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free)
See original article and commentaries in our March 12th issue (see #2)
8 – Effects of stress on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease – Nature Reviews Cardiology (free PDF for a limited period) (via @Abraham_RMI)
10 – The 2017 ESC Guidelines on PADs: what’s new? – European Heart Journal (free) AND The ‘Ten Commandments’ of 2017 ESC Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Diseases – European Heart Journal (free)
Original Guideline: 2017 ESC Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Diseases, in collaboration with the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) (free)
Tue, March 13 – 10 Stories of The Day!
13 Mar, 2018 | 00:03h | UTC
Key Points: Evaluation and Treatment of Hirsutism in Premenopausal Women – JAMA Clinical Guidelines Synopsis (free for a limited period)
2 – #ACC18 – Cluster-Randomized Trial of Blood-Pressure Reduction in Black Barbershops – New England Journal of Medicine (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Barbershop-Based Intervention Leads to Blood Pressure Reductions in African-American Men – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Mixing Haircuts and Hypertension Rx a ‘Home Run’ for Blood Pressure Control – TCTMD (free)
“Among black male barbershop patrons with uncontrolled hypertension, health promotion by barbers resulted in larger blood-pressure reduction when coupled with medication management in barbershops by specialty-trained pharmacists”.
3 – #ACC18 – 6-month versus 12-month or longer dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome (SMART-DATE): a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: SMART-DATE: Myocardial Infarction Risk Higher with Six-Month Versus Twelve-Month DAPT – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Too Soon for 6-Month DAPT, Say SMART-DATE Investigators, Despite Positive Trial – TCTMD (free)
Related Guidelines: 2018 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology Focused Update of the Guidelines for the Use of Antiplatelet Therapy (free) AND 2017 European Society of Cardiology focused update on dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease (free) AND 2016 ACC/AHA Guideline Focused Update on Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease (free)
4 – #ACC18 – Low-Dose ‘Triple Pill’ Lowers Blood Pressure More Than Usual Care – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Low-Dose, Three-Drug Polypill TRIUMPHs for Blood Pressure – TCTMD (free)
5 – Viewpoint: Big Data and Machine Learning in Health Care – JAMA (free for a limited period)
6 – Aromatherapy Versus Oral Ondansetron for Antiemetic Therapy Among Adult Emergency Department Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial – Annals of Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Practice Changing: Inhaled Isopropyl Alcohol Superior to Oral Ondansetron as an Antiemetic – NEJM Journal Watch (free) AND Wake Up And Smell the Isopropyl – Emergency Medicine Literature of Note (free)
7 – Do Antidepressants Work? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
“The most comprehensive study on them has recently been published, showing mostly modest effects”.
See related meta-analysis and commentaries in our February 23rd issue (see #3)
8 – Richard Lehman’s journal reviews, 12 March 2018 – The BMJ Opinion (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
“Wake me up when there is a positive randomized trial of vitamin D pills for anything” (from Richard Lehman’s review, see above).
Commentary: Dengue fever linked to increased risk of stroke – CMAJ, via ScienceDaily (free)
Mon, March 12 – 10 Stories of The Day!
12 Mar, 2018 | 01:34h | UTC
#ACC18 – Highlights from the American College of Cardiology’s 67th Annual Scientific Session
Commentaries: Survival benefit seen for some patients when cardiologists are away at academic conferences – Harvard Medical School, via ScienceDaily (free) AND TCT paradox: Patients more likely to survive MI during interventional cardiology conference – Cardiovascular Business (free)
Related study: Mortality and Treatment Patterns Among Patients Hospitalized With Acute Cardiovascular Conditions During Dates of National Cardiology Meetings – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
“The study’s release date is particularly timely considering another major conference—the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Session—kicks off this weekend”. (from Cardiovascular Business)
2 – #ACC18 – The ODYSSEY Trial Ends Well— But Will It Be Enough? – Cardiobrief (free) AND Ten Quick Thoughts on ODYSSEY – John Mandrola, via Medscape (free registration required)
“An absolute risk reduction of 1.6% in the primary endpoint translates to a number needed to treat of 64. Using the current price of $14,500 per year, Kaul calculated that preventing one event over the trial period of almost 3 years would cost about $2.6 million” (via John Mandrola). This study was presented at #ACC18 and has not been published yet. Among the many commentaries, these two were selected for a balanced point of view.
3 – #ACC18 – Carvedilol for Prevention of Chemotherapy Related Cardiotoxicity – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Beta Blocker Shows Mixed Results in Protecting Against Chemo-Induced Heart Damage – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Carvedilol Effect in Preventing Chemotherapy Induced CardiotoxicitY – CECCY – American College of Cardiology (free)
Related study from #ACC18: Heart Drugs Prevented Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Treated With Anthracycline and Trastuzumab – American College of Cardiology (free)
“According to the CECCY trial, carvedilol had no effect on left ventricular function in breast cancer patients treated w/ doxorubicin, but did result in a reduction in troponin I levels & diastolic dysfunction”. (via @ACCinTouch see Tweet)
4 – #ACC18 – Effect of Loading Dose of Atorvastatin Prior to Planned Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Acute Coronary Syndrome: The SECURE-PCI Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Editorial: Lipid Lowering in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Is Treatment Early Enough? (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Statins Evaluation in Coronary Procedures and Revascularization – SECURE-PCI – American College of Cardiology (free) AND No Benefits Likely with Very Early Statins in ACS Patients – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND SECURE-PCI Comes Up Short for Statin Preloading in ACS Patients – TCTMD (free)
5 – #ACC18 – Hospital Readmission After Perioperative Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated With Noncardiac Surgery – Circulation (free PDF for a limited period)
Commentaries: Hospital Readmissions After Perioperative AMI – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Perioperative MIs Bring Too Many Patients Back to the Hospital After Noncardiac Surgery – TCTMD (free)
6 – #ACC18 – Big Swings in Daily Temperatures Linked to Spikes in MI Rates – TCTMD (free) AND Heart Attacks Often Follow Extreme Temperature Changes – Cardiosmart (free) AND Outdoor Temperature Swings Tied to STEMI Uptick – Medscape (free registration required) AND Dramatic swings in temperature linked to significantly more heart attacks – News Medical (free)
7 – #ACC18 – Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Likelihood of a Heart Attack – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Inflammatory bowel disease may raise heart attack risk – Medical News Today (free) AND Those with IBD twice as likely to have heart attack – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Inflammatory Bowel Disease Makes Heart Attack Twice as Likely – Cardiosmart (free)
8 – #ACC18 – Getting flu shot halves death risk for heart failure patients – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Flu Vaccine Reduces Mortality, Hospitalization in HF Patients: Meta-analysis – TCTMD (free) AND Flu Shot Cuts Risk for Death by Half in Heart Failure – Medscape (free registration required) AND Getting Flu Vaccine Cuts Risk of Death by Half in People with Heart Failure – American College of Cardiology (free)
This meta-analysis of observational studies suggests a possible benefit.
9 – #ACC18 – Aspirin Lowers Risk of Death for Patients with Diabetes, Heart Failure – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Aspirin Linked to Lower Mortality in Diabetes With Heart Failure – Medscape (free registration required) AND ACC 2018: Aspirin Lowers Risk of Death in Patients With Diabetes and Heart Failure – PracticeUpdate (free registration required)
10 – #ACC18 – MANAGE: Reduced Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in MINS Patients Receiving Dabigatran – American College of Cardiology (free) AND MANAGE Suggests Dabigatran Could Be Useful for Treating Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery – TCTMD (free)
“One expert called the trial results “provocative” but said its methods were “muddy,” making the findings difficult to interpret” (from TCTMD)
Fri, March 9 – 10 Stories of The Day!
9 Mar, 2018 | 00:04h | UTC
1 – The Tobacco Atlas, Sixth Edition (free PDF)
News Release: Big tobacco is targeting the world’s most vulnerable to increase profits – American Cancer Society (free)
See companion website: TobaccoAtlas.org
Related: Explore the GBD tool to compare tobacco risks globally – IHME (free interactive tool)
Commentary with key points to remember: European Position Paper on Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Related position statement: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: Current State of the Science: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association – Circulation (free)
Related: Aortic Dissection and Aortic Aneurysms Associated with Fluoroquinolones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – American Journal of Medicine (free) AND Fluoroquinolones and collagen associated severe adverse events: a longitudinal cohort study – BMJ Open (free) AND Risk of Aortic Dissection and Aortic Aneurysm in Patients Taking Oral Fluoroquinolone – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
4 – Graduate students need more mental health support, new study highlights – Science (free) AND Mental Health Crisis for Grad Students – Inside Higher Ed (free) AND Depression, anxiety high in graduate students, survey shows – University of Texas Health Science Center, via ScienceDaily (free)
5 – Case report: Self-Management of an Inferior ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
6 – Maintenance proton pump inhibition therapy and risk of oesophageal cancer – Cancer Epidemiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Long-term PPI Use and Increased Esophageal CA Risk – Medscape (free registration required)
Related studies suggesting a link with gastric cancer: Long-term proton pump inhibitors and risk of gastric cancer development after treatment for Helicobacter pylori: a population-based study – Gut (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Maintenance therapy with proton pump inhibitors and risk of gastric cancer: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Sweden – BMJ Open (free)
This observational study suggests a possible link.
7 – Metformin use in PCOS pregnancies increases the risk of offspring overweight at 4 years of age; follow-up of two RCTs – The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Diabetes drug use during pregnancy linked to child’s weight – The Endocrine Society, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Diabetes drug use during pregnancy affects child’s weight – OnMedica (free) AND Metformin in Pregnancy May Increase Childhood Obesity Risk – Medscape (free registration required)
8 – EVOLVE: The Australian Rheumatology Association’s ‘top five’ list of investigations and interventions doctors and patients should question – Internal Medicine Journal (free) (via @RSiemieniuk)
See other lists of low-value practices in Choosing Wisely U.S. / Choosing Wisely UK / Choosing Wisely Australia AND Choosing Wisely Canada
Another interesting list of commonly used low-value practices that should be questioned.
9 – Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Likelihood of a Heart Attack – American College of Cardiology (free) AND Inflammatory bowel disease may raise heart attack risk – Medical News Today (free) AND Those with IBD twice as likely to have heart attack – Cardiovascular Business (free)
Commentary: Probiotics and fish oil in pregnancy may reduce allergies in children – NHS Choices (free) AND Diet During Pregnancy May Cut Offspring Allergy Risk – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Probiotics and Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Curb Allergies in Kids – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Wed, March 7 – 10 Stories of The Day!
7 Mar, 2018 | 01:06h | UTC
1 – Effect of Opioid vs Nonopioid Medications on Pain-Related Function in Patients With Chronic Back Pain or Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: The SPACE Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Opioids Don’t Beat Other Medications For Chronic Pain – NPR (free) AND More Data Opioids No Better for Chronic Back, Arthritis Pain – Medscape (free registration required) AND Opioids no better than NSAIDs for chronic back or arthritis pain – Reuters (free)
Related: Opioid Wisely – Choosing Wisely Canada (free) AND Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)
2 – Effect of a Low-Intensity PSA-Based Screening Intervention on Prostate Cancer Mortality: The CAP Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: One-off PSA screening for prostate cancer does not save lives – eCancer News (free)
“Largest ever prostate cancer trial – CAP – published in the JAMA. No effect from low intensity PSA screening on prostate cancer mortality at 10 years”. (via @KariTikkinen see Tweet)
3 – Authors of premier medical textbook didn’t disclose $11 million in industry payments – STAT (free)
“‘The most recognized book in all of medicine’ is also rife with hidden financial conflicts. Should Harrison’s authors be disclosing $11 million in payments from drug and device makers?” (via @caseymross see Tweet)
4 – One-Month Tuberculosis Prophylaxis as Effective as Nine-Month Regimen for People Living with HIV – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (free) (via @iasociety see Tweet)
Related: New ways to fight HIV and tuberculosis emerge at AIDS conference – Science (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
6 – Why Apple, Amazon, and Google are making big health care moves – VOX (free)
7 – Opinion: Are Hospitals Becoming Obsolete? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
8 – Big Swings in Daily Temperatures Linked to Spikes in MI Rates – TCTMD (free)
Tue, March 6 – 10 Stories of The Day!
6 Mar, 2018 | 00:47h | UTC
Commentary: Major Medical Associations Feud Over Diabetes Guidelines – NPR (free)
“Clinicians should aim to achieve an HbA1c level between 7% and 8% in most patients with type 2 diabetes”
2 – Treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: report of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy/Healthcare Infection Society/British Infection Association Joint Working Party – Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (free) (via @ABsteward)
See original EACS Guidelines in 7 languages (all free)
4 – Management of opioid use disorders: a national clinical practice guideline – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free) (via @DavidJuurlink see Tweet)
Editorial: Pharmacological strategies in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: time for an individualised treatment strategy? (free)
Commentary: Heartbeat: Is there any effective therapy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction? (free)
In this meta-analysis of RCT testing treatments for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, only beta-blockers demonstrated reductions in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
6 – Relation of Dietary Sodium (Salt) to Blood Pressure and Its Possible Modulation by Other Dietary Factors: The INTERMAP Study – Hypertension (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Healthy diet may not offset high salt intake – Imperial College London (free) AND Dietary sodium’s impact may not be offset by other aspects of a diet – AHA / ASA Newsroom (free)
7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 5 March 2018 – The BMJ (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
8 – Too Late To Operate? Surgery Near End Of Life Is Common, Costly – NPR (free)
9 – Summary for ED-relevant care: 2018 AHA/ASA Ischemic Stroke Updates – emDocs (free)
Original guideline: 2018 Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (free PDF)
““Palliative care” had connotations of treatment withdrawal and imminent death… practicing the principles of palliative care is needed, but the term “palliative care” should be avoided or reframed”.
See related articles on this subject: Palliative care: renaming as supportive care and integration into comprehensive cancer care – CMAJ (free) AND Perceptions of palliative care among patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers (free)
Fri, March 2 – 10 Stories of The Day!
2 Mar, 2018 | 02:16h | UTC
1 – Hydrocortisone plus Fludrocortisone for Adults with Septic Shock – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Hydrocortisone-fludrocortisone cuts deaths in septic shock – The Hospitalist (free)
See related research and commentaries on adjunctive glucocorticoid therapy in patients with septic shock
2 – Policy Statement: Pediatric Medication Safety in the Emergency Department – American Academy of Pediatrics (free)
Commentaries: Recommendations Issued on Reducing Pediatric Medication Errors in the ED – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Policy statement outlines ways to improve pediatric medication safety – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
3 – Mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting for coronary artery disease: a pooled analysis of individual patient data – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
This meta-analysis of randomized trials showed CABG had a mortality benefit over PCI in patients with multivessel disease, particularly those with diabetes and higher coronary complexity. There was no mortality benefit in patients with left main disease.
4 – Meta-analysis: Long-Term Outcomes of On- Versus Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Long-Term Outcomes of On- vs. Off-Pump CABG – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Long-term survival benefit seen in on-pump vs off-pump CABG – Cardiovascular Business (free)
“Off pump CABG. probably best used in a limited set of patients…” (via @keaglemd see Tweet)
5 – Public Health: Tackling multiple unhealthy risk factors: Emerging lessons from practice – The King’s Fund (free PDF)
Commentary: Multiple unhealthy risk factors: why they matter and how practice is changing (free)
See also: Summary (free PDF) AND Overview (free)
Commentaries: Turn it off: Binge watching TV can cause venous thromboembolism—even if you’re fit – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND How too much TV could kill you – MedicalNewsToday (free)
Related article: Watching Television and Risk of Mortality From Pulmonary Embolism Among Japanese Men and Women – Circulation (free)
Related Guidelines and Reviews: Prevention and Monitoring of Cardiac Dysfunction in Survivors of Adult Cancers: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline (free) AND 2016 ESC Position Paper on cancer treatments and cardiovascular toxicity developed under the auspices of the ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (free) AND Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines for Evaluation and Management of Cardiovascular Complications of Cancer Therapy (free) AND Cardiotoxicity of anticancer treatments: Epidemiology, detection, and management – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (free)
“Despite higher operative cost, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery does not result in statistically better treatment outcomes, with the exception of lower estimated blood loss. Operative time and total complication rate are significantly more favorable with conventional laparoscopic surgery”.
Source: Medscape (free registration required)
“Cognitive enhancers in general have minimal effects on cognition according to minimal clinically important difference and global ratings. The drugs appear safe, but this must be interpreted cautiously because trial participants may have less comorbidity and fewer adverse effects than those treated with these drugs in clinical practice”.
Commentary: EHR Time Exceeds Patient Face Time in Family Practice Visits – Medscape (free registration required)
Related: Care-Centered Clinical Documentation in the Digital Environment: Solutions to Alleviate Burnout – National Academy of Medicine (free) AND Date Night with the EHR – NEJM Catalyst (free) AND Why Physician Burnout Is Endemic, and How Health Care Must Respond – NEJM Catalyst (free) AND Putting Patients First by Reducing Administrative Tasks in Health Care: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians(free)
Mon, March 5 – 10 Stories of The Day!
5 Mar, 2018 | 01:08h | UTC
See also: Key Messages AND Policy Brief (free PDF)
2 – Novel subgroups of adult-onset diabetes and their association with outcomes: a data-driven cluster analysis of six variables – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: 5 Classifications of Diabetes Proposed – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Should diabetes be divided into 5 categories to improve treatment? – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Diabetes Consists of Five Types, Not Two, Say Researchers – Medscape (free registration required)
3 – New Guide to Infection Control in The Hospital – International Society for Infectious Diseases (free)
A free, online resource on the principles and interventions needed to reduce healthcare associated infections, with suggested control measures across different resource levels.
See also: Executive Summary
5 – Opioid Wisely – Choosing Wisely Canada (free)
Related Guideline: Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)
See complete lists from Choosing Wisely U.S. / Choosing Wisely UK / Choosing Wisely Australia AND Choosing Wisely Canada
This campaign encourages thoughtful conversation between clinicians and patients to reduce harms associated with opioid prescribing, with recommendations relevant to different specialties.
6 – New campaign: Nursing Now campaign: empowering nurses to improve global health – World Health Organization (free)
Related: Global nursing movement launches – Devex (free) AND Nursing Now campaign: raising the status of nurses – The Lancet (free registration required)
See also: Nursing Now Website
Source: International Health Policies Newsletter
7 – Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations – Cochrane Library (free)
In general practice or emergency care settings, brief alcohol interventions can reduce alcohol consumption and related harm.
8 – The Challenge of Doctor-Patient Relations in the Internet Age – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Related: E-patients hold key to the future of healthcare – The BMJ Opinion (free)
9 – Editorial: Escalating Inhaled Glucocorticoids to Prevent Asthma Exacerbations (free)
Trial 1: Quintupling Inhaled Glucocorticoids to Prevent Childhood Asthma Exacerbations – The New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Trial 2: Quadrupling Inhaled Glucocorticoid Dose to Abort Asthma Exacerbations – The New England Journal of Medicine (free)
10 – Nut Consumption and Survival in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: Results From CALGB 89803 (Alliance) – Journal of Clinical Oncology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Nut Consumption May Aid Colon Cancer Survival – Yale Cancer Center, via NewsWise (free) AND Nuts, Especially Tree Nuts, and Improved CRC Survival – Medscape (free registration required
A survival benefit was suggested by this observational trial.
Thu, March 8 – 10 Stories of The Day!
8 Mar, 2018 | 02:13h | UTC
1 – Association Between Estimated Cumulative Vaccine Antigen Exposure Through the First 23 Months of Life and Non–Vaccine-Targeted Infections From 24 Through 47 Months of Age – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Vaccines won’t overload your child’s immune system—or increase their risk of other infections – Science (free) AND Too Many Too Soon? No! – Science-Based Medicine (free) AND Study finds no immune overload for US kids’ vaccine schedule – CIDRAP (free)
Commentaries: Vinay Prasad on the NCCN’s cancer treatment guidelines: The US system needs an audit – The BMJ Opinion (free) AND US cancer network recommending expensive drugs based on weak evidence, study finds – The Guardian (free) AND New Study Questions Evidence for NCCN Recommendations – Medscape (free registration required)
3 – Digoxin and Mortality in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Digoxin and Mortality in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Digoxin Associated with Higher Mortality in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free)
4 – Effect of β‐Blockers Beyond 3 Years After Acute Myocardial Infarction – Journal of the American Heart Association (free for a limited period)
Related article: B-Blockers and Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients Without Heart Failure or Ventricular Dysfunction – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (free)
5 – Cancer screening recommendations: an international comparison of high income countries – Public Health Reviews (free) (via @hildabast see Tweet)
6 – Fluid therapy in neurointensive care patients: ESICM consensus and clinical practice recommendations – Intensive Care Medicine (free for a limited period) (via @luiscamacho02)
7 – Factor Xa inhibitors versus vitamin K antagonists for preventing cerebral or systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation – Cochrane Library (free)
When available, Factor Xa inhibitors seem to be a better choice for treating these patients.
8 – The Science of Obesity Management: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement – Endocrine Reviews (free)
Commentary: Research Finds Little Difference Among Diet Plans’ Long-Term Effectiveness – Endocrine Society, via NewWise (free)
9 – Cough Due to TB and Other Chronic Infections – CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report (free)
See also other recent CHEST guidelines on the management of cough in specific populations: Classification of Cough as a Symptom in Adults and Management Algorithms (free) AND Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold (free) AND Chronic Cough Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux in Adults (free) AND Symptomatic Treatment of Cough Among Adult Patients With Lung Cancer (free) AND Cough in the athlete (free) AND Occupational and Environmental Contributions to Chronic Cough in Adults (free) AND Treatment of Unexplained Chronic Cough (free) AND Use of Management Pathways or Algorithms in Children With Chronic Cough (free) AND Management of Children With Chronic Wet Cough and Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis (free)
Editorial: The Global HIV Epidemic: What Will It Take to Get to the Finish Line? (free)
Commentary: HIV in sub-Sahara Africa: Testing and treatment start at home improves therapy – Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, via EurekAlert (free)
Related: Starting antiretroviral therapy immediately after HIV diagnosis reduces transmission of the virus – NIHR Signal (free)
Wed, February 28 – 10 Stories of The Day!
28 Feb, 2018 | 01:03h | UTC
1 – Balanced Crystalloids versus Saline in Critically Ill Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Related article: Balanced Crystalloids versus Saline in Noncritically Ill Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Commentary: Balanced Crystalloids May Be Better Than Saline for Critically Ill Patients – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free)
“Balanced crystalloids may be superior to saline in critically ill patients — but not in patients hospitalized outside an ICU” (from Physician’s First Watch)
2 – Impact of Bystander Automated External Defibrillator Use on Survival and Functional Outcomes in Shockable Observed Public Cardiac Arrests – Circulation (free PDF for a limited period)
Commentary: Bystander defibrillator use tied to better cardiac arrest outcomes – Reuters (free)
Related articles: The Effects of Public Access Defibrillation on Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies – Circulation (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Bystander Efforts and 1-Year Outcomes in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – New England Journal of Medicine (Link to abstract – $ for full-text)
3 – Medical Education: Hidden Curricula, Ethics, and Professionalism: Optimizing Clinical Learning Environments in Becoming and Being a Physician: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians – Annals of Internal Medicine (free)
News Release: ACP calls on medicine to optimize learning environments by aligning positive ’hidden’ curriculum with formal curriculum of medical education (free)
Related guideline: Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, 2018 – American Diabetes Association (free)
News release: New Cochrane Review evidence suggests that nutritional labelling on menus in restaurants and cafes may reduce our calorie intake (free)
Video: Nutritional labelling for healthier food or non alcoholic purchasing and consumption (free)
Commentary: Expert reaction to Cochrane review on nutrition labelling and calorie intake – Science Media Centre (free)
“For a typical lunch with an intake of 600 calories, such as a slice of pizza and a soft drink, labelling may reduce the energy content of food purchased by about 8% (48 calories)”
7 – Association Between Bariatric Surgery and Rates of Continuation, Discontinuation, or Initiation of Antidiabetes Treatment 6 Years Later – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Bariatric Surgery Associated With Reduced Need For Diabetes Medications at Six Years – MedicalResearch (free) AND Roughly Half of Obese Patients Who Have Bariatric Surgery Are Off Type 2 Diabetes Meds at 6 Years – TCTMD (free)
See related studies on the long-term effects of Bariatric Surgery in our January 17th issue (see #1, #2 and #3)
8 – Pediatric Palliative Care for Children with Progressive Non-Malignant Diseases – Children (free)
9 – Plastic Additive BPA Not Much Of A Threat, Government Study Finds – NPR (free)
See original FDA statement on National Toxicology Program draft report on Bisphenol A (free) AND Endocrine Society Experts Express Concern with FDA Statement on BPA Safety – Endocrine Society, via NewsWise (free)
See also: Cardiac Arrest in the Operating Room: Part 2—Special Situations in the Perioperative Period (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
Thu, March 1 – 10 Stories of The Day!
1 Mar, 2018 | 00:01h | UTC
Commentaries: Hypertension: time for doctors to switch the driver’s seat? (free) AND Should home-based blood pressure monitoring be commonplace in NHS? – University of Oxford News & Events (free)
“Self-monitoring, with or without telemonitoring, when used by general practitioners to titrate antihypertensive medication in individuals with poorly controlled blood pressure, leads to significantly lower blood pressure than titration guided by clinic readings”.
Editorial: Treatment or surveillance for CIN2? (free)
Commentaries: Treatment or surveillance for CIN2: when less is more – The BMJ Opinion (free) AND Some irregular cervical lesions could be monitored rather that treated immediately – OnMedica (free) AND Regular monitoring rather than immediate treatment justified for some cervical lesions – EurekAlert (free)
Related guideline: ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Benign Anorectal Disorders – The American Journal of Gastroenterology (free)
4 – Association of Varicose Veins With Incident Venous Thromboembolism and Peripheral Artery Disease – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Patients with varicose veins at greater risk for thrombosis, other vascular diseases – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Varicose Veins Linked to Greater Risk for VTE, PAD – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Varicose Veins May Increase Likelihood of Blood Clots – Physician’s Weekly (free)
5 – Sex Differences in the Association Between Measures of General and Central Adiposity and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction: Results From the UK Biobank – Journal of the American Heart Association (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Wait and hip measurement better indicator of heart attack risk than obesity – OnMedica (free) AND Larger waist, hips may raise women’s heart attack risk – MedicalNewsToday (free)
Commentary: Frailty associated with readmission risk and postdischarge mortality in older surgical patients – ACP Hospitalist (free)
Related Systematic Review: Identifying older adults at risk of harm following elective surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis – BMC Medicine (free) AND Commentary: Age itself is not a risk factor for complications after surgery among older patients – OnMedica (free)
Related guideline: Social anxiety disorder: recognition, assessment and treatment – NICE (free) AND Summary: Recognition, assessment and treatment of social anxiety disorder: summary of NICE guidance – The BMJ (free)
8 – Patterns and Predictors of Short-Term Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Use: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study – Journal of Hospital Medicine (free PDF)
Commentary: Short-term use of IV devices is common — and risky — study shows – University of Michigan, via ScienceDaily (free)
“Intravenous devices known as PICCs should be reserved for long-term use, but a new study shows 1 in 4 are used for 5 days or less” (from ScienceDaily)
9 – Real-World Effectiveness of Pharmacologic Treatments for the Prevention of Rehospitalization in a Finnish Nationwide Cohort of Patients With Bipolar Disorder – JAMA Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Editorial: Enthusiasm and Skepticism About Using National Registers to Analyze Psychotropic Drug Outcomes (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Lithium treatment for bipolar disorder linked to lowest risk of rehospitalization – Karolinska Institutet, via EurekAlert (free) AND Lithium Top Choice for Preventing Bipolar Rehospitalization – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related study: Effectiveness of maintenance therapy of lithium vs other mood stabilizers in monotherapy and in combinations: a systematic review of evidence from observational studies – Bipolar Disorders (free)
These observational studies suggest Lithium may be a better choice for treating these patients, but long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify this issue (see editorial).
10 – Beta-blocker Therapy and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Moderate COPD and Heightened Cardiovascular Risk: An Observational Sub-study of SUMMIT – Annals of the American Thoracic Society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Beta-blockers may not change COPD lung function – Univadis (free registration required)
Related review and meta-analysis: Beta-blockers in patients with chronic obstructive disease and coexistent cardiac illnesses – COPD Research and Practice (free) AND Beta-blocker use and COPD mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis – BMC Pulmonary Medicine (free)
Related observational studies: β-Blockers in COPD: A Cohort Study From the TONADO Research Program – CHEST (free) AND Effect of β blockers in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective cohort study – The BMJ (free)
Mon, February 26 – 10 Stories of The Day!
26 Feb, 2018 | 01:12h | UTC
News release: WHO issues new recommendations calling for accelerated uptake of testing and treatment for TB prevention (free)
2 – ACG Clinical Guideline: Alcoholic Liver Disease – The American Journal of Gastroenterology (free)
Commentary and summary: New Guideline for Management of Alcoholic Liver Disease – NEJM Journal Watch (free for a limited period)
3 – Prediction of cardiovascular risk factors from retinal fundus photographs via deep learning – Nature Biomedical Engineering (link to abstract – $ for full-text) (via @EricTopol see Very interesting Tweet)
Commentaries: Assessing Cardiovascular Risk Factors with Computer Vision – Google Research Blog (free) AND Google’s new AI algorithm predicts heart disease by looking at your eyes – TheVerge (free) AND Combination of AI, eye images could predict cardiovascular disease – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND It’s All in the Eyes: Google AI Calculates Cardiovascular Risk From Retinal Images – Medium (free)
Related guidelines: Diagnosis and empirical treatment of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in adult neutropenic patients: guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO) (free) AND Management of febrile neutropaenia: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (free) AND Guideline for the Management of Fever and Neutropenia in Children With Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation Recipients: 2017 Update (free)
5 – Opinion: Doctors, Revolt! – The New York Times (free)
“Healing is replaced with treating, caring is supplanted by managing, and the art of listening is taken over by technological procedures. Bernard Lown” (via @lucadf see Tweet)
6 – The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids has begun – VOX (free)
“Countries like Italy and Australia are tired of measles outbreaks — so they’re moving to fine anti-vaccine parents”.
7 – Scientists Aim to Pull Peer Review Out Of The 17th Century – NPR (free)
Related: The Future of Peer Review – Scientific American (free) AND Peer review is a black box. Let’s open it up – STAT News (free) AND Exposing peer review – Research Information (free) AND Researchers debate whether journals should publish signed peer reviews – Science (free) AND The peer-review system for academic papers is badly in need of repair – The Conversation (free)
8 – Antifibrinolytic drugs for treating primary postpartum haemorrhage – Cochrane Library (free)
Related: Updated WHO Recommendation on Tranexamic Acid for the Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage (free PDF) AND Early use of tranexamic acid reduces bleeding more effectively – NIHR Signal (free) AND Effect of treatment delay on the effectiveness and safety of antifibrinolytics in acute severe haemorrhage: a meta-analysis of individual patient-level data from 40 138 bleeding patients – The Lancet (free)
Commentary: Spironolactone bests clonidine as fourth drug for resistant hypertension – Univadis (free registration required)
10 – Infant Hospitalizations and Mortality After Maternal Vaccination – Pediatrics (free)
Commentaries: Maternal vaccination during pregnancy not associated with infant hospitalization, mortality – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Getting Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy Doesn’t Lead to Harm in Infants – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Tue, February 27 – 10 Stories of The Day!
27 Feb, 2018 | 00:56h | UTC
Related guidelines: 2017 European Society of Cardiology focused update on dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease (free) AND 2016 ACC/AHA Guideline Focused Update on Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease (free)
2 – Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care – American Academy of Pediatrics
Part I. Practice Preparation, Identification, Assessment, and Initial Management (free)
Part II. Treatment and Ongoing Management (free)
Commentary: Pediatricians Call For Universal Depression Screening For Teens – NPR (free)
See also: Guideline for Burn Care Under Austere Conditions: Special Care Topics (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
News release: Responding to inflight medical emergencies can be stressful for doctors – CMAJ News (free)
Related video: Managing medical emergencies at 36,000 ft: A guide to Air Canada’s in-flight emergency medical kit (free)
Commentaries: 3% rise in deaths for every 10 min delay in restoring blood flow after heart attack – OnMedica (free) AND Treatment Delay and Mortality in STEMI With Shock – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
6 – Interventions for paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose – Cochrane Library (free)
Original article: Interventions for paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 26 February 2018 – The BMJ Opinion (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
8 – FDA Safety Alert: Clarithromycin (Biaxin): Drug Safety Communication – Potential Increased Risk of Heart Problems or Death in Patients With Heart Disease (free)
Commentaries: FDA: Antibiotic Linked to Increased Risk of Death in Heart Disease Patients – MPR (free) AND FDA: Clarithromycin Risks Persist in Patients With CAD – TCTMD (free) FDA Alert: Clarithromycin Risky in Patients With Heart Disease – Medscape (free registration required)
9 – Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: pathogenesis and management – Respiratory Research (free)
Related guidelines: An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (free) AND German Guideline for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – Update on Pharmacological Therapies 2017 – Pneumologie (free) AND Diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: French practical guidelines – European Respiratory Review (free) AND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in adults: diagnosis and management – NICE (free)
10 – Effect of the Pulmonary Embolism Rule-Out Criteria on Subsequent Thromboembolic Events Among Low-Risk Emergency Department Patients: The PROPER Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria non-inferior to usual care for patients at low-risk for pulmonary embolism – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND EM Nerd-The Case of the Diagnostic Absurdity (free) AND Using PERC & Sending Home Pulmonary Emboli For Fun and Profit – Emergency Literature of Note (free)
Fri, February 23 – 10 Stories of The Day!
23 Feb, 2018 | 01:10h | UTC
See also: Commentary: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: Making strides, long journey ahead! (free) AND Top Ten Things to Know (free PDF)
Commentaries: More data, more answers: picking the optimal antidepressant – The Lancet (free) AND All antidepressants are more efficacious than placebo – OnMedica (free) AND Expert reaction to largest review of antidepressants – Science Media Centre (free) AND Antidepressants can help adults with major depression – The Mental Elf (free)
Commentaries: New rotavirus vaccine to curb child deaths in developing countries – New Zealand Doctor (free) AND Researchers successfully develop a rotavirus vaccine which could benefit millions of children – MedicalXpress (free)
5 – Potential workload in applying clinical practice guidelines for patients with chronic conditions and multimorbidity: a systematic analysis – BMJ Open (free) (via @acpatient and @MaryDixonWoods)
6 – The Origin of Spousal Resemblance for Alcohol Use Disorder – JAMA Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: For Better or Worse: Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder Rises When Spouse is Diagnosed – Psychiatric News Alert (free) AND Spouses have strong influence on risk for alcohol abuse – Reuters (free)
7 – Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Women Who Clean at Home or Work Face Increased Lung Function Decline – American Thoracic Society, via NewsWise (free) AND Cleaning Chemicals ‘Likely Cause Substantial Damage To Women’s Lungs’, Study Finds – Huffpost (free) AND Cleaning at home or work linked to faster lung function decline in women – Univadis (free registration required)
8 – Perspective: Our Other Prescription Drug Problem – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Related opinion: Benzodiazepines: our other prescription drug epidemic – STAT (free)
9 – Perspective: The Psychology of Clinical Decision Making — Implications for Medication Use – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Commentary: After-effects not necessarily reduced with robotic prostate surgery – Reuters (free)
Related Cochrane Review with similar results: Laparoscopic and robotic-assisted versus open radical prostatectomy for the treatment of localised prostate cancer – Cochrane Library (free)
Thu, February 22 – 10 Stories of The Day!
22 Feb, 2018 | 02:09h | UTC
1 – Aspirin or Rivaroxaban for VTE Prophylaxis after Hip or Knee Arthroplasty – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: Preventing VTE after Hip or Knee Arthroplasty (free)
“Among patients who received 5 days of rivaroxaban prophylaxis after total hip or total knee arthroplasty, extended prophylaxis with aspirin was not significantly different from rivaroxaban in the prevention of symptomatic venous thromboembolism”.
2 – Guideline: Peripheral arterial disease: diagnosis and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
3 – Guideline: Heavy menstrual bleeding: assessment and management – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (free)
4 – Sex Differences in Ischemic Heart Disease: Advances, Obstacles, and Next Steps – Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (free for a limited period)
Related AHA Scientific Statement: Preventing and Experiencing Ischemic Heart Disease as a Woman: State of the Science (free)
5 – Are you ready for the ATLS 10th Edition Updates? – emDocs (free)
Related: Infographic: ATLS Trauma Update 2018
Commentaries: Anticoagulants Tied With Stroke, Hemorrhage in CKD – Renal & Urology News (free) AND Could a Blood Thinner Actually Raise Stroke Risk for Some? – HealthDay (free) AND Anticoagulants for Patients with Afib and Kidney Disease? Study Yields Mixed Findings – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Blood-thinning drugs designed to cut stroke risk may actually increase it – The Guardian (free)
“Given the lack of guidelines, the decision to start anticoagulant treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease and new onset atrial fibrillation should be made on an individual basis, concludes research” (via @bmj_latest see Tweet)
See other Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Guidelines and Reviews
7 – Association of Cigarette, Cigar, and Pipe Use With Mortality Risk in the US Population – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Cigars and pipes tied to same risks as cigarettes – Reuters (free) AND Cigars and pipes raise mortality risk independent of cigarettes – OnMedica (free)
“Statistics point remorselessly towards obesity being a symptom with an underlying social cause”.
Among patients with low risk acute coronary syndrome, stress echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance, and exercise electrocardiograms resulted in fewer invasive referrals for coronary angiography than coronary computed tomographic angiography, without apparent impact on the future risk of myocardial infarction. Similarly, for outpatients with suspected stable angina, an initial strategy based on functional testing might be preferable, resulting in fewer referrals for invasive coronary angiography and revascularization, without a statistically significant difference in the future risk of MI.
10 – Maternal thyroid function and child educational attainment: prospective cohort study – The BMJ (free)
Related study and commentary: Treatment of Subclinical Hypothyroidism or Hypothyroxinemia in Pregnancy – New England Journal of Medicine (free) AND Treating subclinical thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy probably has no benefit – NIHR Signal (free)
Maternal thyroid dysfunction in the first trimester had no impact on child performance at school or educational achievement.
Mon, February 19 – 10 Stories of The Day!
19 Feb, 2018 | 00:01h | UTC
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
Commentary: New guideline warns pain benefits of medical cannabis overstated – University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, via ScienceDaily (free)
3 – Systolic Blood Pressure and Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction – JAMA Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Aggressive Systolic Blood Pressure Control In Older Patients With HFpEF Should Be Avoided – MedicalResearch.com (free) AND Low blood pressure linked to worse outcomes in HFpEF patients – Cardiovascular Business (free)
“A systolic blood pressure level of less than 120 mm Hg identifies patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction at higher risk for short- and long-term mortality and emphasizes the need for future prospective studies to evaluate optimal systolic blood pressure treatment goals in this patient population”.
4 – Editorial: Vitamin D Screening and Supplementation in Primary Care: Time to Curb Our Enthusiasm – American Family Physician (free)
Related: Your vitamin D tests and supplements are probably a waste of money – VOX (free) AND Why Are So Many People Popping Vitamin D? – The New York Times (free)
Commentaries: US study finds 36% flu vaccine protection, 25% against H3N2 – CIDRAP (free) AND Three-quarters of people who got flu shot this year weren’t protected against most common strain – STAT (free)
6 – Review: Delirium in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit – Journal of the American Heart Association (free for a limited period)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
7 – New Choosing Wisely Lists in Pediatrics: Four Things Physicians and Patients Should Question in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology – Choosing Wisely Canada (free) AND Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question in Pediatric Orthopedics – Choosing Wisely U.S. (free)
Related: The Choosing Wisely initiative was launched 5 years ago, and now has over 490 recommendations from 18 countries (free)
See complete lists from Choosing Wisely U.S., Choosing Wisely UK, Choosing Wisely Australia AND Choosing Wisely Canada
8 – Expert opinion: ‘UTI’ an overused diagnosis in the era of the microbiome – ACP Hospitalist (free)
9- Technology: Wanted: a WhatsApp alternative for clinicians – The BMJ Opinion (free)
10 – Breast Biopsy Intensity and Findings Following Breast Cancer Screening in Women With and Without a Personal History of Breast Cancer – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Breast MRIs may lead to more biopsies that catch fewer cancers – Reuters (free) AND MRI-Based Breast Screening Leads to More Biopsies, Lower Cancer Yields – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Wed, February 21 – 10 Stories of The Day!
21 Feb, 2018 | 01:20h | UTC
1 – Clinical Guidelines Synopsis: Management of ARDS in Adults – JAMA (free)
Related Review: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment – JAMA (free)
Commentaries: European experts release guidelines about high-altitude exposure for cardiovascular patients – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND A trip to the mountains despite a heart condition? – Eurac Research, via ScienceDaily (free)
Commentaries: Alcohol and dementia: a complex relationship with potential for dementia prevention – The Lancet Public Health (free) AND Expert reaction to study looking at alcohol use disorders and dementia risk – Science Media Centre (free) AND Heavy Drinking Tied to Early-Onset Dementia in French Study – MedPage Today (free registration required)
“Of 57,000 people diagnosed before age 65 with early-onset dementia, 39% had alcohol-related dementia by definition, and 18% had an additional diagnosis of alcohol use disorders” (via @medpagetoday see Tweet)
4 – Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Low-Carb And Low-Fat Diets Battle To A Draw – Cardiobrief (free) AND Matching DNA to a diet doesn’t work: ‘We didn’t even come close,’ researcher says – STAT (free) AND Counting Calories Is Not the Key to Weight Loss, New Study Finds – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Debating low-fat vs low-carb diets? New study found a draw – Scope (free)
Prophylactic haloperidol in this population with elevated risk of delirium did not reduce mortality or any of the 15 prespecified secondary outcomes, including delirium incidence, 28-day delirium-free and coma-free days, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU and hospital length of stay.
6 – Review: Adverse pregnancy outcomes and future maternal cardiovascular disease – Clinical Cardiology (free)
7 – Update on Diabetic Nephropathy: Core Curriculum 2018 – American Journal of Kidney Diseases (free)
8 – Avoid common mistakes when treating hyponatremia – ACP Hospitalist (free)
9 – Analysis: How many lives are at stake? Assessing 2030 sustainable development goal trajectories for maternal and child health – The BMJ (free)
Related review: Countdown to 2030: tracking progress towards universal coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health – The Lancet (free registration required)
10 – Real-time continuous glucose monitoring in adults with type 1 diabetes and impaired hypoglycaemia awareness or severe hypoglycaemia treated with multiple daily insulin injections (HypoDE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
The mean number of hypoglycemic events per 28 days was reduced from 10.8 to 3.5 among patients in the continuous glucose monitoring group and from 14.4 to 13.7 among control group participants.
Tue, February 20 – 10 Stories of The Day!
20 Feb, 2018 | 01:28h | UTC
2 – Hydroxychloroquine Effectiveness in Reducing Symptoms of Hand Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Trial – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Hydroxychloroquine no more effective than placebo for relieving osteoarthritis hand pain – American College of Physicians, via EurekAlert (free)
4 – Short-Term Versus Long-Term Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Elderly Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant Data From 6 Randomized Trials – JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Duration in Elderly Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Short-term Dual Antiplatelet Therapy was not associated with increased risk of ischemic events in elderly patients and was associated with a significant reduction in major bleeding.
Related guideline: Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline – Journal of Clinical Oncology (free)
6 – Opinion: Stories about tragic flu deaths wrongly portray Tamiflu as a panacea – HealthNewsReview (free)
Related: Tamiflu and Relenza: getting the full evidence picture – Cochrane Library (free)
“The review confirms small benefits on symptom relief, namely shortening duration of symptoms by half a day on average. However, there is little evidence to support any belief that use of NIs reduces hospital admission or the risk of developing confirmed pneumonia”. (from Cochrane)
7 – Risk of Recurrent Disease and Surgery Following an Admission for Acute Diverticulitis – Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Which Patients with Diverticulitis Require Surgery? – Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, via NewsWise (free)
In this large cohort of 65,162 patients identified with a first episode of acute diverticulitis, younger patients, women, smokers, obese individuals, and those who had diverticulitis with perforation and/or abscess were more likely to develop recurrent diverticulitis.
8 – Richard Lehman’s journal reviews, 19 February 2018 – The BMJ Opinion (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
9 – Review: Anaphylaxis – Chest (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
“Aside from the rare extra-pulmonary manifestations of mycoplasma (e.g., rashes, hemolysis, neurologic complications), do any of the many causes of pneumonia have distinctive clinical presentations? Probably not”. (via @PaulSaxMD see Tweet)
Fri, February 16 – 10 Stories of The Day!
16 Feb, 2018 | 00:01h | UTC
News release: Individualized, supportive care key to positive childbirth experience, says WHO (free)
Commentary: Give women more time to give birth, make choices – WHO – Reuters (free)
Commentary: Fecal transplants move into the mainstream to treat difficult infection – STAT (free)
3 – Outcomes after Angiography with Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetylcysteine – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: No benefit of sodium bicarbonate or acetylcysteine for prevention of complications after angiography: The PRESERVE trial – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Outcomes after Angiography with Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetylcysteine – NEJM Resident 360 (free)
“Among patients at high risk for renal complications who were undergoing angiography, there was no benefit of intravenous sodium bicarbonate over intravenous sodium chloride or of oral acetylcysteine over placebo for the prevention of death, need for dialysis, or persistent decline in kidney function at 90 days or for the prevention of contrast-associated acute kidney injury”.
4 – Review: Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease – Journal of the American Heart Association (free for a limited period)
Editorial: Ultra-processed foods and cancer (free)
Commentaries: ‘Ultra-processed’ foods and cancer: Headlines show the right way, and the wrong way, to frame results from an observational study – HealthNewsReview (free) AND Expert reaction to study looking at highly processed foods and cancer – Science Media Centre (free)
6 – Edoxaban for the Treatment of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: Edoxaban for Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism (free)
Commentaries: Edoxaban Noninferior to Dalteparin for Cancer-Associated VTE – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Oral Edoxaban Noninferior to Dalteparin for Cancer-Related Venous Thromboembolism – Cardiology Advisor (free)
Commentaries: Premature mortality in single fathers – The Lancet Public Health (free) AND Single fathers have highest risk of early death – OnMedica (free) AND Single Fathers Are More Likely to Die Early, Study Says – TIME (free)
Commentaries: Congenital heart defects linked to increased risk of dementia – American Heart Association News (free) AND Adult Survivors of Congenital Heart Disease at Increased Risk of Dementia – TCTMD (free)
Commentary: Genetic Risk Score May Best FH Variant for Predicting Early-Onset CAD – Medscape (free registration required)
“Another study suggests CAD will soon be predicted not by 1 gene (like FH) but groups of genes that can be combined into risk scores” (via @drjohnm see Tweet)
10 – Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Addition to Antiplatelet Therapy for Secondary Prevention After Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Could NOACs Have a Role for Secondary Prevention After STEMI? – TCTMD (free) AND Meta-Analysis: ACS Type Matters for DOAC Use in Secondary Prevention – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Adding DOACs Beneficial for STEMI — Not Non-STEMI — But with Bleeding Risk – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“63 STEMI patients would need to receive a DOAC to prevent one cardiovascular event, while 96 would need to be treated to cause one major bleeding event”. (from Physician’s First Watch)
Wed, February 14 – 10 Stories of The Day!
14 Feb, 2018 | 00:01h | UTC
1 – Family Planning – A global handbook for providers: 2018 edition – World Health Organization (free)
News release: Updated and expanded guidance for family planning providers worldwide (free)
2 – Guideline: Antiarrhythmic drugs–clinical use and clinical decision making: a consensus document from EHRA, ESC, HRS, APHRS and ISCP (free)
Source: Antiarrhythmics: multinational consensus recommendations – Univadis (free registration required)
3 – Screening for Ovarian Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement – JAMA (free)
Editorials: Screening for Ovarian Cancer in Asymptomatic Women (free) AND The Yet Unrealized Promise of Ovarian Cancer Screening (free) AND Is There a Future for Ovarian Cancer Screening? (free)
Author interview: USPSTF Recommendation: Screening for Ovarian Cancer (free audio)
“The USPSTF recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women. (D recommendation) This recommendation applies to asymptomatic women who are not known to have a high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome”.
Commentaries: Risk of Psychotic Experiences Up With Teen Cannabis Use – Physician’s Briefing (free) AND Teen Pot Use Linked to Increased Risk for Psychotic Episodes – MedPage Today (free registration required)
5 – Randomized Trial of Dexamethasone Versus Prednisone for Children with Acute Asthma Exacerbations – The Journal of Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Asthma Exacerbation in Kids: A Trial of Two Steroids – Medscape (free registration required)
Related meta-analysis: Dexamethasone for Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Children: A Meta-analysis – Pediatrics (free PDF)
Related study in adults: A Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial of Single Dose of Oral Dexamethasone Versus 5 Days of Oral Prednisone in Acute Adult Asthma – Annals of Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Commentary: Single Dose Dexamethasone or 5 Days of Prednisone in Adult Asthmatics? – R.E.B.E.L.EM commentary (free full-text)
“Apalutamide improves castration resistant prostate CA survival compared with… placebo. Why wasn’t it compared w bicalutamide?” (via @RichardLehman1 see Tweet). See Richard Lehman’s point of view
7 – In Sweeping War on Obesity, Chile Slays Tony the Tiger – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
See report: Operational Framework for Strengthening Human, Animal And Environmental Public Health Systems At Their Interface – The World Bank (free PDF)
Related review: The science behind One Health: at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (free)
9 – Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older people admitted to a surgical service – Cochrane Library (free)
Summary: Does special assessment of older people getting surgery improve their recovery after surgery? – Cochrane Library (free)
Commentaries: Study reveals substantial impact of chronic diseases on cancer risk – eCancer News (free) AND Chronic Disease Linked To Increased Risk of Cancer and Cancer Death – MedicalResearch.com (free) AND Double Trouble: These Diseases Could Raise Your Risk for Cancer – Live Science (free) AND Higher cancer risk from chronic diseases – OnMedica (free)
Tue, February 13 – 10 Stories of The Day!
13 Feb, 2018 | 00:59h | UTC
1 – Delayed umbilical cord clamping reduces hospital mortality for preterm infants – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Delayed vs early umbilical cord clamping for preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis – American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (free)
2 – Effect of early and systematic integration of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer: a randomised controlled trial – The Lancet Oncology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Early Integration of Palliative Care Improves Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer – Oncology Nurse Advisor (free)
Related Guideline: Integration of Palliative Care Into Standard Oncology Care: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update (free) AND Commentary: Concurrent Palliative Care: Recommendations From the ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline – The ASCO Post (free)
3 – Infographic: ATLS Trauma Update 2018 (free) (via @CritCareReviews)
4 – The Hypertension Guideline War Is Not A Fake War – Cardiobrief (free)
Related: The Fake Hypertension War: Medical politics and mud fights – MedPage Today (free registration required)
5 – Overtesting and undertesting in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis – BMJ Open (free) (via @JackOSullivan3 and @KariTikkinen)
6 – Opinion: Heart Stents Are Useless for Most Stable Patients. They’re Still Widely Used – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
7 – State of The Art Review: The role of robotics in colorectal surgery – The BMJ (free for a limited period)
8 – Richard Lehman’s journal reviews, 12 February 2018 – The BMJ Opinion (free)
Richard Lehman reviews the latest research in the top medical journals.
“Trimethoprim is associated with a greater risk of acute kidney injury and hyperkalaemia compared with other antibiotics used to treat UTIs, but not a greater risk of death”
10 – FIGO consensus guidelines on placenta accreta spectrum disorders – International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics
– Introduction (free)
– Epidemiology (free)
– Prenatal Diagnosis and Screening (free)
– Nonconservative surgical management (free)
Thu, February 15 – 10 Stories of The Day!
15 Feb, 2018 | 01:35h | UTC
A fractional dose containing one fifth of the standard dose was effective at inducing seroconversion, supporting the use of fractional-dose vaccination for outbreak control.
3 – Medical News & Perspectives: Do All Patients Need β-Blockers After a Heart Attack? – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Commentary: New Guidelines for Treating Checkpoint Inhibitor Toxicities – Medscape (free registration required)
Relate guideline: Managing toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: consensus recommendations from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Toxicity Management Working Group (free) AND Review: New drugs, new toxicities: severe side effects of modern targeted and immunotherapy of cancer and their management – Critical Care (free)
6 – Uterine Neoplasms, Version 1.2018, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (free)
7 – New Dutch law to make all adults organ donors unless they opt out – CNN (free) AND Every Adult in This Country Is Now an Organ Donor Unless They Opt Out – TIME (free) AND Dutch law to make everyone organ donors unless they opt out – ABC News (free)
8 – Benefits and Harms of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Chronic Painful Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Mild shock therapy may ease anxiety and depression, but not chronic pain – Reuters (free) AND Jury Still Out on CES for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, Insomnia – Medscape (free registration required)
9 – Opioid Analgesic Use and Risk for Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases: A Nested Case–Control Study – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Opioids may be associated with increased risk for serious invasive pneumococcal infections – ACP Internist (free) AND Opioids For Pain Can Exacerbate Pneumococcal Infections – MedicalResearch.com (free) AND Prescription Opioid Use Tied to Higher Pneumonia Risk – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Commentaries: Surgical site infection—the next frontier in global surgery – The Lancet Infectious Diseases (free) AND Poor nations have higher risk of surgical infections, including resistant ones – CIDRAP (free)