Internal Medicine News

Attendings in the PICU 24/7 OK With Fellows

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:05:23 EST

Continuous in-house attending coverage in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) does not get in the way of the autonomy or education of pediatric critical care fellows.

Deep Brain Stimulation Strengthens Memory

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:06:46 EST

A new study finds stimulation of the entorhinal region during learning enhances spatial memory.

Court Overturns Georgia Law Limiting Assisted Suicide

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:59:06 EST

The ruling means that criminal felony charges will be dropped against 84-year-old retired anesthesiologist Lawrence Egbert, MD.

Protein Biomarker May Distinguish ICH From Ischemic Stroke

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:50:51 EST

The test might eventually be applied at point-of-care to help triage patients for treatment.

Tai Chi Improves Balance, Reduces Falls in Parkinson's

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:29:27 EST

In a randomized trial, tai chi in improved balance and function over resistance training and stretching, and also reduced falls in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Four Simple Questions May Identify Mild Cognitive Impairment

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:12:44 EST

Four simple questions may help clinicians distinguish patients with normal age-related memory loss from those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Cyberknife Surgery Another Option for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:02:16 EST

Cyberknife radiosurgery gave partial or complete relief to 14 of 16 patients with trigeminal neuralgia and may be a viable alternative to more invasive treatment.

Combination Cosmetic Surgeries, General Anesthesia Drive AEs

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:08:31 EST

General anesthesia, liposuction, and combination surgery account for disproportionally more adverse events in office-based surgery.

Listening to Music Soothes Patients on Ventilators

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 10:52:35 EST

Patients on mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure had greatly reduced anxiety levels when listening to the music of their choice.

Obesity Is Associated With Urinary Tract Infections

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 10:38:40 EST

Obesity is a risk factor for upper and lower urinary tract infections in both men and women.

Bisphosphonates Raise Contralateral Atypical Fracture Risk

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:36:28 EST

A study of atypical femur fractures shows an increase in contralateral fractures in patients continuing bisphosphonates.

Honesty Is a Sometimes Policy for Many Physicians

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 20:06:21 EST

One in 10 physicians reports having lied to a patient within the previous 12 months; 1 in 5 did not fully disclose a medical mistake because they feared a lawsuit, according to a new study.

Blood Test May Accurately Determine Depression Status

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 18:27:19 EST

A multi-assay blood test can accurately distinguish patients with major depression from their healthy counterparts.

Apixaban Superior for AF Patients With Previous Stroke, TIA

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 17:30:19 EST

Substudies of the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES trials have found that apixaban is safe and effective for patients with previous events vs warfarin and aspirin, respectively.

New DRAGON Score Predicts Ischemic Stroke Outcome

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 16:51:00 EST

The easy-to-use score is showing promise and winning early praise, but is 1 of several such methods recently reported.

Eye Docs Have More Pain Than Family Medicine Physicians

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:23:23 EST

Eye care physicians are at particular risk for hand/wrist, neck, and lower back pain compared with family medicine physicians. Several job factors contribute to their musculoskeletal symptoms.

Exposed Healthcare Staff May Still Need Pertussis Prophylaxis

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:16:49 EST

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices now recommends post-exposure prophylaxis for healthcare personnel vaccinated with acellular pertussis vaccine and are exposed to an infected patient.

Antinuclear Antibodies Common in the US

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:11:47 EST

Roughly one in seven U.S. adults has antinuclear antibodies (ANA), researchers report.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Does Not Recur After Later Vaccines

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:07:03 EST

A new study finds that people who have been diagnosed with Guillain- Barre syndrome do not experience any flare-ups after subsequent vaccinations.

More Alcohol Abuse, Less Drug Abuse Among College Students

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:55:20 EST

U.S. college students seeking substance abuse treatment are more likely to be having trouble with alcohol but less likely to be abusing drugs like heroin or cocaine than their non-student peers.