Table of Contents
Medical Grand Rounds
- Primary biliary cirrhosis: Ursodiol effective, but think transplantation sooner
Ursodiol may slow the progression of primary biliary cirrhosis, but treatment is still mainly palliative, and liver transplantation is the only definitive therapy.
- Diagnosing Marfan syndrome is still based on clinical characteristics
Despite new genetic findings, the best way to diagnose Marfan syndrome is still the classic clinical findings.
Review
- Thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke: Update on the beginning of a revolution
With t-PA used to treat ischemic stroke, acute stroke is a medical emergency similar to a myocardial infarction.
- Agitated dementia: Drug vs nondrug treatment
An individualized approach to identify and treat the cause of the agitation is more effective than simply prescribing neuroleptic drugs.
- Oxygen and aerosolized drug delivery: Matching the device to the patient
The many devices for administering supplemental oxygen and aerosolized drugs allow physicians to individualize therapy, but choosing the right device presents challenges. With color illustrations showing how each device operates.
Internal Medicine Board Review
Editorial
- Alternative medicine: Underevaluated or ineffective?
Ignorance of what our patients are taking is not bliss.
The Clinical Picture
- Giant cell arteritis: Biopsy may not be diagnostic
Biopsy of suspected giant cell arteritis may he diagnostic in only 50% of cases.
Cancer Diagnosis and Management
- The high cost of terminal care: Balancing conflicting goals
In caring for patients at the end of life, physicians are often torn hy conflicting goals.
