Table of Contents
From the Editor
- Bioterrorism: An unintended boost to public health?
If anything good comes of recent events, it might be rejuvination of America’s public health system, which has languished in recent years.
The Clinical Picture
- A 62-year-old man with an abnormal electrocardiogram
Questions and answers on the visible signs of diseases.
Review
Our new understanding of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: What an internist needs to knowRecent advances point to a defect in granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as a cause of this disease. New treatments are under study.
1-Minute Consult
When should central venous catheters be changed in the intensive care unit? Should there be a rigid time-based protocol for doing so?The decision is made case by case rather than on a time-based protocol. Proactive strategies can reduce the risk of infection.
Editorial
- Bioterrorism: What practicing physicians can do
Given the specter of biological terrorism, the medical system has much to learn and much to do to prepare.
Review
- Biological and chemical terrorism: Recognition and management
Future terrorist attacks might involve a variety of chemical or biological agents, including nerve agents, blistering agents, hydrogen cyanide, ricin, anthrax, smallpox, plague, and botulinum toxin. Physicians are on the front line.
Interpreting Key Trials
- GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in coronary artery disease management: What the latest trials tell us
Recent trials addressed whether there are clinical differences among these drugs, whether their empiric use is justified in acute coronary syndromes, and whether they might allow for early invasive management in acute coronary syndromes.
