Table of Contents
From the Editor
- Linda Hengstler, publisher, editor, and friend, ends 14-year stint at CCJM
Under Ms. Hengstler’s guidance, the Journal has found and grown into its niche as an increasingly appreciated and widely read educational publication for the busy clinician.
Medical Grand Rounds
- Halting the progression of heart failure: Finding the optimal combination therapy
Recommendations on how to find the optimal combination of agents that can slow the progression of heart failure while minimizing side effects.
Review
- A primer on referring patients for psychotherapy
With many models of psychotherapy available, finding a good fit between therapist and patient is crucial.
Cardiovascular Board Review
A 23-year-old man with a continuous heart murmurWhat is the cause of this patient’s cardiac symptoms? A self-test.
Editorial
- Diagnosis of lupus: A glass half full
The tests will always be imperfect, but with better knowledge of how they perform, we can look at the clinical laboratory’s role in lupus diagnosis as a glass half full rather than half empty.
Review
- Tired, aching, ANA-positive: Does your patient have lupus or fibromyalgia?
Do not rely on the antinuclear antibody test to make the distinction between fibromyalgia and lupus.
1-Minute Consult
What is the best way to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis?Rapid tests are highly specific but less sensitive. Throat culture is still the gold standard.
Review
- Advances in treatment of chronic hepatitis C: ‘Pegylated’ interferons
New formulations of interferon alfa that incorporate polyethylene glycol in the drug molecule are an important advance in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
- Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis: Prompt diagnosis preserves organ function
The chief dangers from idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis— ureteral obstruction with loss of renal function, and other organ involvement—are avoidable and treatable with prompt diagnosis.
- Chronic tension-type headache: Advice for the viselike-headache patient
About 3% of people complain of daily viselike headaches without associated symptoms. Therapy consists of tricyclic antidepressants, biofeedback, and stress management, although solid data are lacking.
