Table of Contents
From the Editor
- From emerging viruses to cardiovascular disease: Preventive measures matter
Simple things can head off trouble later.
Editorial
- Whither arthroscopic treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee?
In a randomized trial, sham arthroscopy was as effective as real arthroscopy. TTris should remind us that we don’t know everything about osteoarthritis.
Review
- When to wean from a ventilator: An evidence-based strategy
Our algorithm for determining when and how to wean a patient from ventilation.
Interpreting Key Trials
- A Perspective on the study of Moseley et al
A provocative study suggests that arthroscopy for osteoarthritis of the knee provides subjective pain relief via a placebo effect.
Infectious Disease Update
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): Update on a moving target
A brief summary of what we know about SARS to date and web sites to get daily authoritative updates.
Im Board Review
- A 51-year-old woman with debilitating cramps 12 years after bariatric surgery
The patient has lost 400 pounds, but now she cannot walk. What is the cause?
Medical Grand Rounds
- Aggressive treatment of atherosclerosis: The time is now
Too often, we treat the ischemia but ignore the atherosclerosis. A systematic approach is needed.
Review
- Fecal incontinence in elderly patients: Common, treatable, yet often undiagnosed
We should take this problem seriously. Many times it is treatable.
Medical Grand Rounds
- West Nile fever: Lessons from the 2002 season
How to diagnose West Nile fever more quickly and recognize a rare polio-like syndrome it causes. Treatment remains problematic.
Patient Information
Review
- New guidelines for occupational exposure to blood-borne viruses
New guidelines from the US Public Health Service deal with exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
- Clopidogrel and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: No clear case for causality
Current evidence neither establishes nor refutes a causal relationship between the drug and this potentially fatal disorder.
Heart Valve Update
Calcific aortic stenosis: Another face of atherosclerosis?Calcific aortic stenosis has a lot in common with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Can lipid-lowering statin drugs prevent and treat it?
