Table of Contents
From the Editor
- Hot flashes: Statistics and common sense
In evidence-based medicine, after weighing the data, we still have to apply common sense—and include the patient in the decision-making process.
Review
- Spinal tuberculosis deserves a place on the radar screen
There is no cause for complacency about tuberculosis. Spinal involvement may be the first manifestation.
Current Drug Therapy
The promise of targeted therapy: Cancer drugs become more specificCancer therapy is getting smarter, with new drugs that act specifically against cancer cells.
Review
- A strategy to decrease the use of risky drugs in the elderly
Some medications are best avoided in elderly patients— and pharmacists can help physicians avoid them. We discuss our experience with reducing the use of three medications: meperidine, diphenhydramine, and amitriptyline.
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: Recent data on incidence and treatment
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is more common than previously thought. Cirrhotic patients with ascites are particularly susceptible. When it is discovered, something must be done quickly.
- Treatment options for menopausal hot flashes
Alternatives to hormone therapy exist, but none is as effective as hormone therapy, and none is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for this purpose.
Patient Information
Editorial
- The sports physical: One-on-one is OK; one-on-300 is not
Too many of the 8 million young athletes in the United States will undergo a preparticipation physical examination that is too cursory to be of much use.
Review
- What kind of physical examination does a young athlete need before participating in sports?
Recommendations exist for preparticipation physical examinations, but there is no national standard, and the recommendations are not widely followed.
