Table of Contents
From the Editor
- ‘Blood will have blood’
Why should more patients die when hemoglobin levels are normalized with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents? It could be another case of “messing with Mother Nature.”
Review
- Perioperative management of bariatric surgery patients: Focus on metabolic bone disease
Obese people are at risk of low bone mass to begin with, and bariatric surgery increases the risk. Primary care physicians play an important role in their preventive care.
The Clinical Picture
- Acute facial purpura in an 82-year-old woman with a respiratory tract infection
The lesions appeared suddenly and spontaneously and were not associated with trauma. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Current Drug Therapy
- Anemia of chronic kidney disease: When normalcy becomes undesirable
Several recent studies indicate that raising hemoglobin levels to the normal range with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents can be too much of a good thing, and the US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning on the use of these drugs in renal disease.
Editorial
- How safe are erythropoiesis-stimulating agents?
The year 2007 was a rough one for these agents, and the story is far from over.
Cardiovascular Board Review
An elderly woman with shortness of breathHer dyspnea started about 6 months ago and has recently worsened. What is the cause?
Medical Grand Rounds
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: 2008 Update
This is one of the few hematologic emergencies. Untreated, most patients die, but prompt treatment allows most patients not only to survive but to recover.
Imaging in Practice
- The painful knee: Choosing the right imaging test
The initial evaluation of acute knee pain should include plain radiography, but computed tomography is the test of choice for fractures, and magnetic resonance imaging is useful for evaluating the cartilage, menisci, and ligaments.
Interpreting Key Trials
- The Women’s Health Initiative: Implications for clinicians
Postmenopausal women who were randomized to follow a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and grains did not have significantly lower rates of breast cancer, colon cancer, or cardiovascular disease. However, a long-term follow-up study is under way. What have we learned, and what are the implications for clinical practice?
