Table of Contents
From the Editor
- And then there were none? An internist’s reflections
In this issue, Dr. Thomas Lansdale eloquently expresses a common theme: medicine just isn’t that much fun anymore. We’d like to hear some solutions.
Review
Eosinophilic esophagitis: An increasingly recognized cause of dysphagia, food impaction, and refractory heartburnThis disease, which was not described as a distinct clinical entity until 1993, may be due to allergic and immune-mediated mechanisms similar to those of asthma and other atopic diseases.
The Clinical Picture
- A 51-year-old man with nodular lesions
He presents with a 1-year history of episodic pain, swelling, and stiffness in some of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of his fingers. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Review
- New asthma guidelines emphasize control, regular monitoring
The goal of asthma therapy is to achieve control, thereby reducing current impairment and future risk. Asthma control can be assessed serially by using validated instruments.
Current Drug Therapy
- Perioperative statins: More than lipid-lowering?
Soon, the checklist for internists seeing patients about to undergo surgery may include prescribing one of the lipid-lowering drugs called statins.
Review
- What is the proper workup of a patient with hypertension?
If we were to launch an intensive workup for every patient with high blood pressure, the cost and effort would be enormous. Fortunately, accurate blood pressure measurement, a focused history and physical examination, and a handful of basic tests are often enough.
Im Board Review
- A case of refractory diarrhea
She has a history of irritable bowel syndrome, but could it be something more? A self-test on a clinical case.
Commentary
After 23 years in hospital medicine, a department chairman and clinician-educator calls it quits.