Table of Contents
From the Editor
- The tests that we order define us
In practice we balance the inputs from Watson, “Dr. Google,” our experience, and the specific data from the patient.
The Clinical Picture
- Flu or strep? Rapid tests can mislead
Group A streptococci are common colonizers with viral pharyngitis.
- Norwegian scabies
Norwegian scabies is extremely contagious, and outbreaks can spread in institutions.
1-Minute Consult
- Does early repolarization on ECG increase the risk of cardiac death in healthy people?
No. In patients without symptoms, early repolarization is nearly always a benign incidental finding.
Review
- Three neglected numbers in the CBC: The RDW, MPV, and NRBC count
These values have diagnostic utility and potential prognostic significance.
- Human papillomavirus in 2019: An update on cervical cancer prevention and screening guidelines
Recommendations on counseling, vaccination, screening, and follow-up for abnormal screening results.
- Assessing liver fibrosis without biopsy in patients with HCV or NAFLD
Biopsy is still the gold standard, but methods based on clinical information and on imaging are emerging.
Symptoms to Diagnosis
- A paraneoplastic potassium and acid-base disturbance
A 55-year-old smoker with COPD presents with malaise, paresthesias, and severe hypertension. What is the cause?
Review
- Laboratory tests in rheumatology: A rational approach
Negative results are not always reassuring, and false-positive results pose risks.
Departments
- Hypertension guidelines January 2019
The article Aleyadeh W, Hutt-Centeno E, Ahmed HM, Shah NP. Hypertension guidelines: treat patients, not numbers. Cleve Clin J Med 2019; 86(1):47–56. doi:10.3949/ccjm.86a.18027 contained an error.
Commentary
Large-scale cancer screening programs have the unintended consequences of false-positive results and overdiagnosis.