More articles from 1-Minute Consult
- Who should receive hepatitis A vaccine?
Vaccination is recommended for overseas travelers, children, older adults, transplant recipients, patients with chronic liver disease, and others at risk.
- At what level of hyperkalemia or creatinine elevation should ACE inhibitor therapy be stopped or not started?
These drugs are a double-edged sword: they slow the decline in renal function in many patients, yet reduce renal function in some.
- Should amphetamines be added to SSRI therapy to enhance the antidepressant effect?
Despite anecdotal reports of an additive effect, no firm conclusions can be drawn.
- Should we still be using theophylline to treat asthma?
With better drugs available, theophylline has been relegated to fourth-line status.
- Should the actual or the corrected serum sodium be used to calculate the anion gap in diabetic ketoacidosis?
The two values have different uses: use the measured value to calculate the anion gap and the corrected value to assess dehydration.
- Does salmeterol increase mortality in patients with COPD?
Salmeterol is safe and FDA-approved, but it should be used only as part of a total program that includes education, smoking cessation, oxygen supplementation, and rehabilitation.
- How should hyperuricemia be treated in a patient with allopurinol hypersensitivity?
If other methods of lowering uric acid fail, desensitization to allopurinol is an option but poses serious risks.
- When should digoxin be used in patients with diastolic dysfunction?
Treatment with digoxin must be individualized.
- Is glucosamine an effective treatment for osteoarthritic pain?
Glucosamine shows promise, but studies had flaws that render much of the data inconclusive.
- Should patients with severe heart failure be treated with beta-blockers?
A recent major trial showed that a beta-blocker can indeed be beneficial in severe heart failure, if used cautiously.