More articles from 1-Minute consult
- Should midodrine be used as an intravenous vasopressor-sparing agent in septic shock?
Research and robust data are still lacking regarding use of midodrine in this setting.
- Should you use compression duplex ultrasonography to detect deep vein thrombosis to evaluate unexplained fevers?
The authors provide recommendations on when to order imaging of the extremities in the evaluation of hospitalized patients with unexplained fever.
- What is the most appropriate management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure who develop in-hospital hypotension?
The authors offer a tailored approach to risk-stratification in these patients that focuses on early recognition and management of symptomatic and clinically significant hypotension.
- Should I consider metformin therapy for weight loss in patients with obesity but without diabetes?
The authors appraise the evidence to date for weight loss with metformin in this patient population.
- If a patient has cirrhosis, should I correct coagulation abnormalities before a minor invasive procedure?
Hemostatic abnormalities in cirrhosis can include thrombocytopenia, prolonged prothrombin time, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, elevated international normalized ratio, and decreased fibrinogen.
- When should pharmacologic therapies be used for uremic pericarditis?
If symptoms return or fail to improve with renal replacement therapy, drug therapy may be considered.
- Getting to the root of the problem: Should my patient receive antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis?
Individual risk depends on inherent patient and procedural risk factors. The authors offer practical points to aid decision-making.
- How do I diagnose and treat my patient’s amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis?
Differentiating type 1 from type 2 amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis requires serologic testing, color Doppler ultrasonography, and radioisotope studies, and influences the choice of treatment.
- Celiac disease: Who should I test, and how?
First-degree relatives of patients with celiac disease and patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune thyroid disease are among those for whom testing is advisable.
- Should urine antigen testing for Legionella pneumophila be ordered for all hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia?
Testing is recommended if the pneumonia is severe, if there has been recent travel, and if there is currently an outbreak of legionnaires disease.