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.
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.
- 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.
- Is glucosamine an effective treatment for osteoarthritic pain?
Glucosamine shows promise, but studies had flaws that render much of the data inconclusive.
When should digoxin be used in patients with diastolic dysfunction?Treatment with digoxin must be individualized.
- 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.