More articles from 1-Minute consult
- When do you x-ray ankle sprains in patients with acute ankle injuries?
Many are sprained, but few are fractured.
How should patients taking the discontinued diabetes drug troglitazone be managed?The newer insulin sensitizers appear safe, but monitoring for hepatotoxicity is still warranted.
How should a patient with an isolated GGT elevation be evaluated?Given GGT’s extremely low specificity, do not get on a merry-go-round of testing when this liver enzyme is elevated.
Who should receive the Lyme disease vaccine?Even in endemic areas, not everyone needs to receive this newly released vaccine.
Should everyone over age 75 take a multivitamin?Many—perhaps most—seniors are at risk of malnutrition, but age should not be the sole criterion.
- Is there an advantage to combination therapy with ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II-receptor blockers?
Theoretic reasons and small studies suggest the two types of drugs may be useful in combination, but a definitive answer awaits the results of larger studies.
Are strict vegetarians at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency?Patients who avoid or limit animal products in their diets should be encouraged to take vitamin B12 supplements or eat fortified foods.
Should patients receive anticoagulation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation?Consider anticoagulation therapy for all patients with atrial fibrillation—intermittent or chronic—if they have risk factors for stroke.
Should a hospital without a neurologist use t-PA to treat stroke?Any hospital contemplating using t-PA to treat acute ischemic stroke should draw up a plan whereby this drug can be given promptly but safely.
In diagnosing hepatitis C, which patient needs which test?A diagnostic algorithm that takes into account the patient's baseline risk.