More articles from From the editor
- The gift of lasting immunity
Measles vaccine–induced immunity, although not necessarily lifelong for all individuals, is quite durable.
- Psychedelics in the medical toolbox?
Given the historical association of psychedelics as “recreational” mind-altering compounds within countercultures of the 1960s and 1970s, their current introduction into several aspects of medical practice is a surprise to many.
- All sulfa drugs are not created equal
Misinformation about “sulfa allergy” can result in unnecessary avoidance of useful medications and the prescription of less effective alternatives.
- Treating the thyroid: Trust the feedback loop
Studies show that, when testing to detect or monitor thyroid dysfunction, we order more free T3 and T4 levels than are necessary. We apparently should trust the thyroid-stimulating hormone feedback loop more than we do.
- Sleep is like Rodney Dangerfield
Sleep quantity (and, in some cases, quality) has been shown to impact memory and learning, mood, appetite, and pain, yet many patients and clinicians do not give sleep the respect it deserves.
- The causes of vascular insufficiency and Hickam vs Ockham
Is our reflexive search for a single explanatory diagnosis always reasonable and warranted—or is it truly “just” an academic intellectual exercise?
- It’s time for a little history of medicine—introducing a new feature in CCJM
This month, we debut a feature focused on topics in the history of medicine, authored by Cleveland Clinic rheumatologist Adam Brown, MD.
- Continuous glucose monitoring: High-tech devices still need some low-tech backup
High-end devices that monitor patients’ physiology offer many benefits, but device malfunctions and disruptions are not rare events.
- Abdominal pain without physical findings is not always without physical cause
Mesenteric ischemia is a serious clinical entity characterized by a disconnect between the patient’s symptoms and the physical examination.
- Foxglove, not quite gone or forgotten
Digoxin use has waned dramatically over the past decades, with good reason, but for select patients, it may be a very reasonable option.