Latest Articles
On the horizon: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removalExtracorporeal carbon dioxide removal to treat hypercapnic respiratory failure has been studied in acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and other conditions.
- Evaluation and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: A brief look at the updated guidelines
Updated guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology address the evaluation and management of reflux disease, consequences of long-term PPI therapy, and emerging therapies.
- A 60-year-old man with prostate cancer and embolic strokes
Step-by-step evaluation of a patient with stage IV prostate cancer and embolic stroke, but no history of heart valve disease, arrhythmia, or coagulopathy.
- Ignore e-cigarettes at your patient’s peril
As patients are already using these products, rather than dismiss the use of e-cigarettes, clinicians should provide accurate information to help patients make the best choices for their health.
- Should ‘daily labs’ be a quality priority in hospital medicine?
Evidence shows that unnecessary daily testing is only a minor contributor to anemia and healthcare costs for most inpatients. The effect on patient experience has not been definitively established.
- Laboratory stewardship should be a priority in every hospital
Considerations include indirect costs, downstream testing or other workup based on minor abnormalities uncovered during daily testing, and shortages in staff and supplies.
- Is your patient at risk for NAFLD?
The authors review identifying individuals at risk, treatment options founded on lifestyle modification, and when to consider referring patients to a hepatologist.
- Test ordering: Balancing the good for the many with the good for the one
Three articles this month address how we order clinical tests, one on the question of treating the patient with asymptomatic bacteriuria, the others on the advantages and disadvantages of standing orders for “daily labs” for inpatients.
- Hypophosphatemia in a patient with an eating disorder
A 32-year-old woman referred from an eating disorder treatment center reported memory difficulty, trouble concentrating, and feeling “hazy.” She was taking oral potassium phosphate 3 times daily.
- Update on pneumococcal vaccination in adults: Simpler is better
Recommendations have been updated in the hopes not only of preventing more cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, but also of making the recommendations easier to follow.
