Latest Articles
Do patients with total joint replacements need antibiotics before dental work?Opinions vary, but I recommend an antibiotic for patients with prosthetic joints who have rheumatoid arthritis or other risk factors before dental procedures known to induce bleeding.
- Using BNP to diagnose, manage, and treat heart failure
The BNP assay can help guide treatment from diagnosis to hospital discharge. Synthetic BNP is an important new drug.
- Physician cultural competence: Cross-cultural communication improves care
Your patients culture makes a difference in his or her care—and so does your own.
DXA scanning to diagnose osteoporosis: Do you know what the results mean?Behind the numbers on the report lurk many opportunities for error, and the results depend on the operator and scanner used.
- Preventing kidney failure: Primary care physicians must intervene earlier
Five simple questions can help one to intervene early and effectively, using just a few minutes of an office visit.
- Initial Findings of the AASK
In a major study, an ACE inhibitor slowed the decline of renal function better than a calcium channel blocker.
- Practical tips for warfarin dosing and monitoring
Patients on warfarin walk a tightrope between bleeding and clotting—and a hundred things can tip the balance.
- Antibiotic prophylaxis: Is prevention always worth the cost and risk?
When hard data are lacking we err on the side of caution and consensus.
