topic
- Opioids for persistent pain in older adults
Legitimate need must be balanced against the risks, especially in older patients.
A guide to managing acute liver failureTransfer to intensive care, start specific treatment depending on the cause, and consider transplant.
- Dietary and medical management of recurrent nephrolithiasis
Some interventions, such as increasing fl uid intake, apply to all patients, while some apply to those with specifi c types of stones.
- Predicting is tough, especially about the future
All risk calculators—not just for anticoagulation—are based on the “average” patient. And no patient is average.
- Allergen-specific IgE serologic assays define sensitization, not disease (January 2016)
A reader comments on serum IgE testing for allergy (January 2016).
- Hordeolum: Acute abscess within an eyelid sebaceous gland
Chalazion and hordeolum are similar in appearance and often confused.
- This is not an acute coronary syndrome
Stress cardiomyopathy—broken heart syndrome—typically affects older women exposed to a stressful life event.
- Epiglottic cysts in clinical practice
If the cysts are symptomatic, patients describe nonspecific pharyngeal discomfort or a foreign-body sensation.
- Measles: Back again
The disease is serious and highly contagious. Vaccination is safe and should be strongly promoted for healthy children.
- How can I predict bleeding in my elderly patient taking anticoagulants?
We have tools, but their predictive value is modest. Clinical judgment is important.