Internal Medicine Alert – January 15, 2010
January 15, 2010
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The Shaker's a Heartbreaker
High salt intake is associated with increased risk of stroke and heart disease. -
Fatigue Follow-up
After 1 year, fewer than half of patients presenting with fatigue will have a diagnosis. -
Lemierre's Syndrome and Pharyngitis
Fusobacterium necrophorum causes pharyngitis just as often as group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus in adolescents and young adults, and can result in the life-threatening Lemierre's syndrome. Macrolides should be avoided when this pathogen is suspected. -
Capsaicin Patch 8% (Qutenza™)
The FDA has approved capsaicin in a high-concentration, matrix-formulated dermal patch. It is designed to deliver a therapeutic dose into the skin during a 60-minute application. Capsaicin patch is marketed by NeurogesX, Inc., as Qutenza™ -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Based upon a presumed direct relationship with LDL lowering and reduction in CV events for persons with vasculopathy, many clinicians enthusiastically embraced the combination of ezetimibe with statins, especially when therapeutic LDL goals were difficult to attain with a statin alone. -
ECG Review: Periodic Weakness?
The ECG above was obtained from a 24-year-old man with episodes of marked periodic weakness. He was otherwise healthy. What does the ECG suggest as a contributing cause of his symptoms? What disorder might the patient have? -
Pharmacology Watch
Statin and niacin increase HDL-C, omeprazole reduces effectiveness of clopidogrel, darbe-poetin increases risk of stroke, statins decrease risk of gallstone disease, FDA Actions.