Internal Medicine Alert – December 30, 2011
December 30, 2011
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MOTIVE-ation!
Behavioral therapy works as well as drug treatment for male overactive bladder. -
Is Ambulatory BP Monitoring Needed for the Accurate Diagnosis of High BP?
The use of ambulatory blood pressure (BP)monitoring as a diagnostic strategy for the diagnosis of hypertension after finding an initial raised BP reading in the doctor's office would reduce misdiagnosis. The additional costs of ambulatory monitoring are counterbalanced by cost savings from better targeted therapy and, therefore, ambulatory monitoring is recommended for most patients before the start of antihypertensive drug therapy. -
What is the Healthiest Systolic Blood Pressure Range for Patients After an Ischemic Stroke?
A post-stroke analysis of more than 20,000 patients in 35 countries showed that the lowest risk systolic blood pressure (BP) range is 130-139 mmHg. There is a J-shaped curve of risk with an increase in recurrent stroke among patients with a systolic BP below 120 mmHg and above 140 mmHg. -
Zolpidem Tartrate Sublingual Tablets (Intermezzo®) CIV
A low-dose sublingual formulation of Zolpidem has been approved by the FDA for the management of middle-of-the-night (MOTN) awakening. Zolpidem, marketed as Ambien, was originally approved in 1992. The new formulation is marketed by Transcept Pharmaceuticals as Intermezzo. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
The toxicity associated with intestinal habitation by Clostridium difficile ranges from asymptomatic colonization to life-threatening infection. In the United States, C. difficile is the most common cause of health care-associated diarrhea.