Internal Medicine Alert – June 30, 2012
June 30, 2012
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Looks Like the Ear Lobe Crease is Here to Stay
In this study of patients imaged with CT angiography, finding of the presence of diagonal earlobe creases was independently and significantly associated with increased prevalence, extent, and severity of coronary artery disease. -
Use With Caution — Dangers of Common Antibiotics
Dangers of antibiotics are well known and recent research brings to light new dangers of commonly used medications. Five days of azithromycin results in 47 additional deaths from cardiovascular disease compared with amoxicillin and no antibiotic. One out of 2500 patients treated with a fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and norfloxacin) suffer a retinal detachment. These antibiotics should be used only when there is a clear clinical need and with caution. -
Soda and Stroke Risk: A Pop Connection?
Two large, well-known, U.S. prospective cohort studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, evaluated both sugar-sweetened and diet (low-calorie, also called artificially sweetened) soda consumption over 20 years and found one or more daily servings to be associated with a significantly higher risk of stroke. -
Pharmacology Update: Tazarotene Foam, 0.1% (Fabior™)
The first retinoid as a topical foam has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of acne. Tazarotene is a synthetic, third-generation, polyaromatic, prodrug that binds to the retinoic acid receptors. Tazarotene is available in both gel and cream formulations. The foam is marketed by Stiefel as Fabior™. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Unless a dramatic demographic shift occurs, approximately one in four of us will reside in a long-term care facility (LTCF) during our lifetime. Among LTCF residents, 30-50% of antibiotic utilization is for urinary tract infections (UTIs), resulting in substantial expense, adverse drug reactions, and ever-growing populations of resistant bacteria.