Browse Clinical Articles by Topic

Cellular Tests Are Not Accurate for Diagnosing Lyme Disease

A prospective case-control study from the Netherlands evaluated three cellular tests for diagnosing Lyme disease. All three had low specificity compared to serological testing, leading to an unacceptably high number of false-positive results.

Boosting with the New Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made recommendations for the use of the newly approved bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Antibiotic Resistance: We Were Doing Great and then COVID Happened

After improvement, antimicrobial resistance in the United States significantly increased.

Self-Managed Abortion: A Guide to Harm Reduction and Patient-Centered Care

Even before the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, access to safe, legal abortion within the formal healthcare system was increasingly restricted. In this context, patients may turn to self-managed abortion (SMA). Clinicians should understand the course of SMA, including its overall safety, rare complications, and potential legal risks to patients.

Utility of the Simplified Bishop Score in Trial of Labor After Cesarean Success

This study demonstrated that a higher likelihood of vaginal birth after cesarean was associated with a favorable simplified Bishop score on admission. This emphasizes the need for delaying patient counseling on the choice of trial of labor after cesarean delivery until the end of pregnancy to incorporate the cervical exam into decision-making.

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence Among Adult U.S. Women Has Increased

The updated prevalence of urinary incontinence using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data is 60% in community dwelling women, which is an increase from prior estimates.

Can Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination Protect Newborns?

In this case control study, 537 case infants younger than 6 months of age who were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 were compared to 512 control infants who were hospitalized for other reasons; 16% of the case infants and 29% of the control infants had been born to mothers who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during the pregnancy. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination against infant hospitalization for COVID-19 was 52% overall, 80% during the Delta variant period, and 38% during the Omicron variant period. Effectiveness increased when the vaccine was received after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Fraud Allegations Involving Alzheimer’s Disease Study Raise Concerns

In a paper published in 2006, the authors provided evidence indicating accumulation of a specific form of beta-amyloid protein was a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent accusations suggest images allegedly were altered, raising doubts about the initial conclusions. Regardless of what happened, this case has jumpstarted a conversation about instituting more preventive measures, conducting faster investigations into fraud allegations, and levying more severe consequences for researchers found guilty of misconduct.

Importance of Discordant Grading of Moderate Aortic Stenosis

A study of patients with moderate aortic stenosis by Doppler echocardiographic calculated valve area revealed 40% exhibit discordant measures, where pressure gradient is lower than expected. These patients died more often than those with concordant measurements, especially those where the discrepancy was caused by low flow.

Statins Plus Ezetimibe vs. Statins Alone

A comparison of rosuvastatin 10 mg/day plus ezetimibe (10 mg/day) to 20 mg/day of rosuvastatin alone showed non-inferiority in three-year major cardiovascular outcomes, with lower LDL cholesterol levels and fewer episodes of drug discontinuation or dose reductions in the combination therapy group.