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Oral Health for the PCP: A Collaborative Approach to Patient Care

Primary care physicians play a critical role in recognizing oral health as a sign of systemic disease. Common oral conditions can have diagnostic and preventive implications for broader health, including cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders. By conducting oral examinations, identifying red flags that require referral, and counseling patients on preventive care, physicians can integrate oral health awareness into comprehensive patient care.

What Are Hyperacute T-Waves and What Do They Mean?

A retrospective study of emergency department patients suspected of having an acute coronary syndrome has shown that a computer system for determining a new quantitative high-amplitude electrocardiogram (ECG) T-wave score has a high specificity and reasonable sensitivity for identifying patients with acute coronary occlusion that performs as well as ECG ST-elevation myocardial infarction criteria.

Statins for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

An analysis of two large, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening populations from Denmark has shown that high-dose statin therapy reduces the rate of AAA growth, the need for repair, and adverse outcomes, such as rupture and death.

Withdrawing Heart Failure Medications After Restoring Sinus Rhythm in AF Cardiomyopathy Patients

A small trial of withdrawing guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for reduced ejection fraction (EF) heart failure in patients with atrial fibrillation in whom EF recovered after restoration of normal sinus rhythm has shown that withdrawal of GDMT was not associated with a decline in EF over 12 months in most patients.

Beta-Blocker Interruption Post-MI

An analysis of the secondary outcomes in the French multicentered study of beta-blocker withdrawal in patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction after one year led to increases in heart rate and blood pressure with potentially deleterious outcomes, especially in patients with a history of hypertension.

Routine CCTA Imaging of Left Main PCI Patients Falls Short in Randomized Trial

In this randomized trial of patients undergoing left main percutaneous coronary intervention, routine surveillance coronary computed tomography angiography six months after intervention did not reduce the composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina, or stent thrombosis at 18 months, but was associated with fewer spontaneous MIs and more imaging-triggered revascularization procedures.

Treated as Aberrant SVT

I was given this electrocardiogram without knowing details of the history beyond that the patient was an older man who was hemodynamically stable. He was being treated on the assumption that the rhythm was a supraventricular tachycardia with QRS widening because of aberrant conduction. Do you agree with this assumption? How certain are you of your answer

Sunvozertinib (Zegfrovy) Tablets

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an accelerated approval to sunvozertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations (EGFR exon20ins). The FDA also approved a companion diagnostic device, Oncomine Dx Express Test to help detect exon20ins mutations.

Treatment Window for Lowering Blood Pressure in Acute ICH

Effective treatment for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has remained elusive, with inconclusive results from surgical evacuations, as well as blood pressure management. The investigators performed a pooled analysis of four INTERACT trials that studied the effect of aggressive blood pressure lowering in patients with acute ICH. Ultra-early treatment (< 3 hours from onset) may be beneficial, but most patients are not so quickly diagnosed or treated.

Routine Boosting Against Tetanus and Diphtheria in Adults: A Time to Reconsider

Slifka and colleagues make a strong argument against the routine booster vaccination of adults against tetanus and diphtheria as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.