Browse Internal Medicine Articles by Topic

Stroke Alert

At least 30% of strokes in China are caused by intracerebral hemorrhage, compared with approximately 10-15% in North America.

Somatic Mutations in Cerebral Cortical Malformations

Targeted high-coverage sequencing for causal somatic mutations in patients with cortical malformations is more sensitive than traditional Sanger and whole-exome sequencing.

Varicella-Zoster Virus and Fingolimod: Much Ado about Not Much?

The risk of varicella-zoster virus infections in patients treated with fingolimod is slightly higher than placebo, but is overall quite low.

Cerebrospinal Fluid ß-Amyloid 42 vs Amyloid PET Imaging in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Aß 42, measured in cerebrospinal fluid, may help determine whether patients have normal or increased cortical Aß deposition. Additionally, abnormal PET 18F-flutemetamol retention levels correlate with disease stage in patients with mild cognitive symptoms.

Ethnicity and Treatment of Otitis Media

Nationally, nonblack children with otitis media more frequently receive broad-spectrum antibiotics than black children do. The majority of children with otitis media in the United States receive inappropriate treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Should Lumbar Puncture Still Be Routine for Febrile Babies?

Meningitis is very unlikely in otherwise healthy-appearing febrile infants older than 21 days of age. Thus, cerebrospinal fluid analysis might not be needed as part of a “routine” evaluation of these babies.

Spherusol® — Testing for Dermal Delayed Hypersensitivity to Coccidioides

In the fifth and sixth decades of the 20th century, Charles Smith reported the results of skin testing with coccidioidin, a culture filtrate of the mycelial phase of Coccidioides.

Increase in Sudden Death with ARBs or ACE Inhibitors and Co-trimoxazole

In a case-control study, older patients who received an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker along with co-trimoxazole had an increased risk of sudden death (unadjusted odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.50 to 2.24). Hyperkalemia is hypothesized to be the underlying mechanism.

Letter: Coccidioidal Exposure in the Laboratory

Accidental laboratory exposure to Coccidioides species is the major cause of clinical laboratory-acquired fungal infection, and coccidiodomycosis is thought to be the least responsive deep mycosis to treatment.

Prior Authorization versus Prospective Audit with Provider Feedback: Does the Effectiveness of the Core Antimicrobial Stewardship Strategies Differ?

In a single academic medical center, changing from a strategy of prior authorization to prospective audit with feedback led to significantly increased total antibiotic use and use of agents with a broad spectrum of gram-negative activity.