Internal Medicine
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Treatment for Autoimmune Small-fiber Neuropathy
The cause of most cases of small-fiber neuropathy is uncertain, but many patients have accompanying autoimmune biomarkers. In a carefully selected group of such patients, intravenous immunoglobulin treatment appears to provide benefit.
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Proceedings From the International Stroke Conference, Los Angeles, February 2018
Message from the editor: The following reviews of studies presented at the 2018 International Stroke Conference were written after my personal attendance at the presentations, followed by review of the simultaneous publications in the journals Stroke, The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA Neurology, and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Food Tray Contamination With MRSA/VRE; Hospital Ice Machines Contaminated With Bacteria; Significance of Toxocara Serologies?
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What Do the Urinary Microbiota and Incontinence Have to Do With Each Other?
Increased diversity of the microbiota in women is associated with urgency urinary incontinence symptoms but not with stress urinary incontinence symptoms.
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Does Adding Rifampin to Standard Therapy Improve Outcomes in Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia?
The addition of rifampin to standard therapy failed to provide significant benefit to patients with bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus.
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New Agent for Treatment of Chagas Disease Disappoints in Clinical Trial
A randomized, controlled trial of E1224 (a ravuconazole prodrug) in different doses and durations was studied in adult patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease. Parasite clearance was observed in treated patients, but the response was transient in most patients.
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Mefloquine: Still Effective and Still Safe for Malaria Chemoprophylaxis
Mefloquine is known as an effective agent for malaria chemoprophylaxis. However, concerns about serious adverse effects have limited its use. Now, a careful review of data suggests that fatal outcomes related to mefloquine prophylaxis are very rare.
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MRSA Infections May Lead to Prolonged Impairment of Lymphatic Vessel Function
In the first study to investigate the potential interactions between bacterial infections and lymphatic function, researchers found that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus toxins killed muscle cells critical to the pumping of lymph fluid and led to prolonged lymphatic dysfunction months after the bacteria had been cleared.
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Prolonged vs. Short Duration Infusion of Beta-lactam Antibiotics: The Verdict Is In
When compared to shorter infusion duration, prolonged infusion of anti-pseudomonal β-lactam antibiotics was associated with reduced mortality.
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Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation: A Moving Target?
An investigation of patients in a national database with atrial fibrillation and no comorbidities and not on aspirin or anticoagulants showed that the clinical features that make up the CHA2DS2-VASc score change over time and can increase a patient’s risk for stroke, which could affect therapy decisions.