Browse Internal Medicine Articles by Topic

Colon Cancer Screening by Stool DNA Testing

Recent guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society and American Society of Gastroenterology recommend colonoscopy as the preferred screening method for colon cancer, but wisely include the philosophy,

Long-term Payoff of Bariatric Surgery

The benefits of bariatric surgery are gaining new levels of respect as long-term evidence of favorable outcomes — other than cosmetic — continue to accrue. Indeed, in the population of obese diabetics, bariatric surgery is one of the only interventions documented to improve all-cause mortality.

Benefits of NIV in COPD Supported in Routine Clinical Practice

SYNOPSIS: In a large cohort study, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease managed with noninvasive ventilation had lower inpatient mortality, shorter length of stay, and lower costs compared to those managed with invasive ventilation.

Hypoglycemia Increases Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

A retrospective analysis of data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink found that hypoglycemia increases the risk of both cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes.

Weighing the Harms and Benefits of E-cigarettes

In a Cochrane review, there is evidence from two trials that nicotine containing e-cigarettes may help smokers to quit long-term compared with non-nicotine type.

Transient Ischemic Attacks: A Missed Opportunity

SYNOPSIS: Patients with transient ischemic attacks were not given evidence-based secondary prevention for stroke at discharge from the hospital as often compared to patients with stroke, thus creating a missed opportunity to decrease the incidence of future stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Predictors of Refractory Status Epilepticus

In a combined derivation and validation study, three independent risk factors for refractory status epilepticus were identified — acute symptomatic cause for seizures, stupor or coma, and a low serum albumin < 35 g/L.

How Common Are Neuromuscular Disorders?

Synopsis: Although many specific neuromuscular disorders are rare, in aggregate, these all add up to a large number, roughly twice as common as multiple sclerosis, and about the same prevalence as Parkinson’s disease.

Influenza, 2014-2015 — Something Old, Something New

As of early January, influenza activity had reached epidemic proportions in large parts of the United States, with many of those being affected despite prior vaccination.¹ The occurrence of infection in vaccinated individuals is not unexpected since influenza vaccine efficacy is usually only approximately 60%.

Does Your Patient Have a Central Venous Catheter?

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential to providing optimal care to many hospitalized patients.