Browse Internal Medicine Articles by Topic

Neuroimaging Differences in Dyslexics: Chicken or Egg?

Neuroanatomical differences in primary sensory cortices may distinguish dyslexic individuals from non-dyslexic individuals, providing a potential biomarker for identifying adults who may be predisposed to developing atypical neurodegenerative disease.

Take Me Out of the Ball Game: Acute Management and Long-term Consequences of Concussion in Childhood

The developing brain of a child may be particularly susceptible to injury from mild traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion. Recommending a longer period of strict rest after a concussion does not provide additional benefit when compared to consensus guidelines for care after a concussion in children and adolescents. However, in retired former NFL players, exposure to tackle football prior to age 12 is associated with executive dysfunction, memory impairment, and lower estimated verbal IQ later in life.

Infectious Disease Alert Updates

The problem of diagnosing TB in children

How best to treat latent TB?

Transmission risk in smear-negative TB

Antibiotics for Traveler’s Diarrhea?

Foreign travel is associated with travelers’ diarrhea and the intestinal acquisition of extended-spectrum beta lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, especially when travel is to South Asia. The risk of acquisition of resistant flora was almost doubled when antibiotics were used to treat the episode of diarrhea.

Ceftolozane/Tazobactam — Formulary Considerations

Information about ceftolozane/tazobactam

Deworming Is Beneficial in HIV-infected Patients

988 HIV-infected pregnant women receiving ART in sub-Saharan Africa were treated with albendazole in a targeted or non-targeted fashion. Albendazole therapy was associated with favorable changes in hemoglobin levels, CD4 counts, and viral loads, particularly in patients with helminth infections.

Combination Therapy for Invasive Aspergillosis in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies or Hematopoeitic Cell Transplants

In an evaluation of the primary endpoint, all-cause mortality at 6 weeks, there was no statistically significant difference between treatment with voriconazole alone or in combination with anidulafungin in patients with invasive aspergillosis and hematologic malignancies or hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

Measles in Our Not-So-Magical Kingdom

ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY: Routine vaccination would have prevented most of these recent cases in California.

Ticagrelor Cost Effective as Well as Efficacious, According to New Analysis

The PLATO trial randomized more than 18,000 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients to dual anti-platelet therapy with aspirin plus either clopidogrel or the newer P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor. Compared with clopidogrel-treated patients, those on ticagrelor had lower rates of death and myocardial infarction at 1 year. Despite superior ischemic outcomes, both ticagrelor and the thienopyridine prasugrel have been relatively slow to be adopted in the United States. This is at least in part due to the cost differential, as the older clopidogrel is available as a generic, while the newer agents enjoy continued brand exclusivity. The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost data collected by CMS currently reports a 70-fold difference in price between clopidogrel and ticagrelor.

Implantable Coronary Sinus Narrowing Device Shows Promise in Refractory Angina

Despite advances in medical therapy and in coronary revascularization techniques, the population of patients with chronic, stable, but debilitating angina continues to grow. The mortality of such patients is surprisingly low, such that patients with this disorder often suffer limiting symptoms for many years. Clearly more options for treatment are needed, but what?