Browse Primary Care/Hospitalist Articles by Topic

A Modern Epidemiologic View of Status Epilepticus in the United States

Although definitions have changed, status epilepticus is presently defined as a prolonged seizure or multiple seizures with incomplete return to baseline function lasting longer than 5 minutes.

Antibiotics for Acute Appendicitis

Appendectomy has been the treatment for acute appendicitis since the late nineteenth century. During the past decade, the notion of treating acute appendicitis with antibiotics alone has been proposed and evaluated in several clinical trials. However, these trials have been criticized because of methodological limitations.

Is Peripheral Intravenous Administration of Vasopressors Really Safe?

Vasoactive medications are most commonly administered through central venous catheters

Emergent Vascular Access: Is Intraosseous Better Than Central Venous Catheter Placement?

Traditionally, the easiest vascular access has been placement of a triple lumen catheter in the femoral vein, as anatomic landmarks here are often easier to identify than other areas, minimizing the need for ultrasound assistance.

Diverticulitis: Evaluation and Management

Diverticulitis is a result of acute inflammation of colonic diverticulum. Acute diverticulitis is placing an increasing burden on health care resources as the incidence, prevalence, and hospital admission rate is rapidly increasing.Its timely diagnosis and treatment are essential to help improve outcomes for patients. The ability to recognize complicated versus uncomplicated diverticulitis can aid in expedited care and resource allocation to prevent repeat radiation exposure through radiological imaging of these patients who present with uncomplicated diverticulitis.

Clinical Briefs

In this section: Reconsidering the value of oral nutritional supplementation in patients admitted for COPD; recognizing a relationship between asthma and obesity; and weighing the benefits of sound stimulation in Alzheimer's patients.

Eluxadoline Tablets (Viberzi) and Rifaximin (Xifaxan) Tablets

Both drugs appear to provide modest benefit in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

Statin Use and Cognitive Effects: Not a Brain Drain

A meta-analysis of data from more than 28,000 patients enrolled in 18 randomized, placebo-controlled trials of statin therapy failed to show a causal relationship between treatment and adverse neurocognitive effects for patients with and without cognitive impairment.

Prostate Cancer and Smoking: One More Reason to Trash the Tobacco

Study showed that following prostatectomy for cancer, smokers and ex-smokers had a higher risk of recurrence.

You Are What You Feed Your Gut Microbiome

There is mounting evidence that the gut microbiome influences the immune system and the central and peripheral nervous systems.