Elegy and Bereavement
Elegies, among the most ancient of poetic forms, are poems composed for the dead, usually as a lament for the life lost. Writing an elegy can be cathartic for the bereaved. Studies of bereavement in family members of dying patients suggest that providing opportunities for discussing memories of their loved ones and how they are coping with their loss can be beneficial, and may ease prolonged or complicated grief reactions, depression, and PTSD. “When?” creates such a space for grieving, in an elegy that is as unadorned as it is poignant. The speaker exhibits some of the hallmarks of prolonged grief, in an initially con...
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
When?
It ’s been seven years, and I bought a vegan mattress, hoping for a vegan mistress, but hope will not help me sleep (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Mass Azithromycin Distribution to Prevent Child Mortality
This cluster randomized placebo-controlled trial examines the efficacy of single-dose azithromycin for prevention of all-cause childhood mortality in rural Burkina Faso. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Development of a Risk Score Predicting Death Without Transplant in Adult Heart Transplant Candidates
This study develops and validates a multivariable prediction model to rank order adult heart transplant candidates by medical urgency. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Diversifying the Physician Workforce —Reply
In Reply We thank Mr Rumalla for his comments about early-commitment medical programs. One concern about holistic review, which is based on applicants ’ multiple academic attributes beyond Medical College Admission Test scores, is the quality of the matriculants selected. Two early-commitment medical programs evaluated academic performance (eg, US Medical Licensing Examination scores, Alpha Omega Alpha selection) of more than 650 students enteri ng medical school through a combined BA-MD path over a 13- to 15-year period and found no difference in academic outcomes compared with students who did not participate in combin...
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Pharmacologic Treatment for High BP and Risk of CVD —Reply
In Reply In response to the Letter by Drs Palma and Kaufmann about our recent study, we agree that patients must be treated individually and in the context of their specific conditions. Patients with true autonomic disorders and severe orthostatic hypotension, who are identified by the severity and reproducibility of their orthostatic hypotension, should be referred for specific management. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Gefapixant for Chronic Cough —Reply
In Reply We thank Dr Turner and colleagues for their interest in our meta-analysis and for the opportunity to clarify aspects of the study. We agree that we should not dismiss the use of gefapixant in clinical practice based on our analysis. Few treatment options exist for patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough. For those who have tried all other therapies without success, we believe that gefapixant provides an option, one that is likely safer than alternatives (ie, opioids, pregabalin, gabapentin). (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Diversifying the Physician Workforce
To the Editor I applaud the recent Viewpoint with recommendations for ensuring a diverse physician workforce in a post –affirmative action era. As a medical student in an early medical commitment program, I have one comment on the authors’ proposal for early medical commitment programs. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Pharmacologic Treatment for High BP and Risk of CVD
To the Editor A recent meta-analysis of randomized trials of pharmacologic treatment for high blood pressure (BP) reported that antihypertensive therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality similarly in patients with and without orthostatic hypotension. The authors therefore advocated for intensive antihypertensive treatment despite the presence of orthostatic hypotension. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Gefapixant for Chronic Cough
Conclusions are also beholden to methodological design, often discordant from those of subsequent randomized clinical trials. Such may be the case with the recently published dose-response meta-analysis of studies examining efficacy and tolerability of gefapixant for refractory or unexplained chronic cough. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
The Bacterial Aspects of Dirty Money
“The emphasis for living finely and well,” says Williams, “is always to be placed upon the ways and means of attaining and maintaining health.” The discovery of bacteria as a prominent cause of disease seemed to simplify the problem of eradicating menaces to health. It presented the scientif ic basis for a system of hygiene; and, as we have recently been reminded, if there is anything the normal American loves, it is “system.” It offers something seemingly concrete and direct to deal with, so that the acceptance of all manner of systems to preserve human health by what are said to b e intelligent persons is in ...
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Audio Highlights
Listen to the JAMA Editor ’s Audio Summary for an overview and discussion of the important articles appearing in this week’s issue of JAMA. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Azithromycin for Prevention of Mortality in African Children
Mass administration of oral azithromycin is central to the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign to eliminate trachoma. Mass administration of azithromycin could have beneficial effects in young children due to its activity against pathogens causing pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria, but could also have harmful effects, including generation of antimicrobial resistance. In 2009, a cluster randomized clinical trial showed that mass administration of oral azithromycin was associated with a 49% reduction in mortality in Ethiopian children aged 1 to 9 years. The subsequent Macrolides Oraux pour R éduire les Décès avec un O...
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Optimizing Beneficence and Justice in Heart Transplant Allocation
Over the last 5 decades, heart transplant has emerged as the preferred therapy for select patients with advanced heart failure, with a 1-year survival of 90% and conditional half-life of 13 years, far better than that of end-stage heart disease. Yet demand for donor hearts far exceeds supply, and more than one-third of candidates die or are removed from the waiting list without receiving a transplant. Thus, equitable allocation of this scarce resource to those of the highest medical urgency remains a major challenge. (Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Jama
(Source: JAMA)
Source: JAMA - February 6, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
