Progressive Unilateral Vision Loss
Choroidal hemorrhage in the left orbit with retinal detachment: your dx? (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 18, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
In Patients with a Mechanical Valve, Which Agent for Oral Anticoagulation?
Are any of the novel oral anticoagulants an option for patients with a mechanical mitral or aortic valve? One recent study provides a definitive answer. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: How Safely Restore Sinus Rhythm?
Precautions must be taken when considering cardioversion for a patient with atrial fibrillation of more than 48 hours duration. Here, more about the risks involved. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Breakthrough at ACG 2013: Oral-Only Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C
Data from pivotal international phase III clinical trials showed superior efficacy, safety, and convenience for a new wave of direct-acting oral agents. The breakthrough will benefit physicians in all practice settings, including primary care. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Good Culinary News for Statin-Intolerant Patients
Nutritious menu changes at fast food chains like McDonalds—along with dosage modifications for patients who appear to be statin-intolerant—may prove to have long-term salubrious effects. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
From Parasites to ALS
The 5 quiz questions this week are far-ranging and cover conditions as rare as opisthorchiasis and as common as obesity. See how you fare... (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Crohn Disease Linked with Vitamin D Deficiency: Please Test and Replete
Research presented at ACG 2013 revealed a 30% to 40% prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Crohn disease patients. The finding highlights for primary care physicians the importance of testing vitamin D levels in these patients and for recommending supplementation. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Pediatric Tricks of the Trade: What They Didn’t Teach You in Residency
Here: strategies for making the exam more comfortable and efficient, and tips for using topical anesthetics, removing earwax, extracting a plantar foreign body, and approaching the Dx of appendicitis. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Black-Boxed Drugs We Still Use: Weigh the Risk
The “take home” from this presentation: be cautious with inappropriate use of drugs with or without black box warnings, but maintain a healthy skepticism about some of these warnings. Cases in point: droperidol, antidepressants, clindamycin. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Diverticulitis Increases as Diverticular Bleeding Decreases
As reported at ACG 2013 in San Diego this week, the divergent trends may be related to environmental factors. Obesity, diet, physical activity, smoking, and use of NSAIDs are known risk factors for both diseases; however, the two conditions are felt to evolve through different biologic pathways. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Diabetes Prevalence Increasing Among Patients Who Visit the Emergency Department
A new study from Mississippi shows not only a steady increase in ED visits by patients with diabetes mellitus, but also a steady increase in the prevalence of patients with this disease. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 17, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Differentiating Celiac Disease From Gluten Intolerance and IBS
Convincing data show that CD is not being promptly diagnosed, with symptom duration ranging from 7 to 12.9 years. A prior diagnosis of IBS can add up to 4.9 years more before a diagnosis is made. Primary care can play a strong role in early detection. A presentation from ACG 2013 helps decode the evidence and guide the workup. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 16, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Clinical Pearls on Infectious Diarrhea
Dr Christina Surawicz's lecture at the ACG Scientific Meeting included some very practical pearls—there’s a lot here for general internists, family physicians, and pediatricians . . . including specifics on hydration, zinc deficiency, bacterial and parasitic diarrhea, and antibiotic Rx. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 15, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Hospitalization for Constipation: A Most Preventable Admission
Hospital admission rates for constipation, especially among the elderly, have risen at a disturbing pace according to a poster presentation at the 2013 American College of Gastroenterology. Outpatient care may be part of the problem—and a place to start work on solutions. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 15, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Refractory Constipation: A Case Study in Evaluation and Management
Constipation is often a simple functional disorder that improves with changes in diet, hydration, and exercise. Dr Satish Rao, at the 2013 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting, reviewed a more difficult scenario that points up for primary care physicians the importance of a systematic evaluation. (Source: Consultant Live)
Source: Consultant Live - October 15, 2013 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
