Primary Care Reports articles from February 2004

Primary Care Reports archives from February 2004

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and therapy.
February 1, 2004... Editor's Note--Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), first described in the medical literature more than 120 years ago, (1) is the administration of 100% inspired oxygen while in a chamber at pressures greater than sea level. This increases the...

CME questions.
February 1, 2004... 4. Concerning the onset of symptoms of DCS and AGE, which of the following is true? a. DCS typically manifests itself before AGE. b. A total of 99% of DCS cases present within the first hour. c. Almost half of AGE cases present...

Influenza update: focus on children.
February 1, 2004... From October 2003 to Jan. 9, 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of 93 influenza-associated deaths among children younger than 18 years. The demands the annual flu season places on emergency department...

Physician CME questions.
February 1, 2004... Gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea occur in how many children with influenza? A. Approximately 24% B. More than 50% C. More than 75% D. Almost all 2. The findings of a Texas study with a 50% immunization...

Sulfonamide antibiotics and sulfonamide nonantibiotics.
February 1, 2004... Source: Strom BL, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1628-1635. SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS (SULF-a) are the drugs most commonly associated with both the dread consequences of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and agranulocystusis. More commonly, clinicians...

Antoantibodies before onset of SLE.
February 1, 2004... Source: Arbuckle MR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1526-1533. THE DIAGNOSIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS erythematosus (SLE) is based, in part, upon laboratory findings, including measurement of autoantibodies (AAB) such as antinuclear antibody (ANA),...

Prevention of VTE with Ximelagatran.
February 1, 2004... Source: Schulman S, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1713-1721. TYPICALLY, AFTER A FIRST EPISODE OF DVT, prophylaxis will be advised JL for 3-6 months, although recent data show no diminution of benefit when warfarin prophylaxis for recurrent...

Combined levothyroxine plus liothyronine compared to levothyroxine alone in primary hypothyroidism.
February 1, 2004... Source: Clyde PW, et al. JAMA. 2003;290:2952-2958. PRIOR TO SOPHISTICATED DEVELOPpment of drug therapy, thyroid hormone was administered as a derivative of animal thyroid glands, with varying amounts of T3 and T4. Currently, although...

Specific site involvement in fixed drug eruption.
February 1, 2004... Source: Ozkaya-Bayazit E. J Am Acad Derm. 2003;49:1003-1007. FIXED DRUG ERUPTION (FDE) IS THE recurrent presentation of cutaneous drug allergy manifest at the same local site. In the United States, the glans penis is one of the most common...

Anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.
February 1, 2004... Source: Go AS, et al JAMA. 2003;290:2685-2692. THERE IS LITTLE CHALLENGE TO THE credibility of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (SPAF) as demonstrated in numerous large clinical trials. Nonetheless, clinicians...

Valacyclovir reduces genital herpes transmission.
February 1, 2004... Aonce-a-day dose of a valacyclovir reduces the rate of transmission of genital herpes (HSV-2) from an infected partner to an uninfected susceptible partner, according to a new study. The study group included 1484 immuno-competent, heterosexual,...

Erythropoietin safe for cancer patients?
February 1, 2004... A fascinating news item published in the December 17 issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute raises the question of whether erythropoietin is safe to use in cancer patients. According to the news report, several studies suggest that...

WHI, ALLHAT trials still spur research.
February 1, 2004... It appears that 2 landmark studies have significantly changed practice patterns in this country. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study published in July 2002, and the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack...

Alpha-blockers useful in BPH treatment.
February 1, 2004... Alpha-blockers are useful in treatment with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Now a new study shows that the combination of the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride (Proscar) with an alpha-blocker may be superior to either drug alone in...

T4 alone is OK for hyperthyroidism therapy.
February 1, 2004... Hypothyroidism is one of the most common clinical disorders in general practice. Controversy about replacement therapy has raged for years regarding the need for liothyronine (T3) in addition to thyroxine (T4). A new study from Bethesda...

FDA ban on ephedra awaits final ruling.
February 1, 2004... The FDA has issued a consumer alert, banning the dietary supplement ephedra. The ban will become effective 60 days after the publication of a final rule stating that dietary supplements containing ephedra represents an unreasonable risk of...