Internal Medicine News articles from April 2004

Internal Medicine News archives from April 2004

New book explores root causes: 'culture of blame' perpetuates errors.(News)
April 1, 2004... Dr. Robert M. Wachter transported a teenager to a pediatric intensive care unit in an ambulance without a cardiac monitor or a defibrillator. No one--not Dr. Wachter, the nurse, or the emergency room clerk who called in the transport...

Fumbling the handoff.(News)
April 1, 2004... Every day, millions of patients are transferred between and among primary care physicians and specialists in laboratories, hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient care. Each "hand-off" carries the risk of a fumble in which vital patient...

Building a culture of safety.(News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The authors recommend these strategies to help prevent medical mistakes: * A core group of clinicians--doctors, nurses, and others--should be trained in modern safety principles at every hospital. * Two patient safety directors--a...

The prove IT-TIMI 22 trial: drive LDL down to 60 mg/dL after coronary event; High-dose statin regimen yielded a highly significant 16% relative reduction in risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Aggressively lowering LDL cholesterol far below the currently recommended 100 mg/dL starting right after an acute coronary event further cuts the risk of death or major cardiac events, based on findings of a landmark clinical...

Cholesterol guidelines not expected to change soon.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The PROVE IT results may have been dramatic, but they won't trigger any immediate change in official U.S. recommendations on target levels for LDL cholesterol, said Dr. Scott M. Grundy, chairman of the panel that wrote the existing Adult...

The SCD-HeFT study: major trial expands implantable defibrillator indications.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial)
April 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Placing an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in patients with moderate congestive heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% or less reduces their risk of dying by 23% in the next 5 years, according to...

Categorical training slots hold steady: IM residencies achieve slight gain in 2004 Match; Primary care programs still struggling.(News)(internal medicine)
April 1, 2004... Internal medicine residency programs fared just a bit better this year on Match Day, although primary care residencies continue to have problems attracting U.S. seniors. "Internal medicine is holding its own, but not in primary care," Dr....

Tracking, testing: FDA moves to minimize Mad Cow disease risks.(News)
April 1, 2004... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- Tracking infected cows, banning cattle feed made from cow parts, and testing cows are three of the Food and Drug Administration's actions in response to the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as "mad cow...

Survey of students underway: internal medicine seen as unmanageable career choice.(News)
April 1, 2004... SARASOTA, FLA. -- Graduating seniors no longer view internal medicine as a "manageable" career, Dr. Holly Humphrey said at a meeting sponsored by the Association of Professors of Medicine. The challenges of chronic disease, the erosion of...

Modifiable risk factors: risk of CVD up in 20% of IM residents.(News)(cardiovascular disease)(internal medicine )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- As many as one in five internal medicine residents--a group that presumably ought to know better--put themselves at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Nicole L. Mihalopoulos of the University of Rochester,...

America's Health Insurance Plans: united health insurance lobby unveils new name.(News)
April 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The health insurance industry has a new champion--America's Health Insurance Plans. That's the new moniker of the recently merged American Association of Health Plans and Health Insurance Association of America. "I think...

FDA raises regulatory issues: validity testing delays marketing of OvaCheck.(News)
April 1, 2004... Expanded validity testing has delayed the release of OvaCheck, a new ovarian cancer screening test, and a government inquiry may complicate its journey to market. The blood test, which identifies a pattern of metabolites associated with...

Case-control study: antibiotic use linked to increased Breast ca risk.(News)
April 1, 2004... The more antibiotics a woman has taken, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer later and then dying from the disease, results of a large, case-control study suggest. It's still not clear whether use of antibiotics causes breast...

Results qualified: estrogen not linked to endometrial ca recurrence risk.(News)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Hormone therapy was not associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence in women who had undergone surgery for endometrial cancer, according to the lead investigator of the largest study ever to examine the effects of HT in...

Opposing groups weigh in: cloning research findings renew political debate.(News)
April 1, 2004... The recent announcement that scientists have derived a stem cell line from a cloned human embryo has the long-term potential to offer tailored disease treatments, but in the short-term could lead to restrictions on this type of research. ...

Schedule self-maintenance time.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... You've invested a lot of money in your medical equipment, so you're careful to maintain it with regular service and anything else you need to keep it in good working order. Your computers are important to your practice, so you back up your...

Should all patients with a low ejection fraction get an implantable defibrillator? Yes.(Pro & Con)
April 1, 2004... Virtually all patients with coronary artery disease and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% or less are candidates for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Results of the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial...

Should all patients with a low ejection fraction get an implantable defibrillator? No.(Pro & Con)
April 1, 2004... There is no question that ICDs can effectively terminate ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation and thereby prevent sudden death in many patients. But ICDs should be used only in carefully selected patients who clearly fit the MADIT II entry...

Isotretinoin risk management.(Guest Editorial)
April 1, 2004... In late February, two advisory panels to the Food and Drug Administration voted to adopt a more restrictive risk management program for the four available forms of isotretinoin based on a program proposed by Accutane manufacturer...

Medicine losing doctors.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Long after their friends graduate from college and begin their lives, physicians are just starting their training. During residency, it is not unusual to work 80-100 hours a week. In private practice, most physicians still work 80-hour...

Hard-working reader.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... I am a cardiologist in private practice and for quite some time I have enjoyed scanning INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWS to stay up to date on general medicine. While reading the Feb. 1, 2004, issue I was struck by its size and by the extent of the...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... The article, "Help for Uninsured to Be Congressional Priority in 2004," (Feb. 1, 2004, p. 9), should have said that under federal law, physicians are free to charge Medicare patients less than the amount allowed by the Medicare fee schedule,...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... In a report on "Mortality in IBD" (Clinical Capsules, Jan. 15, 2004, p. 44), the acronym IBD should have referenced inflammatory bowel disease.

Evidence-based medicine: group rates efficacy of herbal treatments, compiles safety data.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- A group based at Massachusetts General Hospital has begun to rate the efficacy of herbal medicines according to published evidence. "Our mission is to form a clearing-house, central repository, or encyclopedia for this kind of...

Increasing data: complementary therapies gain scientific clout.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Considerable evidence exists that alternative therapies such as relaxation training, acupuncture, massage, and even herbs have a place in modern medical practice, Dr. Brian Berman said at a meeting on alternative medicine sponsored...

Well tolerated: topical capsicum cream found helpful for relieving soft tissue pain.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... LONDON -- Topically applied capsicum cream provided significant relief from soft tissue pain in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Dr. Stefan Schmidt reported at a symposium on alternative and complementary therapies sponsored by the...

Avoiding common mistakes: brochures may boost anti-smoking therapy.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Receiving an informational brochure may help patients better comply with nicotine replacement therapy, Beth Quinio Edwards said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and...

With or without ADHD: bupropion may help reduce nicotine dependence in teens.(Clinical Rounds)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Adolescents with nicotine dependence may benefit from bupropion, whether or not they have comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, said Dr. Himanshu P. Upadhyaya and colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston....

Valerian for insomnia.(Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach)
April 1, 2004... * Products made from extracts of the root of Valeriana officinalis are widely used as sleep aids for insomnia. * Clinical studies have suggested efficacy, but long-term safety data are lacking. History of Use The ancient...

Lists guidelines, medications: handheld computer helps in smoking cessation.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A handheld device programmed with guidelines for smoking cessation and information on pharmacotherapy can be a useful tool for physicians trying to advise patients on quitting smoking, Dr. Scott Strayer said in a poster...

Smoking cessation: counseling does not up quit rate in bupropion users.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Providing counseling on smoking cessation did not boost quit rates in patients being treated with bupropion SR, Danielle E. McCarthy reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on...

Scheduled approach improves outcomes: timed insulin best for inpatient hyperglycemia.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Programmed and scheduled administration of insulin improves the glucose control of hospitalized patients being treated for hyperglycemia, compared with sliding-scale orders alone, Dr. Stephen C. Clement said at a meeting...

Compared with whites and blacks: metabolic syndrome stroke risk greatest in Hispanics.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Metabolic syndrome may be a stronger stroke risk factor for Hispanics than for blacks or whites, Bernadette Boden-Albala, Dr.P.H., said at the 29th International Stroke Conference. In the ongoing Northern Manhattan Study,...

Even in absence of diabetes: stroke risk twofold higher in older adults with metabolic syndrome.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The presence of the metabolic syndrome roughly doubles the risk of stroken in older adults, even in the absence of diabetes, Robert Najarian reported at the 29th International Stroke Conference. "Prevention and control of the...

79% insulin independence at 1 year: Edmonton islet cell transplantation well tolerated but risky.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- The Edmonton protocol for islet cell transplantation is well tolerated by most patients, but the risk of hemorrhage remains a major drawback, Dr. Richard J. Owen reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North...

Abnormalities seen on x-ray, MRI: OA may begin as asymptomatic joint defects.(Clinical Rounds)(osteoarthritis)(magnetic resonance imaging)
April 1, 2004... BERLIN--Structural joint defects that suggest osteoarthritis were seen in a majority of asymptomatic individuals in two independent studies. The high prevalence of these abnormalities, seen with either magnetic resonance imaging or plain...

Speed remains a limitation: MRI views of cartilage, meniscus improve work-up of patients with OA.(Clinical Rounds)(magnetic resonance imaging )(osteoarthritis)
April 1, 2004... BERLIN--Magnetic resonance imaging is becoming the best method for evaluating osteoarthritis. MRI allows physicians to assess cartilage and meniscus structure in a joint, and newer technology also makes it possible to assess cartilage...

No increase in dislocations: precautions not necessary after hip replacement.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... DALLAS--Patients need not follow the traditional standing orders routinely advised after total hip replacement, Dr. Richard Rothman asserted at the annual meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. During the several...

New head-to-head trial: and the best Combination Therapy for early Rheumatoid Arthritis is ...(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO.--The state of the art in treating early rheumatoid arthritis is this: Solid evidence now exists that for many recent-onset patients, starting them on combinations of multiple disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs produce...

Biweekly for 12 weeks: Tai Chi helped patients with early RA in pilot study.(Clinical Rounds)(rheumatoid arthritis)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA.--Twelve weeks of biweekly Tai Chi classes led to significant symptomatic improvements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to the findings of a controlled study. Regular training sessions in Tai Chi, a traditional...

Antiinflammatory: statin eases rheumatoid arthritis.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA.--Treatment with a statin led to significant improvement of rheumatoid arthritis severity in a controlled study. "This shows, for the first time, that statin therapy has a significant effect on disease activity and inflammatory...

Acute renal failure: urine may contain best biomarkers for ARF.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Make it easy to measure. That should be a key characteristic of the ideal biomarker to detect acute renal failure (ARF), Dr. Joseph Bonventre said at an international conference on continuous renal replacement therapies. ...

Annals.org reader, Presenter-to-Go.(Digital Assistance)
April 1, 2004... Featured App: Annals.org Reader Document readers for Palm and Pocket PC handheld computers come in all shapes and sizes. Fundamental differences between these applications include file format compatibility (such as Palm or Word, Adobe PDF)...

Dietary reference intakes: panel reassesses daily water, electrolyte needs.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Most healthy individuals can maintain adequate hydration by letting thirst be their guide, an Institute of Medicine panel concluded in a report that rejects the conventional wisdom that people need to drink eight glasses of water...

Commonly used risk models: computer programs underestimate breast Ca risk.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- Mathematical models commonly used to predict a woman's risk of developing breast cancer profoundly underestimated that risk in a British study of 3,170 subjects tracked for 5 years for evidence of cancer after a baseline...

Two new agents: improved antiemesis for women undergoing chemotherapy.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Medical oncologists have long recognized that chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are more common and tougher to control in women. But help is at hand in the form of two novel recently approved drugs that are markedly...

HPV, cytologic evaluation: HPV self-test yields few endocervical cells.(human papillomavirus )
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- A device designed for women to collect their own cervicovaginal samples for cytologic and human papillomavirus evaluation yielded a high number of cells but few endocervical cells, compared with a regular Pap test performed by a...

Triage BNP test.(Products)(B-Natriuretic Peptide )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Triage BNP test for measuring B-type natriuretic peptide is available for use with Beckman Coulter immunoassay systems. The test is used in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, assessment of disease severity in CHF, and risk...

Imitrex for migraine.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) tablets, for treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults, have been reformulated to dissolve quickly after swallowing. The new formulation is available in 25-, 50-, and 100-mg tablets. For more...

Cart for lighter equipment.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Trolley Lite can hold up to 100 pounds of equipment. It comes with one shelf and 5-inch casters. For more information on this product, contact Anthro Corp., www.anthro.com, 800-325-3841.

Intermittent paxil approved.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Paxil CR (paroxetine HCl, controlled release) oral tablets have been approved for intermittent (luteal phase) dosing to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder. For more information, contact GlaxoSmithKline, 888-825-5249, www.paxilcr.com.

Patient gowns for plus sizes.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Ample Wear patient gown, a 40-inch by 50-inch blue unisex gown, is available in sizes from 3X to 9X. The gowns are sold in cases of 25 for $57. For more information, contact Graham Professional Medical Products, 866-429-1408,...

Wristbands for nausea.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Sea-Band acupressure wristband is approved for the relief of nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, pregnancy, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. The acupressure bands are available over the counter for $9.99 each. For more...

Uroflow measurement device.(Products)(World of Medicine USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Uropower is a patient-operated uroflow measurement device that can aid in the detection of bladder and prostate problems. It can be installed in a urinal or toilet, or as a freestanding device. For more information, contact World of Medicine...

Furniture catalog.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The new edition of the "Heathcare Furniture & Accessories" catalog is available from Medical Arts Press. To request the free catalog, product samples, or additional information on this catalog, call Medical Arts Press at 800-328-2179 or visit...

Hydrocortisone butyrate.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Generic hydrocortisone butyrate solution 0.1% is approved for the first time. The solution is a topical administration for relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of seborrheic dermatoses. For more information on this generic...

Climara Pro in pharmacies.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Climara Pro (estradiol/levonorgestrel transdermal system) 0.045/0.015 mg per day is now available in pharmacies. The patch is indicated for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. For more information, contact Berlex Inc.,...

Low-dose Prempro available.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The lowest effective dose of Prempro (conjugated estrogens/medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets), 0.3 mg/1.5 mg, is now widely available in pharmacies. For more information, contact Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 800-934-5556, Fax 610-964-5944.

Laparoscopic surgery light.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The InnerVision transillumination system provides adjustable lighting of the esophagus, rectum, and other organs during laparoscopic surgery. The system has a flexible tip to minimize perforation risk. For more information on the system,...

First aid line stops bleeding.(Products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Seal-On line of first aid products uses microdispersed oxidized cellulose to stop the bleeding of minor wounds, scrapes, and nosebleeds quickly. The products are available over the counter and include a spray ($7.99), and nasal sponges...

Time for a simpler approach? New data: NCEP lipid targets are out of date.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(National Cholesterol Education Program)
April 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Recent clinical trials data have made obsolete the National Cholesterol Education Program recommendation to bring LDL under 100 mg/dL in patients with coronary or cardiovascular disease or diabetes, two prominent...

Corrects metabolic syndrome: new drug class shows promise for weight loss, smoking cessation.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- A single drug helped patients lose weight, quit smoking, cut inches from their waistline, and correct their metabolic syndrome--and had a fairly benign adverse effect profile. Those were the remarkable results from the first...

Alternative cooling systems being tested: cooling for acute MI fails in first major test.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(myocardial infarction)
April 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Cooling may not be so hot as an adjunct to primary percutaneous intervention for acute MI. Results of the COOL-MI trial, the first major randomized clinical trial of rapid myocardial cooling, were deeply disappointing....

Cryoplasty: chilled form of angioplasty produces stent-like results.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Cryoplasty, a chilled form of angioplasty, produced a low rate of acute dissections and reocclusions in a series of 102 patients who had infrainguinal revascularization. Cryoplasty produced stent-like results without stents,...

European study suggests routine use: aspirin cuts thrombosis in polycythemia vera.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- In a 3-year study of patients with polycythemia vera, daily aspirin reduced cardiovascular deaths by 59%, nonfatal myocardial infarctions by 29%, and nonfatal strokes by 68%, Dr. Raffaele Landolfi reported at the annual meeting of...

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: thrombolytic therapy during CPR put to the test.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... VIENNA -- A radical new approach to treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest--administration of a thrombolytic drug during CPR--will soon be evaluated in an international randomized trial. The planned 1,000-patient trial will be...

Clinical capsules.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... Stroke Risk After TIA The risk of stroke in the week following a transient ischemic attack or a minor, "warning" stroke is estimated to be 8%-12%, so TIAs and warning strokes must be investigated and treated urgently, despite the 7- to...

Retrospective study: VADs help heart patients past acute graft failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Ventricular assist devices)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Ventricular assist devices can help get heart transplant recipients past acute graft failure, Dr. Mark B. Anderson said at a meeting of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons. Because marginal donor hearts are more...

Few ex-husbands around: female transplant candidates may not have social support.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Women who are selected to undergo heart transplantation may be less likely than men to receive social support that will help them cope with the stress of the procedure, Dr. Curley Bonds reported at the annual meeting of the Academy...

Survey findings: women downplay symptoms of ACS.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(acute coronary syndrome )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Women with acute coronary syndrome had more severe symptoms their their male counterparts, but viewed the symptoms as less severe, in a study by David P. Nau, Pharm.D., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He and his...

Not a screening tool: TEE overused in diagnosis of endocarditis.(Transesophageal echocardiography)
April 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Transesophageal echocardiography is too often used for diagnosing potential cases of infective endocarditis. In a series of 104 consecutive patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to assess a possible...

Colchicine + aspirin: new pericarditis therapy is safe, cuts recurrence.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Colchicine plus aspirin is the new treatment of choice for first episodes of acute pericarditis, Dr. Massimo Imazio said at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Combination therapy with colchicine and...

Elaborate, bulky, costly systems: value of robotic heart surgery remains unclear.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- If robotic surgery is to thrive, it is going to have to reinvent itself. That's the bottom line based on findings from the first round of multicenter prospective trials, which indicate that outcomes from the high-tech...

Used in only 4% of CABG operations; Bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts: superior, Underused.(Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft)
April 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Cardiac surgeons haven't embraced bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting despite persuasive evidence that it provides superior long-term outcomes, Dr. Bruce W. Lytle said at a conference sponsored by the American College...

A 'counterintuitive approach': low-dose rTPA helps in hemorrhagic stroke.(recombinant tissue plasminogen activator)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Targeted thrombolysis sped the reduction of clots associated with spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage, Dr. Daniel Hanley reported during a press briefing at the 29th International Stroke Conference. Draining the blood with...

Data from Framingham Offspring Study: cognitive deficits linked to higher 10-year stroke risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Up to 10 years before they have a stroke, certain individuals show deficits in specific areas of cognitive performance that could suggest an elevated stroke risk, researchers reported at an American Medical Association briefing on...

Risk is 1:6 in men; Women age 55 + face 1:5 lifetime risk of stroke; higher than for men.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Women aged 55 and older have a 1 in 5 chance of developing a stroke during their lifetimes, while the risk for men in the same age group stands at 1 in 6, Dr. Sudha Seshadri said at the 29th International Stroke Conference. ...

Risk factors, early diagnosis: experts bracing for West Nile virus, 2004 edition.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- As public health authorities prepare for the possibility of another epidemic of West Nile virus this summer, researchers are racing to piece together the clinical, pathologic, and epidemiologic puzzles that the virus presents. ...

Pravastatin of some help in short trial: tough to curb PI-induced hyperlipidemia in HIV.(Infectious Diseases)(protease-inhibitor)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Pravastatin modestly reduced elevated lipoprotein levels in patients being treated for HIV with protease inhibitors in the first double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the statin in these patients, Dr. James M. Sosman said...

Drug effects unclear: CV risk increases with combo therapy for HIV.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Three studies provided additional evidence of an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral regimens but left unclear whether the drugs have any direct effect on...

Antiretrovirals not associated: traditional hypertension risk factors at play in HIV-positive patients.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Rising blood pressures or hypertension were associated with traditional risk factors--male sex, older age, and a higher body mass index--but not with the use of antiretroviral drugs in a study of 16,002 patients with HIV, Dr....

Vulvovaginal epithelium: local immunity may influence C. albicans.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... PLAYA HERRADURA, COSTA RICA -- Local immunity at the vulvovaginal epithelium may protect some women from symptomatic Candida infection while promoting symptomatic infection in others, a live intravaginal challenge with Candida albicans has...

The effective physician: treatment of Candida infections.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... Background Candida infections are common in ambulatory and hospitalized patients. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recently released guidelines on treatment of candidiasis. Conclusions Candida albicans is the most common...

Clinical capsules.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2004... Enterovirus Emergence Echovirus type 13 emerged suddenly as a prominent enterovirus in the United States in 2001, underscoring the need for continued enterovirus surveillance, Dr. James A. Mullins of the Centers for Disease Control and...