Internal Medicine News articles from December 2005

Internal Medicine News archives from December 2005

Physicians push for fee schedule fix.(News)
December 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Doctors will see a 4.4% cut in their Medicare fees under rules announcing next year's fee schedule, unless legislation pending in Congress supersedes those rules. Mark D. McClellan, M.D., administrator of the Centers for Medicare...

Wholesale price increases for selected brand name drugs in patients aged 50 and older.(VITAL SIGNS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Wholesale Price Increases for Selected Brand Name Drugs in Patients Aged 50 and Older Norvasc 5% Lipitor 5% Celebrex 5% Fosamax 4.5% Nexium 3% Flomax 3% Plavix 2.9% Note: Price changes were measured from...

Colonoscopy after polypectomy: too much surveillance; Primary care survey points to overuse.(News)
December 1, 2005... HONOLULU -- A new national survey suggests that most primary care physicians recommend much more aggressive surveillance colonoscopy following polypectomy than warranted by published guidelines, Vikram Boolchand, M.D., said at the annual...

Asthma control dismal in specialist care settings.(News)
December 1, 2005... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Despite being treated by asthma experts and receiving multiple state-of-the-art drugs, a "shocking" number of patients with moderate to severe asthma remained poorly controlled in a large, prospective study. The study...

5-year wait for postpolypectomy surveillance is now deemed safe.(News)
December 1, 2005... HONOLULU -- A 5-year interval before surveillance colonoscopy following removal of a high-risk adenomatous polyp appears to be sufficient, instead of the currently recommended 3 years, Mihir Bakhru, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

CT monitoring cuts mortality in stage II, III colorectal cancer.(News)
December 1, 2005... Updated clinical practice guidelines now call for annual CT scanning of the chest and abdomen in colorectal cancer patients who are at high risk for recurrence and who would be candidates for further resection if metastases were found. An...

Inform patients that colonoscopy may miss 2%-4% of colon cancers.(News)
December 1, 2005... HONOLULU -- Roughly 2%-4% of newly diagnosed colon cancers in a busy gastroenterology private practice had been missed at colonoscopy performed within the prior 36 months, John F. Johanson, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American...

AMA assails voluntary Medicare reporting as burdensome.(News)(American Medical Association)
December 1, 2005... DALLAS -- Predicting more administrative burdens and an eventual mandate on performance measures, delegates at the interim meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates voted to oppose the federal government's plans to...

CDC to offer tools for HIV prevention: new campaign will include free patient education materials and training sessions for physicians.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
December 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer new tools in early 2006 for health care providers who treat patients with HIV, to improve prevention of viral transmission. Of the approximately 40,000 new HIV...

Syphilis rates continue 5-year rise, driven by male-to-male sex.(News)
December 1, 2005... The rate of syphilis infection in the United States continues to rise, with an 8% increase in the number of reported cases in 2004, compared with 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. In 2004, the national...

Urban areas with the highest syphilis rates in 2004.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Urban Areas With the Highest Syphilis Rates in 2004 Cases per 100,000 Population San Francisco 45.9 Atlanta 34.6 Baltimore 33.2 New Orleans 16.4 St. Louis 14.1 Detroit 13.5...

Manage mass casualties with a certain PRIDE.(Situational Awareness, Gather a Group and Yell, Plan Rapidly, Issue Directives, and Execute)
December 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Every physician should consider how he or she would manage as the only medical professional in a mass-casualty situation, Lt. Cormac J. O'Connor, MC, USN, said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians....

FDA: transplanted tissue may have been substandard.(News)
December 1, 2005... Human tissue that did not meet federal standards for donor eligibility may have been transplanted into patients from early 2004 to September 2005, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Biomedical Tissue Services Ltd., of Fort Lee,...

Truth decay at the FDA.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2005... In March, a college student with known congenital heart disease died while mountain biking in Utah. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that an implanted defibrillator, which should have prevented his death, was found by the manufacturer to...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2005... In the article "FDA Panel Gives Guarded Okay to Inhaled Insulin," (Oct. 1, 2005, p. 36) a unit of measurement was incorrect in a statement about pulmonary function testing. The sentence should have read, "Pulmonary function testing revealed...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)(Cartoon)
December 1, 2005... "If smoking relaxes you, then don't quit. Being dead is very relaxing."

FDA decisions raise concerns.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I am writing to express my admiration and support for Susan F. Wood, Ph.D., who described how the Food and Drug Administration has delayed approval of over-the-counter status for the Plan B emergency contraception ("Science, Medicine, and...

Obstetric medicine is a team effort.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I am writing to thank your newspaper for the attention it has brought to the field of obstetric medicine, but also to provide some very important clarifications ("Obstetric Medicine: Niche for Internists," Oct, 15, 2005, p. 1). As your...

You gotta give to get.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... Your story quoted Annie Moore of the United Network for Organ Sharing as saying that federal law requires UNOS to take only medical criteria into account when organs are being allocated ("Live Organ Donors Sought via Internet," Nov. 1, 2005, p....

Should pharmaceutical companies be allowed to pay for residents to attend educational meetings?(PRO & CON)
December 1, 2005... YES While I don't support pharmaceutical company-sponsored vacations for our residents, I do think it's appropriate to use unrestricted educational grants from these companies to pay for residents to attend important education events, such...

Diabetes drug muraglitazar faces major hurdle: despite a recent FDA approval letter, cardiovascular safety concerns may halt development of the drug.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... It would take approximately 5 years to complete a trial to satisfy the Food and Drug Administration's concerns about the cardiovascular safety of the investigational diabetes drug muraglitazar, according to a statement issued by Bristol-Myers...

Endocrinologists weigh in regarding 'metabolic syndrome'.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology have weighed in on the growing debate surrounding the term 'metabolic syndrome' by reaffirming their 2003 position statement regarding what they...

Diabetes lags artery disease as CVD risk raiser.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Type 2 diabetes, by itself, does not boost the risk of cardiovascular events. It is only when type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease coincide in a patient that diabetes raises the risk, according to findings from 750 patients....

Three lipid measures said to signal risk for type 2 diabetes.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Three lipid markers were strong predictors of the future risk of type 2 diabetes in a study of 362 patients who were assessed prior to undergoing coronary angiography. High serum levels of triglycerides, low levels of HDL...

Acarbose cuts MI risk in type 2 diabetes.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Acarbose markedly reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a metaanalysis of seven randomized trials, Dieter Petzinna, M.D., said at a meeting sponsored by the International...

Amputation rates per 1,000 diabetic population.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Amputation Rates per 1,000 Diabetic Population Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Repeat radioactive iodine often a tough call.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2005... CHANTILLY, VA. -- Thyroid cancer patients who have received radioactive iodine ablation after thyroidectomy and who later have a negative whole body scan for thyroid cancer probably do not need to receive radioactive iodine therapy if their...

Monitor TSH level after radiotherapy to neck.(Endocrinology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DENVER -- Hypothyroidism occurs in up to half of patients within 5 years after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer in which the gland remains outside the primary field of radiation but is included in the low-neck field, said Anna A. Norris,...

Primary hyperparathyroidism.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)
December 1, 2005... Background Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder most likely to be detected by routine serum calcium measurement in asymptomatic patients. Early this year, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the...

Anger, eating disorders, and college.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Anger management may help in treating eating disorders in obese, college-age students of both sexes, reported Jeanne L. Edman, Ph.D., of Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, Calif. Compared with the 88 male subjects, the 102 female subjects...

Weight loss in fibromyalgia.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Behavioral weight loss treatment benefited overweight and obese women with fibromyalgia syndrome, reported Jennifer R. Shapiro, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the University of Albany. State University of New York. In a 20-week pilot study,...

BMI risk: 19th vs. 20th century.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Experts should periodically revise the risk limits for body mass index among ethnically similar populations, as well as among different populations and ethnicities, to keep abreast of changing height, weight, and nutritional intake, reported R....

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Women who have undergone laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding have similar pregnancy outcomes as women in their general community, and they have better outcomes than severely obese women, reported John B. Dixon, MBBS, Ph.D., of the Monash...

Clofazimine rivals chloroquine for SLE lesions.(Rheumatology)(systemic lupus erythematosus)
December 1, 2005... The compound clofazimine was as effective as chloroquine diphosphate in controlling active cutaneous lesions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who participated in a small randomized study. The trial, which involved 33 patients,...

Drugs for Paget's disease yield good results.(Rheumatology)
December 1, 2005... Zoledronic acid and osteoprotegerin were each used to treat patients with Paget's disease with favorable results, according to the results of two recently published studies. The positive outcomes in each of the investigations "bodes well...

Risk of new back pain reduced after teriparatide.(Rheumatology)
December 1, 2005... VIENNA -- The risk of developing new-onset back pain is markedly decreased during and for at least 30 months after stopping teriparatide (Forteo) for the treatment of osteoporosis, Jean-Yves Reginster, M.D., Ph.D., reported at the annual...

Vitamin D deficiency common in patients with osteoporosis.(Rheumatology)
December 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A majority of 1,536 elderly women taking medication to prevent or treat osteoporosis were deficient in vitamin D, a study of community-dwelling patients found. The findings echo the results of a previous study in which...

Folate, [B.sub.12] cut bone fracture risk after stroke.(Rheumatology)
December 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Preliminary evidence suggests that it's reasonable to give poststroke patients supplements of folate and vitamin [B.sub.12] to prevent fractures, Steven R. Cummings, M.D., said at a meeting on osteoporosis sponsored by the...

Vaginal lubricants degrade sperm motility.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Three out of four commonly used vaginal lubricants caused significant decreases in sperm motility in a prospective, controlled study--and it appears that these and other lubricants can impact chromatin integrity as well, Ashok...

NAMS statement supports role for testosterone Tx.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2005... Postmenopausal women with symptoms of decreased sexual desire may be candidates for testosterone therapy, according to a new position statement from the North American Menopause Society. But the group did not go so far as to recommend...

Eszopiclone may limit sleep disruptions due to hot flashes.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Perimenopausal women who took eszopiclone for 1 month experienced significant improvements in sleep problems brought on by hot flashes, results from a randomized trial have found. The drug had no apparent effect on the number...

Free hormone therapy guide.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has released a booklet that provides up-to-date information on the hormone trials of the Women's Health Initiative and summarizes the risks and benefits of hormone treatment. "Facts About...

Diseases women fear most.(DATA WATCH)
December 1, 2005... Diseases Women Fear Most Note: Based on a nationwide survey of about 1,000 women in June 2002 and June 2005. Source: Society for Women's Health Research

When is whole breast irradiation worthwhile?(Women's Health)
December 1, 2005... DENVER -- Whole-breast irradiation coupled with breast-conserving surgery and hormone therapy remains the standard of care in women with favorable early breast cancer, Richard Poetter, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society...

Studies: carotid stenting is safe for octogenarians.(Neurology)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Carotid artery stenting can be successfully and safely done in patients in their 80s, according to two reports at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. But the number of patients in each of the two studies...

Most carotid stent patients in registry were asymptomatic.(Neurology)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- More than half of the patients who underwent carotid stenting at German hospitals last year were asymptomatic, up from 20% of all carotid stenting in 1996, according to a registry with almost 2,000 patients. The asymptomatic...

Stroke death rate worsens at lower BPs.(Neurology)
December 1, 2005... JACKSON HOLE, WYO. -- Physicians may soon have to worry about treating blood pressure that is too low, as well as too high, in acute stroke patients, Latha G. Stead, M.D., told a meeting on high-risk emergency medicine. Her investigations...

Blacks are more likely to survive first stroke.(Neurology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Blacks were about 28% more likely to survive a first stroke than whites, despite being more likely to have preexisting illnesses often associated with poor stroke outcome. The study by Charles D.A. Wolfe, M.D., of King's College, London,...

Gamma knife cuts atypical trigeminal neuralgia.(Neurology)
December 1, 2005... DENVER -- Gamma knife radiosurgery is a well-accepted treatment for classic trigeminal neuralgia, but what's not widely recognized is that it's also quite effective in patients with the atypical form of trigeminal neuralgia, Anil A. Dhople,...

Alcoholism drug promising as tinnitus treatment.(Neurology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Acamprosate, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating alcohol dependence, also may be effective in treating tinnitus. In a randomized, double-blind trial, a large majority of those taking the drug improved,...

Generic of Bactroban approved.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Mupirocin Ointment (USP, 2%) is approved for the topical treatment of impetigo. The ointment is the bioequivalent of Glaxo-SmithKline's Bactroban Ointment, 2%. For more information, contact Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc. by visiting...

Improved CF carrier screening.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The CFplus cystic fibrosis mutation analysis has been upgraded to test for 97 mutations, for improved detection in Hispanic and African American patients. The inclusion of a new mutation CFTRdele2,3 (21kb) is expected to improve detection for...

Rapid heart failure test.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration has granted a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments waiver for the Triage BNP test. The rapid immunoassay tests blood for the presence of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which can be used to diagnose...

Service allows access to device data.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration has approved a novel service that provides access to clinical information from an implanted Medtronic device. CardioSight is designed for use by physicians who regularly care for heart failure patients with such...

Lipitor indication expanded.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) is indicated to reduce the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction in people with type 2 diabetes without evidence of heart disease but with other risk factors. For more information, contact Pfizer Inc. by...

Clonazepam oral tablets.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Clonazepam orally disintegrating tablets (in strengths of 0.125 mg, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg) have been approved, alone or as an adjunct for treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (petit mal variant), akinetic and myoclonic seizures, and...

Extended-release pain relief.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Tramadol HCI extended-release tablets are approved for the management of moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults who require around-the-clock treatment of pain for an extended period of time. The tablets are available in 100-mg,...

Ambien CR approved for insomnia.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ambien CR (zolpidem tartrate extended-release tablets) is approved for the treatment of insomnia. The tablets are available in 6.25-mg and 12.5-mg strengths. For more information, contact Sanofi-Aventis by calling 800-207-8049 or 800-633-1610.

Generic leflunomide approved.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The generic equivalent of Arava (leflunomide) tablets is now approved. The 10-mg and 20-mg tablets are indicated in adults for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis to reduce signs and symptoms and to inhibit structural damage, as...

Stark laws and regulations CD.(PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2005... The American Health Lawyers Association has developed a Stark-related tool to aid in compliance efforts. "The Complete 'Connected' Stark Laws and Regulations" is available on CD-ROM. For more information, contact Lexis-Nexis by visiting...

Oral medication dispenser.(PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The design of the Exacta-Med dispenser prevents the attachment of a luer needle hub or a needleless connector, to help eliminate potential error from wrong-route oral liquid medication administration. For more information, contact Baxa Corp. by...

More events post CABG with early ACE inhibitor.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- The initiation of ACE inhibitor therapy within 7 days of coronary artery bypass graft surgery does not improve clinical outcomes in low-risk patients without a conventional indication for it, Wiek H. van Gilst, M.D., said at the...

Routine use of drug-eluting stents found not cost effective.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Routine use of drug-eluting stents in a real-world patient setting is not good value for money, according to the findings of the first-ever randomized trial that compared drug-eluting stents with bare-metal stents in unselected...

Natriuretic peptide effective, safe in acute heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- A natriuretic peptide was safe and effective for treating patients with acute, decompensated heart failure in a phase II study with a total of 221 patients. Ularitide reduced pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, improved...

Hypothermia risky in heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Body temperature may be a cheap and easy way to gauge the prognosis of patients hospitalized for heart failure, according to a retrospective analysis of data from more than 300 patients. Patients hospitalized for heart failure...

BiDil cuts costs, boosts survival in heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- The cost of fixed-dose isosorbide dintrate and hydralazine is more than offset by decreases in health care resource utilization by African Americans with moderate to severe heart failure, according to a poster presented at...

Sleep apnea linked to family history of premature CAD death.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea are more than twice as likely to have a family history of premature coronary artery disease mortality as are those without the sleep disorder, Apoor S. Gami, M.D., reported at a...

Low-dose coated aspirin inadequate.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Many patients taking daily low-dose enteric-coated aspirin to prevent cardiovascular events show incomplete platelet inhibition, reported Andrew O. Maree, M.D., of the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and his associates. In a study...

ED signals early atherosclerosis.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Erectile dysfunction predicted both the presence and the severity of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in a study of 143 men, independently of traditional CAD risk factors, according to Emilio Chiurlia, Ph.D., and his associates at the...

Black ethnicity a risk factor for PAD.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(peripheral artery disease )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... African Americans have a significantly higher probability of developing peripheral artery disease than other ethnic groups--so much so that black ethnicity "can now be considered a consistent and independent risk factor for PAD at a magnitude...

Dyspnea tied to high mortality risk.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Patients who present for noninvasive cardiac testing with the sole symptom of dyspnea are at increased risk for cardiac death and death from any cause, even if they have no evidence of coronary artery disease or left ventricular systolic...

Early invasive Tx best in non-ST-elevation ACS.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- A routine early invasive strategy in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome has been shown for the first time to reduce the long-term risks of death or nonfatal MI. Five-year follow-up in the Randomized...

Tighter control of lipid levels, diabetes reduces events in ACS.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Patients with acute coronary syndrome who are treated with a high-dose statin and other standard medications still have a high, 13% rate of cardiac events during follow-up, which suggests a need for more interventions to further...

Proteinuria linked to MI deaths.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Patients with proteinuria following a myocardial infarction had significantly worse outcomes than did patients without proteinuria, according to findings in 583 patients. Treatment with an ACE inhibitor was especially effective...

Flank pain: rarely AAA, usually a kidney stone; The odds of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm are very small, but real.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(abdominal aortic aneurysm )
December 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Most patients presenting with flank pain turn out to have kidney stones, but there is a very small but real potential that the cause may be a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, according to Flavia Nobay, M.D., who spoke at the...

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening urged for women.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... The absence of a recommendation to screen women for abdominal aortic aneurysm in the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force statement could mean that as many as one-quarter to one-third of individuals will be missed, according to a new...

Open surgery for pararenal AAA had 2% mortality rate.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2005... Open surgical repair of pararenal abdominal aneurysms can be performed with a 30-day mortality rate of only 2%, according to a patient series from the Mayo Clinic. Between 1993 and 2003, a total of 3,058 open surgical repairs of abdominal...

Topamax/Toprol-XL confusion: a capital offense?(Rx)
December 1, 2005... The most effective way to prevent further confusion between Topamax and Toprol-XL--the brand names of topiramate and metoprolol succinate--would be to change one of their names, according to Michael R. Cohen, president of the Institute for Safe...

Starting antiretrovirals for chronic HIV in adults.(DRUG UPDATE)
December 1, 2005... Gone are the days when anti-HIV drug regimens required taking lots of pills many times per day. The availability of newer medications and combination formulations has made adherence to therapy easier for patients, but clinicians still face...

Home-use antibacterials: high risk, low benefit; An FDA panel found antibacterial detergents and soaps ineffective and environmentally unsound.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2005... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- Several decades' worth of clinical data on antibacterial additives in home-use soaps and detergents has shown no benefit over plain soap and water in reducing infection, the Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel on...

Five unvaccinated Amish children positive for poliovirus in Minnesota.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2005... A small outbreak of poliovirus infection has been reported among unvaccinated children living in rural Minnesota. All cases to date have been linked to the live attentuated virus used in the oral polio vaccine, according to the Minnesota...

Tick-borne Lyme pathogen tied to cutaneous lymphoma.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... LONDON -- Borrelia burgdorferi from tick bites, the causative agent of Lyme disease in the United States, has been linked to cases of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma in certain areas of Europe, reported Rein Willemze, M.D. "It is common...

Group a strep behind most uncomplicated cellulitis.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Don't reach for the vancomycin when you see uncomplicated cellulitis, because in most cases, empiric therapy is still needed to fight the [beta]-hemolytic streptococci, Ramesh V. Nathan, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Alter pneumonia prescribing to fight resistance: patients not likely to have resistance should receive focused therapy with macrolides or ketolides.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- In vitro pneumococcal resistance continues to have a substantial role in guiding antibiotic choices and disease management plans for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, according to Michael S. Niederman, M.D. Many...