Opioid Overdose: New Demographic Data Reveal Related Comorbidities
October 22nd 2013A significant proportion of patients who visit emergency departments (EDs) with opioid overdoses (ODs) also suffer from comorbid mental health disorders, circulatory diseases, and respiratory diseases, according to the results of a new study presented on October 14, 2013, at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting in Seattle.
Why You Shouldn’t Ask “What Do You Mean, Dizzy?”
October 18th 2013Here: a fruitful approach to the evaluation of dizziness that focuses on timing, triggers, and associated symptoms, followed by a complaint-directed physical exam with special attention to specific germane aspects of the neurologic exam and (when indicated) selective testing.
Breakthrough at ACG 2013: Oral-Only Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C
October 17th 2013Data 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.
Black-Boxed Drugs We Still Use: Weigh the Risk
October 17th 2013The “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.
Antibiotic Prescriptions for ARIs More Likely at Day’s End
October 12th 2013An IDWeek 2013 poster presentation quantified clinician fatigue with the finding that Boston-area primary care physicians were more likely to prescribe antibiotics for ARIs at the end of the day than when they were fresh on the job in the morning.