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A 74-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer and cutaneous sarcoidosis was admitted after a fall from bed that resulted in a left hip fracture.

An estimated 62 million noninstitutionalized US adults 18 years and older, or approximately 30% of the adult population, have a disability that affects daily activity (Figure 1). About two-thirds (67%) of persons with basic actions difficulty (defined as difficulty with basic movement or sensory, cognitive, or emotional difficulties) are younger than 65 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a CDC division.

When medical professionals think of the health consequences of obesity, we usually think of increased prevalence of coronary artery disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and hypertension. If we think a bit more, osteoarthritis, gallstones, asthma, and sleep disorders come to mind.1 How many of us are aware of the connection between obesity and the increased risk of various mental illnesses and conditions?

Opioid analgesics provide effective treatment for noncancer pain, but many physicians have concerns about adverse effects, tolerance, and addiction. Misuse of these drugs is prominent in patients with chronic pain. Recognition and early prevention of misuse helps physicians identify the causes and proceed with patient care. Most persons with chronic pain have a significant medical comorbidity (eg, asthma) that affects treatment decisions.

In response to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says it is cracking down on insurers that offer private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.

Supermarket pharmacy retailers, including Giant Food, Stop & Shop, Publix, and Wegman’s Food Markets, are offering frequently prescribed antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, bacitracin, and penicillin, at no charge. While the programs are intended to provide customers economic relief during the cold and influenza season, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is urging retailers to offer free influenza vaccinations instead. Because of a significant increase in anti-biotic-resistant infections, the IDSA considers the antibiotic giveaway counterproductive. Most concerning to the IDSA are promotions such as Wegman’s that link antibiotics to the cold and influenza season even though the drugs will have no effect on these viral illnesses and carry risks of adverse effects.

Asthma affects approximately 22 million adults and children in the United States and poses a significant economic burden on the health care system and on employers. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, direct and indirect costs for all forms of asthma totaled $19.7 billion in 2007. Prescription drugs represented the largest single direct cost at $6.2 billion.

Genetic testing to guide initial dosing of warfarin is useful but unlikely to be cost-effective for persons with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, according to a study published in the January 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Principal investigator Mark H. Eckman, MD, MS, professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati, noted that in 2007, the FDA changed the labeling for warfarin, suggesting that clinicians consider genetic testing before initiating therapy. Eckman led a team of researchers to determine whether genetic testing-also known as pharmacogenetic-guided dosing and genotype-guided dosing-is worth the cost. The team combined the results of the only 3 published clinical studies to analyze the extent to which pharmacogenetic-guided dosing decreases the risk of hemorrhage compared with standard induction of warfarin therapy.

A 45-year-old Hispanic man who acquired HIV infection in April 2003 presented with a 24-hour history of worsening right lower quadrant pain accompanied by fever, decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

There is a lot of talk in health care these days about transparency and the need for business practices to be transparent. According to my well-worn Webster’s, the definition of transparent includes: “sheer enough to be seen through; free from pretense or deceit; readily understood; obvious.” We need more transparency in health care, especially as we consider changes in how health care is delivered and paid for. PBMs and pharmaceutical companies are already moving toward greater transparency.

The pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that most commonly presents in persons with AIDS as reactivation of latent infection.

The combined 48th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy/46th Infectious Diseases Society of America Annual Meeting (ICAAC/IDSA) was held in Washington, DC, from October 24 to 28, 2008.

Many clinicians are not screening patients for HIV as a routine part of health care because they perceive testing takes too much time and because many insurers are reluctant to reimburse for the procedure.

Lymphoma is a well-known complication of HIV infection. Such AIDS-defining lymphomas are usually aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, epidemiological data have also linked HIV infection with an increased risk of T-cell lymphoma.

Every think tank and every policy wonk in the country is working on white papers, analyses, proposals, critiques, and plans in the hope that their ideas will be placed before the new president and the new Congress.

Cocaine and amphetamine intoxication continue to be common causes of emergency department and hospital admissions.

These joint deformities occurred in a 61-year-old man with chronic tophaceous gout. The patient had had joint pain and swelling since he was 40 years old; the symptoms began in 2 fingers and were initially mild. He did not seek medical attention. Within 5 to 10 years, joint abnormalities had developed in the fingers and then in the left elbow and right ankle. The toes were not affected. He had no family history of joint pain or swelling. Serum uric acid level was 9.7 mg/dL.

For several months, a 45-year-old woman had ocular irritation, tearing, blurred vision, and swelling of the eyelids in both eyes. During that time, she had been treated for allergic conjunctivitis and blepharitis by several physicians, including an ophthalmologist. Her medical history included lupus and seasonal allergies, for which she was taking hydroxychloroquine and loratadine.