Rifampin is associated with numerousclinically significantdrug interactions.1-4 New interactionswith rifampin-aswell as rifabutin-continue tobe reported in studies and clinical observations.Here we present highlightsof our recent update on the interactionsthat are most relevant toprimary care practice.5
A 25-year-old man complainsof right hip pain that began earlierin the day when he fell and landedon his hip while playing basketball.He has no other symptoms, and hishistory is noncontributory.
A 60-year-old woman reportsthat she has felt intermittent“fullness” in her face for the past day.This sensation is present when sheis supine on the examination table.She denies shortness of breath, dysphagia,and chest discomfort. Thepatient has a 25 pack-year history ofcigarette smoking.
Allopurinol has been usedto treat gout for well over3 decades. In addition,this drug is prescribed toprevent urate nephropathyin patients who are receiving cancerchemotherapy.
A 67-year-old man with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus presents withleg pain and swelling that began 3 days earlier. Multiple ulcers are noted at thelateral malleolus. His temperature is 38.9°C (102.1°F). Right lower extremitycellulitis is diagnosed, blood samples are taken for culture, and the patient ishospitalized.
An 84-year-old woman with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus isbrought to the emergency department (ED) after an episode of nearsyncope.When emergency medical service personnel initially assessed her,blood pressure was 96/60 mm Hg and heart rate was “slow”; however, shehad no symptoms.
A 74-year-old man with a history ofatrial fibrillation presents to hisprimary care physician with dyspneaof 4 days’ duration. The dyspnea developedwhile he was walking as partof his recovery from back surgery forspinal stenosis 1 month earlier. Hebecame progressively short of breathand was unable to carry out his exerciseprogram.
A 56-year-old woman complainsof right hip pain that has been presentfor several weeks but has recentlyworsened. She denies recent trauma,fever, and increased physicalactivity. She has no history of arthritis,but she does have systemiclupus erythematosus, which a dailyregimen of prednisone, 20 mg PO,has kept in remission. Her medicalhistory is otherwise unremarkable.
An 84-year-old woman presents with a 3-year history of slowly progressivememory impairment accompanied by functional decline. Thepatient lives alone but has been receiving an increasing amount of support from her 2 daughters,who accompany her to the appointment. The daughters first noticed that their mother was havingtrouble driving. About a year ago, she started forgetting family recipes. She also left food cookingon the stove unattended and burned several pans. Currently, the daughters are providing mealsand transportation, assisting with housework, and doing their mother’s laundry. They have becomeincreasingly alarmed because she takes her medications only sporadically, despite the factthat they fill her pillboxes and call her regularly with reminders. Their chief concern is whether itis safe for their mother to continue to live alone.
Exercises that help strengthen themuscles that support the spinemay be especially helpful duringthe postmenopausal years. Theback extension series illustratedin Figures 1 through 5 is anexample of progressively moredifficult exercises that can beperformed several times perweek. These exercises can alsobe performed individually inconjunction with resistance andweight-bearing routines.
Pellets from a BB gun can lodgetoo deep in the flesh to be retrievedwith ordinary forceps.
This reference provides rapid access to a wealth of diagnostic and therapeuticinformation. The text is divided into 5 sections
During the past few weeks, a 14-year-old boy has noticed blood on the proximalnail folds of the second and third fingers of his dominant hand. He deniesany pain or pruritus. The patient is otherwise healthy and takes no prescriptionmedications.
A 13-year-old boy complains ofpain in his right hip. The pain began3 days earlier after he was tackledseveral times while playing footballwith his friends. He was able to walkhome. The pain has increased sincethat time. Although the patient is stillable to walk, he now has a limp andfavors his left leg. The patient isotherwise healthy and has no significantmedical history.
About 30% of American adults are obese, and an additional34% are considered overweight. As the prevalence of obesityincreases, so does the incidence of related medical disordersand mortality. Here a team of experts highlights the clinicalimplications of recent research on obesity.
A39-year-old man is brought to theemergency department (ED)after his car struck a tree. He experienceda transient loss of consciousnesswith a 3-minute episode of retrogradeamnesia at the scene of the accident,despite wearing a seat belt andshoulder harness. He was disorientedto date and place.
Tanisha, 12 years old, comes to your office with left knee pain. Her father says she has complainedfor about 10 days, but she insists that the pain began about 3 weeks ago. When askedabout the quality of the pain, she responds by saying, “It just hurts.” She denies any injury ordiscomfort involving the hip or ankle and direct trauma to the knee. She rarely plays sportsor games that involve intense running or other physical activity. There is no recent history offever or respiratory or GI symptoms.
To improve the results of your abdominalexaminations-while keepingpatients calm-start with yourhand flat in contact with the anteriorabdominal wall.
A 32-year-old man presents to the emergency department(ED) with generalized joint pain of several days'duration, which he believes is a sickle cell crisis similarto others he has had. He says that 4 to 6 mg of oralhydromorphone usually relieves the pain of these crises,but he recently ran out of his medication and is unableto contact his primary care physician because she ison vacation. He frequently interrupts to ask for a 6-mghydromorphone injection.
To reduce the terrible nausea andvomiting associated with chemotherapy,have patients drink club soda withlemon or lime an hour before mealtime.
