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From the Archives: How Much Do We Know About HDL Cholesterol?

June 20, 2018
From the Archives: How Much Do We Know About HDL Cholesterol?

Please enjoy this post from the archives, dated January 29, 2014

By Gregory Katz, MD

Peer Reviewed

As levels of HDL cholesterol increase, rates of heart disease go down. It’s this fact that has given HDL its reputation as the “good cholesterol,” serving a crucial role in reverse cholesterol transport. According to our models, HDL ferries cholesterol away from our arteries – where its buildup leads to heart disease and stroke – and back towards our liver, safely out of harm’s way. The epidemiology backs …

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A Case of Fatal Colonic Perforation without Abdominal Exam Findings

June 14, 2018
A Case of Fatal Colonic Perforation without Abdominal Exam Findings

By  Christopher Sonne, MD

Peer reviewed

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the pathophysiology of peritonitis secondary to bowel perforation.
2. Understand how classic findings of peritonitis can be absent in some cases of bowel perforation.
3. Recognize bowel perforation as a complication requiring emergent surgical intervention.

Case:

An 89 year-old woman with a history of chronic constipation was admitted for several weeks of severe constipation and abdominal bloating. On initial exam, she exhibited abdominal distention but had minimal abdominal tenderness. Initial CT imaging demonstrated a significant …

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Are Latino Cultural Beliefs Increasing Antibiotic Resistance in the US?

June 8, 2018
Are Latino Cultural Beliefs Increasing Antibiotic Resistance in the US?

By Daniela Rebollo Salazar

Peer Reviewed

In the past ten years, the number of bacterial pathogens resistant to multiple antibiotics has dramatically increased. The emergence of resistant microorganisms is a direct product of the excessive use of antibiotics, as exposure to multiple antibacterial agents provides the selective pressure for the rise and spread of these pathogens.1 Studies have shown that the overuse of antibiotics is a consequence of the increased worldwide availability of these agents and the overprescription of antimicrobials when they are not necessary.1 …

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From the Archives: Is it Time to Skip the Gym?

June 7, 2018
From the Archives: Is it Time to Skip the Gym?

Please enjoy this post from the archives, date January 15, 2014

By Robert Mocharla, MD

Peer Reviewed

No. Sorry. Despite such reasonable excuses as – “I forgot my iPod”, “It’s pouring rain”, or “Game of Thrones is on” — an exhaustive literature search will not reveal a shred of evidence that you or most of your patients should skip daily exercise. However, a subset of your patients should indeed be skipping workouts regularly. The group referred to consists of endurance athletes (e.g. cyclists, swimmers, long-distance …

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Cancer Immunotherapy: A Primer for Clinicians

June 5, 2018
Cancer Immunotherapy: A Primer for Clinicians

By Thatcher Heumann, MD

Peer Reviewed

The Next Big Thing

For many physicians in training, navigating through the numerous anti-cancer agents and keeping pace with the latest treatments can be daunting. Major categories of systemic cancer treatments include chemotherapy (cytotoxic drugs that arrest the cell cycle), hormonal therapy (drugs that inhibit hormone production or bind to ‘starve’ cancers that thrive off of estrogen/testosterone), and targeted therapy (small molecules or monoclonal antibodies that bind to intra/extracellular targets to block tumor angiogenesis/growth factor signal transduction, or mark …

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Core IM: Mind the Gap on Steriods in COPD

May 30, 2018

Let’s take your breath away… with a review of the evidence for steroids in treating COPD exacerbations! How long should you treat for? Is IV better than PO? ||  Written and hosted by Dr. Steve Liu and Dr. Janine Knudsen || Graphic Design by Mr. Ramon Thompson

Time Stamps

  1. How does GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) define a COPD exacerbation? (2:44)
  2. What outcomes do steroids actually improve in treating a COPD exacerbation? (5:08)
  3. What is the evidence behind a 5 day steroid “burst”? (7:20)
  4. Are IV steroids more powerful than PO? (9:00)

Subscribe to CORE IM on any podcast app! Follow us on Facebook @Core IM || Twitter @COREIMpodcast || Instagram @core.im.podcast. Please give any feedback at COREIMpodcast@gmail.com.

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Primecuts- This Week in the Journals

May 22, 2018
Primecuts- This Week in the Journals

By Kevin Zhang, MD

Peer Reviewed

This last week saw yet another school shooting when a student in Texas opened fire on his classmates, killing 10, fueling the ongoing debate about our nation’s gun laws as well as skepticism that any meaningful action would be taken to prevent future tragedies. Perhaps the most poignant comment in came from satirical news site The Onion who wrote, ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Meghan …

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Core IM: 5 Pearls on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy

May 16, 2018

By Daniel Sartori MD, Marty Fried MD, Shreya Trivedi MD; Illustration by Michelle Lo MD and Amy Ou MD. Quiz yourself on the 5 Pearls we will be covering:

  1. Are there diagnostic criteria for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN)? (2:11)
  2. Is there a difference between exposure to intra-arterial versus intra-venous contrast in terms of risk of CIN? (6:28)
  3. What are the biggest risk factors for CIN? (14:48)
  4. What preventive measures have been shown to best reduce the risk of CIN? (19:41)
  5. Can ESRD patients on hemodialysis still suffer from CIN? (23:32)
  6. Recap (25:49)

A special thank you to Dr. Josh Farkas for peer-reviewing this podcast!

Subscribe to CORE IM on any podcast app! Follow us on Facebook @Core IM || Twitter @COREIMpodcast || Instagram @core.im.podcast. Please give any feedback at COREIMpodcast@gmail.com. Read more »