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Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

August 14, 2017
Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

By Jonathan Whitehouse, MD

Peer Reviewed

In New York last week, Mayor de Blasio announced a plan to tax wealthy New Yorkers in order to raise funds for our enfeebled subway system.  It was seen by many as a direct political clash with Governor Cuomo over funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, at a time when the subways are plagued by delays and cancellations, and when both politicians are preparing for elections (1). Other well-documented problems include an “antiquated signal system, severe overcrowding, and trains …

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Tales of Survival: Fighting Words

August 11, 2017
Tales of Survival: Fighting Words

By Rachael Winchester-Hayes, MD

Political friends and foes alike were shocked last month when Senator John McCain’s office announced his diagnosis of glioblastoma after what was thought to be a minor surgery for removal of a blood clot. Watching the reactions unfold on social media, I was struck not just by the bipartisan showing of support – perhaps the first bipartisan action since the election – but also by the combative language used in the tweets, Facebook posts and even official statements.  The White House …

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Are Electronic Cigarettes Safer Than Traditional Cigarettes?

August 9, 2017
Are Electronic Cigarettes Safer Than Traditional Cigarettes?

By Gabriel Lutz

Peer Reviewed

Due to the pervasiveness of television and print marketing of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) in a multitude of flavors and device designs, e-cig use is on the rise in the general population. As physicians, how should we advise our patients looking to quit smoking or those looking for a “healthier” alternative? What does the evidence say about the health risks of e-cigs in first-time smokers?

Generally, e-cigs are composed of a battery and a vaporization chamber that heats a liquid solution …

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Tales of Survival-The Physician’s Stages of Grief (Based upon the Kübler-Ross Model)

August 4, 2017
Tales of Survival-The Physician’s Stages of Grief (Based upon the Kübler-Ross Model)

By Lauren M. Young

Prologue/Narrowing a Diagnosis.  A 61 year-old African American male, with a longstanding history of right knee and lower back pain, presented to the Emergency Department for the fourth time in one month complaining of pain on the right side of his lower back.  He had also fallen – remarkably not the ‘chief complaint’ for this well-muscled, vibrant man who could “walk from Harlem to Coney Island” just a few weeks prior.  He was surprised when recently his knees “just buckled” …

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Can I Safely Use Anticoagulants in my Patient with a Brain Tumor?

August 3, 2017
Can I Safely Use Anticoagulants in my Patient with a Brain Tumor?

By Christopher Sonne, MD

Peer Reviewed

It is the last admission of your admitting night shift. You are called to assess a pleasant, oriented 65-year-old man with lung cancer and metastases to the bone, liver, and brain. You review his history along with his admission labs and imaging, and you quickly feel confident in your diagnosis of a lobar pneumonia. Relieved, tired, the sun peaking through the call window, you begin to put in his orders. Finally, your last task is to choose adequate venous …

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Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

July 31, 2017
Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

By Jiwoon Chang, MD

Peer Reviewed

This past week at the International AIDS Society Conference in Paris, investigators of the mosaic HIV vaccination trial called APPROACH shared their early findings of healthy adults developing immunological responses against HIV after vaccinations . Results from this NIH-funded clinical trial are expected in late 2017, but the preliminary report provides a new hope to protect those at risk of acquiring HIV. This week, our first article evaluates enhanced antimicrobial prophylaxis for HIV patients with low CD4+ count. The …

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Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

July 25, 2017
Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

Kelsey Luoma, MD
Peer Reviewed

Opioid-related morbidity and mortality has reached crisis levels in the United States. According to the CDC, between 1999 and 2014 more than 165,000 people died due to opioid drug overdose . This week, our first article questions whether a multicomponent primary care intervention can mitigate the risk of prescription opioid abuse, thereby potentially saving lives. Next, we’ll review a study on the effects of long-term inhaled corticosteroid use on fracture risk; we’ll compare various non-invasive testing strategies for workup of …

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Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

July 19, 2017
Primecuts – This Week in the Journals

By Cesar Soria Jimenez, MD
Peer Reviewed

In this week’s Primecuts issue, we will be discussing topics related to obesity and its effects on the global population over the past quarter century (the effects are both surprising and worse than you likely imagine), a trial analyzing the potential for a blood serum biomarker to distinguish the infectious etiology of community acquired pneumonia and prevent unnecessary use of empiric antibiotics, and the characterization of a distinct phenotype of heart failure with ejection fraction, a condition that …

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