Should I Consider Antibiotics in My Patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

July 26, 2012
Should I Consider Antibiotics in My Patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

By Jason Chalifoux

Faculty Peer Review

The story of a patient with multiple office visits due to uncontrolled abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea/constipation is common among primary care doctors and gastroenterologists. The workup is often extensive and rules out many etiologies. After discovering no metabolic, inflammatory, or anatomic pathology, physicians use the Rome III criteria to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a functional bowel disorder that is diagnosed by symptoms of recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort for at least 3 days per month…

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Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

July 23, 2012
Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

Jennifer Lee Dong, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

As we approach the Opening Ceremonies in London this weekend, there has been a great focus on wellness in recent health news. The New York Times reported that the FDA approved a new weight loss drug Qsymia, a combined pill of an appetite suppressant and topiramate . Read on for more breaking news about weight loss and physical activity.

First, though, a theme in medical journals this week surrounds the previously controversial recommendations for prostate cancer screening. In…

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From The Archives – Evolution and Medicine: Why do we age?

July 19, 2012
From The Archives – Evolution and Medicine: Why do we age?

Please enjoy this post from the archives dated January 30, 2010.

Mark D. Schwartz and Julia Hyland Bruno

Jeanne Calment rode her bicycle until age 100, quit smoking at 117, and died in 1977 at 122 years of age in Arles, France. This news-worthy story raises some questions: Why do we age at all? Why don’t we live forever? And many of us are asked by our patients, is old age a disease we can cure?

First, some useful distinctions: Aging is getting chronologically older,…

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Bystander CPR: How Much Does It Help?

July 18, 2012
Bystander CPR: How Much Does It Help?

By Andrew L. Weinstein

Faculty Peer Reviewed

You have just completed a certification course in basic life support and are competent at performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using chest compressions, a CPR mask, a bag-valve mask with impedance threshold device, and an automated external defibrillator (AED), all interventions recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) to improve circulation following a sudden cardiac arrest. On your way home from the training center you see a man collapse and rush over to find him unresponsive, not breathing, and…

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Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

July 16, 2012
Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

By Mark Adelman, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

The U.S House of Representatives voted for the 33rd time last Wednesday to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a largely symbolic move as the prior 32 companion bills were never passed by the Senate. With the realities of roughly 50 million uninsured Americans and healthcare spending accounting for nearly 18% of the US GDP in mind, let us review some recent publications that may improve both clinical care and runaway healthcare spending.

In an online-first publication by the…

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Is a VBG just as good as an ABG?

July 13, 2012
Is a VBG just as good as an ABG?

By Sunnie Kim, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

A rapid response is called overhead. As white-coated residents rush to the patient’s bedside, the medical consult starts to shout out orders to organize the chaos. “What’s the one-liner?” “Whose patient is this?” And of course, “Who’s drawing the labs?” Usually, at this point, the intern proceeds to collect the butterfly needle, assorted colored tubes, and the arterial blood gas (ABG) syringe. If lucky, there’s a strong pulse. The intern pauses, directs the needle, and hopes for that…

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How Bad is Binge Drinking, Really?

July 12, 2012
How Bad is Binge Drinking, Really?

By Patrick Olivieri

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Alcohol is a well-established part of our culture,as a social lubricant or a way to wind down at the end of the day. Recently, however, binge drinking (4 or more drinks for a woman, 5 or more drinks for a man) has been rapidly increasing, with as many as 32% of Americans reporting at least occasional bingeing. Additionally, men have been shown to binge drink 30% of the time when they go out socially.It is well known that alcoholism…

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Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

July 9, 2012
Primecuts – This Week In The Journals

Jenny Gartshteyn, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

It’s the week of July 4th 2012, people gather on the boardwalks and rooftops, fireworks light up the sky – silent tribute to how far art and science have advanced since the first discovery of fireworks in China in the 10th century. Paralleling the advancement in pyrotechnics from year to year is the growing body of medical research and knowledge. In this spirit of progress, let’s review some of the more exciting medical findings from this week.

In this week’s issue…

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