Emphysematous pancreatitis is typically managed with broad-spectrum antibiotics and early surgical debridement. Here, a case that supports more recent evidence for conservative therapy.
Extensive condylomata acuminata are beyond the capacity of all topical therapies. The area was initially treated by carbon dioxide laser ablation, and residual small foci of infection were subsequently treated with topical 5% imiquimod cream.
For a patient with atrial fibrillation whose risk of ischemic stroke is low, is antiplatelet therapy the right choice? A revised risk calculation formula, based on the original CHADS2 criteria, restratifies low-risk patients to further help identify those who may not require oral anticoagulation.
How aldosterone antagonism achieves this reduction is uncertain, but the study highlights this class as an important treatment option to consider in patients with HF and AF.
In the first study to observe the association, Hsu et al found that CD4+ count and viral load were complementary and independently associated with increased incidence of AF in persons with HIV.
Post–hoc analysis of data from the ROCKET-AF trial found similar rates of stroke and systemic emboli after treatment interruption for rivaroxaban and warfarin in 2 out of 3 study cohorts. A very different result was found in the third. More, here.
Could the left atrial appendage closure device, known as the Watchman device, become an alternative to oral anticoagulation for selected patients? Here, more on the 2 trials that have introduced the possibility.
Here: how omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of AF in postcardiac surgery patients; how incident HF can help predict long-term adverse outcomes in patients with AF; and why an old gout drug may help reduce the risk of AF in patients with heart failure.
A recent meta-analysis of beta-blocker use in patients with HF found that the drugs conferred no reduction in rates of mortality or hospitalization among patients with comorbid AF. What are the implications for clinical practice?
During a routine office visit, a 64-year-old woman who has had type 2 diabetes
for more than 10 years complains of increased pedal edema. The edema is minimal
on awakening and worsens throughout the day. More »
This simple technique can quickly reduce leg edema. Instruct the patient to place a chair on a
bed as shown, lay a pillow on the back of the chair, then lie down with legs elevated on the pillowcovered
chair back. (Do not use in patients with congestive heart failure; volume overload and
pulmonary... More »
Heart failure
(HF), the most
common Medicare
diagnosisrelated
group,
has a significant and growing
impact on health care
resources. The incidence
of HF has tripled during the
last decade. Almost 5 million
Americans have HF, and an
estimated 500,000 new cases
are diagnosed yearly. The
lifetime risk... More »
A 58-year-old man recently underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
surgery after emergent cardiac catheterization for a myocardial infarction revealed
diffuse 3-vessel disease. More »
Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves both the length and quality
of life of hypoxemic patients with COPD. It is the only therapy that
clearly increases survival for selected patients with advanced stable COPD. More »
Primary Care Can't Thrive Without Nurse Practitioners Courtney H. Lyder, ND, May 17, 2013 With a projected shortfall of primary-care physicians, it's time for alternate solutions to patient care. Nurse practitioners are one logical remedy.
Emphysematous pancreatitis is typically managed with broad-spectrum antibiotics and early surgical debridement. Here, a case that supports more recent evidence for conservative therapy. 
This compact slide show provides a range of visual presentations of ecchymosis.
Patients with documented atrial fibrillation given intensive yoga instruction had a reduction in symptomatic and asymptomatic AF episodes.
For 3 days, a 30-year-old man had had bilateral flank pain that radiated to the lower abdomen; gross hematuria had accompanied the... 
For 2 days, a 68-year-old woman had watery, yellowish diarrhea with mucus and left lower quadrant pain. Her medical history included... 
A 64-year-old woman with a history of diabetes, hypertension, and lymphoma was admitted to the hospital with a dull headache,... 
A 65-year-old woman with a long history of hypertension treated with metoprolol and felodipine complained of dizziness, headache,... 
A 65-year-old woman experienced dyspnea, dizziness, and left pleuritic pain several hours after falling down a flight of stairs. Shallow... 