Internal Medicine

Implementation of Massachusetts health care reform reduced all-cause mortality and mortality from causes amenable to health care

This 23-year-old man developed these lesions on his feet during a 10-month stay in Nicaragua. Initially he had itching and burning. He has been treated with 3 courses of topical antifungal preparations and there is no significant past medical history other than sweaty feet.

Continuing looking at what has become a pervasive problem in the medical community.

Slam dunking basketball player reports pain in his left foot and undergoes exams to determine the cause of the problem

A 58 year old G2P2, married woman presents to your office for her annual well woman exam. Upon questioning, she tells you that for several months she's been having trouble with urinary leaking. "I just can't seem to get to the bathroom on time and I feel like I go more often than usual." She also has been urinating at least twice during the night. She denies urinary burning or dysuria

This review article of recently reported systematic reviews demonstrates the cancer risks and benefits of taking aspirin over 5 years, finding a benefit beginning after 3 years of use.

Efficacy of anti-inflammatory or antibiotic treatment in patients with non-complicated acute bronchitis and discoloured sputum: randomised placebo controlled trial

This review and meta-analysis assessed whether antiviral treatment given during the acute herpes zoster rash is effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia in patients with a first-time case of shingles.

A look at the impact on of waiting to prescribe medication for respiratory infections

Determining if a child or adolescent has hypertension is complex and requires use of gender, age, and height specific readings. This study used a simplified approach of systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings compared to height as a screening tool for the diagnosis of hypertension in Chinese children.

A recent study found states that allowed the use of medicinal marijuana had substantially lower opioid overdose mortality rates compared with states that do not have medical cannabis laws.

In a somewhat bittersweet result for drugmaker Janssen, a United Kingdom health agency has recommended funding its hepatitis C drug for some patients but not for others.

Researchers from upstate New York have developed software that can detect atrial fibrillation by analyzing video from ordinary webcams.

Thirty-two states now have confirmed cases of Enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68). But that is not cause for alarm, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new numbers are actually older cases. The reporting lag is because the CDC's testing laboratories have been overwhelmed with requests to test specimens.

Increased prevalence of hepatitis C infection among the nation's young is the subject of a new federally funded study underway in New Mexico.

Humira (adalimumab) is now indicated to treat children age 6 years and older with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease who have had an inadequate response to treatment with corticosteroids or immunomodulators.

New research indicates that atrial fibrillation (AF) eliminates the benefits that treatment with beta-blockers otherwise produces in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Organ supply and demand varies sharply by geography in the US. "The status quo is intolerable-there is too much geographic disparity," said Michael Charlton, MD, speaking at a Sept. 16 meeting in Chicago where transplant surgeons and others debated a controversial proposal to consolidate the nation's current regional organ distribution districts. The forum was convened by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization that under a contract with the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) runs the current system of deciding which donor organs go where.

Patients diagnosed with lupus know only too well that the cells in their body are working against them as the condition progresses. Now, researchers at Yale University say they have found a way to take those same cells and use them to help cancer patients.

Study participants who drank moderate amounts of alcohol each week experienced decreased chronic pain prevalence and lower levels of disability compared to non-drinkers.

After conducting a population-based, nationwide cohort study, researchers reported a relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease (CD), and cervical neoplasia.

A blood test can predict what treatment options are best for patients with major depressive disorder, according to a study published in Translational Psychiatry.

A generic version of Gilead Science's hepatitis C drug Sovaldi will be produced in India and sold there and in other poorer countries at what is likely to be a fraction of what it costs in the United States.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current outbreak of the Ebola virus could infect more than one million people if further steps are not taken to help the most severely affected countries.

When you weigh the potential benefits to the patient against the risk of treatment-related adverse effects and drug-drug interactions, most diabetic patients will benefit from treatment with statins.

Otezla (apremilast) is an oral, selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate.

New research from Northwestern University has found that schools are woefully unprepared to deal with anaphylaxis and other life-threatening emergencies stemming from student allergies.

New research indicates that doctors who treat anaphylaxis with intravenous epinephrine rather than intramuscular or subcutaneous injections are increasing the risk that patients will suffer overdoses or other adverse reactions.

Researchers in Wisconsin recently announced the discovery of a gene which could help explain certain traits seen in patients diagnosed with diabetes.

As more studies have demonstrated potential therapeutic applications for marijuana, public opinion regarding medical and recreational marijuana use has shifted. One such study recently published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed medical marijuana is potentially beneficial for digestive disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms.