Internal Medicine

As many as 20% of orthopedic trauma patients are "doctor shopping" for narcotic prescriptions, according to a study released at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting.

With the approval of several new therapies in hepatitis C, by late 2013, the 2011 hepatitis C treatment guidelines were well out of date. A multidisciplinary group of infectious disease specialists and hepatology specialists have changed that with a website offering treatment guideline updates at unprecedented speed.

Psoriatic arthritis drug secukinumab showed sustained efficacy in phase 3 data revealed at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting.

This closed-loop insulin delivery system monitors blood glucose continuously and utilizes an algorithm that senses glucose levels and autonomously delivers the required insulin dose. In contrast, conventional insulin pumps contain computer chips that allow patients to program insulin doses for scheduled delivery throughout the day.

Patients with diabetes often develop thiamine deficiency secondary to elevated blood sugar. This deficiency is so common that some experts have referred to it as an epidemic.

Nearly one-third of the population in the US who have hepatitis C are people who are incarcerated; however, prevalence of the disease among this group has dipped in recent years.

Otezla, an oral therapy for treatment of active psoriatic arthritis, has been approved by the FDA.

Study results show hepatic decompensation is more common in people who have both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to those infected only with HCV, an indication that early HCV treatment among coinfected patients is needed.

Empathy is not an explanation for contagious yawning, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

Rare yet fatal lung infection-causing bacteria come from the same family as tuberculosis, but are not contagious.

Fear avoidance contributes to disability and pain in children with functional abdominal pain but not inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.

For patients suffering from hip bursitis, platelet-rich plasma treatment is more effective than steroids, according to a study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Parental behavior is linked to a child's risk for obesity later in life, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

Scientists are able to predict the body's response to neuropathic pain treatment, according to a study presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Scientists are developing an oral chronic pain suppressant derived from the venom of cone snails.

A survey of US neurologists found that a significant minority is unaware of FDA drug safety updates and many who are aware of the updates fail to act on them.

Specialized cells in the pancreas can regenerate, according to a series of studies from Vanderbilt University.

A 58-year-old woman presented to clinic with concerns about this skin lesion on her upper chest. She reports it has been present for 1 year and is slowly enlarging. The lesion is otherwise asymptomatic and her past history is only significant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for which she takes methotrexate and etanercept.

In a recent pilot study, primary care providers (PCPs) who regularly consulted with pain management specialists through telehealth technology wrote fewer prescriptions for the high-dose, short-acting opioid analgesics that are widely associated with greater rates of addiction and overdose.

The design group Artefact is developing an epilepsy-monitoring device that patients could wear as a sticker or bracelet to track all aspects of their condition.

While the peak of the opioid epidemic may now have been reached (according to some), we are not out of the woods. Every decision to start or continue opioid therapy must be careful, deliberate, and weigh benefit against risk, while keeping in mind that risk is not constant/static, but dynamic and evolves through time.

Statins can cause diabetes, but other side effects are rare, according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

After observing a mother and child with the same disabilities, a team of researchers identified a missing section of chromosome, which proves the disabilities are rooted in genetics.

A once-weekly self-injection pen has been approved by the FDA to supplement diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes patients.

Early warning signs of atherosclerosis and other heart diseases may be evident in women who develop gestational diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Infants with autism who were fed soy-based formula had more seizures than their counterparts fed dairy-based formulas, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that periodontal disease and diabetes go hand in hand.

Patients undergoing two-year gonadotrophin treatment reported significantly improved physical, social, and psychological quality of life scores.

Data show improved survival rates and other outcomes are associated with rapid response when cardiac emergencies occur.

With mounting evidence in support of long-suspected mind-body connections, psychiatrists must consider physical activity as both prevention and treatment.