May 2014

A radiograph to detect the presence of a cervical rib should be mandatory prior to thoracic outlet syndrome surgery as a baseline study.

Medical hazards related to the use of health information technology (HIT) currently pose the biggest threat to patient safety, according to the inaugural industry report from the nonprofit ECRI Institute.

A 36-year-old pregnant woman at 27 weeks gestation presented to the obstetrical triage for evaluation of possible abscess due to a lesion on her buttock that first appeared 1 week ago. Since that time, it has become increasingly painful and itchy. Although she denies any systemic symptoms, her pregnancy is complicated by gestational diabetes and obesity. However, she is HIV negative and her other prenatal labs were unremarkable.

Continuing medical education is far too important an endeavor to be subjected to a political process, especially one that is often driven by news headlines or the personal experiences of legislators or influential constituents.

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to primary care physicians treating chronic pain is their perception of inadequacy in managing this patient population.

A significant number of sexually active individuals will become infected with HPV at some point in their lifetimes.

As newer anticoagulants become accepted into clinical practice, it is important to consider their unique properties, potential benefits, and how they act in the coagulation cascade.

A recent study has raised concerns about the use of prescribed anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs, especially given their addictive nature.

Current dietary guidelines promoting high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats are not clearly supported by the medical literature.

Using trained language assistants for 18 structured home visits improved phonological skills and letter knowledge in children with language delay, which has the potential to enhance literacy in this population.

With the US Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of 2 sublingual immunotherapies for allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis, US physicians no longer have to pursue the off-label use of these treatments.

Given the well-known popularity of mobile medical apps among physicians and doctors-in-training alike, new research has gauged the lesser-known impact of the apps on clinical practice.