Internal Medicine Alert – June 15, 2013
June 15, 2013
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Chest Pain and Dyspnea? Taking Steroids? Think PE.
Corticosteroid use is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic pulmonary embolism. The greatest risk is in the first 30 days of use and increases with increasing steroid dose. -
Stroke Prevention by Screening for Atrial Fibrillation
Stepwise risk factor-stratified screening in an elderly population using a handheld ECG device detected a significant number of patients with silent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. -
Infections May Play a Role in Cognitive Decline, Dementia
This study reports an association between infection burden and dementia, although the relationship may not be causal. -
Pharmacology Update: Fluticasone Furoate and Vilanterol Trifenatate Inhalation Powder (Breo Ellipta)
A new combination of an inhaled corticosteriod and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist has been approved for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Food Allergy in IBS: Patch Testing; A Relationship Between Atrial Flutter and Sleep Apnea; Beyond Hypertension: Metabolic Effects of Telmisartan -
ECG Review: Fatigue in a Cancer Patient: Acute STEMI?
The ECG shown above was obtained from a 60-year-old man undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for lung cancer. -
Pharmacology Watch: Do Perioperative Beta-Blockers Reduce Mortality?
Beta-blockers and noncardiac surgery; prenatal medication exposure and risk of autism; reasons for statin discontinuations; and FDA actions.