Internal Medicine Alert – March 15, 2011
March 15, 2011
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Buckle Up — and Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep Before You Drive
In a representative sample of Americans, about a third reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep on average, about half reported snoring, and nearly 5% reported falling asleep while driving in the past month. -
Is Vitamin D Important in the Prevention of Dementia?
Severe Vitamin D deficiency appears to worsen dementia and supplementation may be beneficial. -
Physician Communication Practices: Analysis Using Simulation-based Case Content
An encounter with a critically ill simulated "patient" was used successfully to analyze the communication skills of experienced physicians and identify areas for improving communication behaviors. -
Do I Smell a Rat — Smelling TB?
As reported in 2003, the world bank began funding a project to train giant pouched Gambian rats to sniff out tuberculosis (TB) in sputum specimens in sub-Saharan Africa. Rats have been successfully trained to target landmines, and using a similar training/reward technique, pilot data suggested that rats could be trained to detect TB in respiratory specimens. -
Vilazodone Hydrochloride Tablets (Viibryd)
A new antidepressant that combines selective serotonin reuptake inhibition with partial agonism of the 5-HT1A receptor has been approved by the FDA. Vilazodone is marketed by Trovis Pharmaceuticals as Viibryd(TM). -
Clinical Briefs by Louis Kuritzky, MD
The treatment of atopic dermati-tis (ATD) usually is initiated with topical steroids (TPS). Because ATD is a chronic remitting and relapsing disorder and may occupy a large cutaneous area, exposure to TPS can be extensive. -
ECG Reviwe: Has There Been Anterior Infarction?
The ECG above was obtained in the office from an older woman with hypertension and atypical chest discomfort. Has there been anterior infarction, or is this a "pseudo-infarct" pattern?