Internal Medicine Alert – August 15, 2006
August 15, 2006
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Is There Cross-Reactivity Between Penicillins and Cephalosporins?
Cephalosporins should be considered for penicillin-allergic patients due to low cross-reactivity risk, but these patients do have a small increased risk of subsequent reactions to both sulfonamides and cephalosporins. -
Counseling is Better than Drugs for Chronic Insomnia
Chronic insomnia in older adults improved more with objective measures when treated with cognitive behavioral therapy rather than nightly medications. -
Black Cohosh and Menopausal Hot Flushes
Black cohosh, when studied in appropriate randomized trials, is no different than placebo treatment in affecting hot flushing. -
Darunavir Tablets (Prezista™)
The FDA has given an accelerated approval for a new protease inhibitor (PI) for the treatment of HIV infections. Darunavir (TMC114) is approved for patients who have shown resistance to more than one protease inhibitor. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Borrelia persica is the causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). The Borrelia name will be familiar to clinicians because of Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. -
ECG Review: Sinus Tach into PSVT?
The two non-sequential lead II rhythm strips shown in the image were interpreted as showing "sinus tachycardia (top strip) with sudden development of PSVT" (lower strip). -
Pharmacology Watch
Do long-acting beta agonist inhalers increase the severity of asthma? Yes, according to the results from a large meta-analysis recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.