Internal Medicine Alert – December 30, 2017
December 30, 2017
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Procalcitonin to Guide Antibiotic Therapy for Acute Respiratory Infections
The authors of this meta-analysis reviewed patient-level data on 6,708 patients from 26 randomized studies that examined procalcitonin-directed antibiotic therapy for acute respiratory tract infections. They found a 1% reduction in mortality and a 2.4-day reduction in antibiotic exposure for the procalcitonin-directed therapy groups. How procalcitonin can be incorporated into routine clinical practice, in what settings, and whether it is cost-effective are still unclear.
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Migraine With Aura, Stroke Risk, and Biomarkers
The authors of a longitudinal cohort study of twins found no increased stroke risk related to migraine overall, but there was a modestly increased risk for stroke related to migraine with aura. Familial factors and vascular biomarkers associated with migraine with aura may explain its correlation with vascular disease.
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Cardiac Stenting No Better Than Aggressive Medical Management for Stable Angina and Single Vessel Disease
Investigators conducted the first blinded, randomized trial comparing percutaneous coronary intervention with medical management.
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Abemaciclib Tablets (Verzenio)
Abemaciclib is indicated in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following endocrine therapy.
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Clinical Briefs
In this section: considering cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality; searching for answers on knee osteoarthritis; and comprehensive treatment for atopic dermatitis.