Internal Medicine Alert
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Antibiotics: Less Is Better, Sometimes
In England, and likely in many other areas of the world, antibiotics are given for longer than necessary. Excessively long durations of antibiotic use do not help patients and risk leading to more resistant infections.
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Is Empagliflozin Safe in Combination with a Neprilysin Inhibitor for Heart Failure?
A prespecified subgroup analysis of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction who were on neprilysin inhibitors before empagliflozin was administered (vs. those not on neprilysin inhibitors) showed the reduction in mortality and hospital admissions for heart failure was not attenuated by concurrent neprilysin use.
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Is Metformin a Wonder Drug?
An analysis of patients taking metformin for diabetes showed they were less likely to report back, knee, neck/shoulder, or multisite musculoskeletal pain.
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What About These T Waves?
The ECG in the figure was obtained from a middle-aged man with new-onset chest pain. How would one interpret this tracing?
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Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab Injection
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab should be prescribed to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (age 12 years and older, weight at least 40 kg) who test positive for COVID-19 and are at high risk for progressing to severe disease and/or hospitalization.
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Compression Garments Effective in Reducing Cellulitis
Researchers examined the benefit of compression garments in patients with lower extremity edema at risk for cellulitis. Eligible patients reported significant edema for more than three months in one or both legs, and a history of two or more episodes of cellulitis in the same leg within the previous two years.
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Low BNP Levels in Up to 16% of Heart Failure Patients
In patients with clinical heart failure and low B-type natriuretic peptide levels, the authors found these patients usually are young and obese, with higher ejection fraction and better renal function.
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How to Safely Open Schools in the Time of COVID-19
Multiple COVID-19 transmission clusters were identified in a Georgia school district, with educators often the index cases. The CDC has provided recommendations for safely opening schools.
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COVID-19 Long-Haulers May Show Signs of Chronic Fatigue, Myalgic Encephalitis
Many patients with COVID-19 will go on to develop persisting symptoms that resemble those of myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, regardless of symptoms experienced at viral onset.
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Is There Bundle Branch Block?
Try to interpret the ECG in the figure without the benefit of any clinical information. What do you see?