Internal Medicine
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Cytomegalovirus Viremia in Liver Transplant Recipients
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia emerges in the majority of CMV seronegative recipients of liver transplants from CMV seropositive donors, most often within the first post-transplant month. The only independent risk factor identified was increasing donor age. -
Nocardia Brain Abscess
A review of 24 cases of Nocardia brain abscess, two-fifths of which occurred in apparently non-immunocompromised hosts, had variable outcomes, but antibiotic therapy was effective in most. -
Blood Culture Contamination — Risks and Adverse Effects
In addition to identifying several patient risk factors for contamination of blood culture specimens, the authors also highlighted various adverse clinical and financial adverse effects. -
Childhood Diarrhea — Judicious Use of Diagnostic Tests
In the United States, rapid diagnostic testing for panels of potential gastrointestinal pathogens in children increases the yield of identifying rare pathogens, but, overall, does not change length of stay for hospitalized patients or reduce hospital charges. -
Staphylococcal Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: Drop the Rifampin? And the Gentamicin?
In a retrospective study, the investigators failed to find evidence of benefit of adjunctive rifampin therapy in patients with staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis. -
Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infection in the Elderly — Sometimes It’s a Guessing Game
In elderly patients with bacteremic urinary tract infection (UTI), symptoms of UTI were present in only one-third of patients, only four-fifths had fever, and just three-fifths had an early diagnosis of UTI. -
Extensive Loss of Health at Six Months in Survivors of COVID-19
A cohort study from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found many survivors of COVID-19 had significant loss of health six months after their acute illness, with greater risk associated with severity of the acute infection. -
Does Combined Obesity and Depression Treatment Result in Better Quality of Life and Psychosocial Functioning?
This study tracked measures of quality of life and psychosocial functioning in patients participating in a randomized clinical trial with the goal of reducing symptoms of obesity and depression. The authors found that both quality of life and psychosocial functioning significantly increased at six months compared to patients with “care as usual,” but not at 12 months.
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The Safety and Efficacy of Common Herbal and Dietary Supplements in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Part 1
With an increasing number of diabetes cases, clinicians also are encountering more patients who are turning to complementary and alternative medicine to help control their glucose levels. In a 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacist Roles, 35% of 26,157 respondents in the study reported the use of at least one herbal medicine. In all, 3,050 respondents had diabetes, and 41.2% of the respondents reported the use of a dietary supplement.3 The data revealed that respondents with diabetes were associated with higher herbal medicine use when compared to respondents without chronic diseases (41% vs. 34%, P < 0.001). The results also showed that herbal medicine use increased as age increased among the respondents.
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The Effect of Antiviral Drugs on COVID-19 Outcomes and Mortality
The WHO Solidarity Trial Consortium found that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and interferon regimens had “little or no effect” on relevant outcomes.