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The prevailing theory of clostridium difficile transmission is that most cases occur after recent exposure to symptomatic patients in health care settings. Infected patients are known to shed large numbers of C. difficile spores and current infection control recommendations focus on preventing spore transmission from the environment through contact precautions and decontamination of surfaces and equipment. However, the rate of C. difficile infection (CDI) continues to increase, bringing into question the effectiveness of these methods.
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Periictal headaches are frequent, severe, and undertreated, and can be predicted by younger age at epilepsy onset, drug polytherapy, and tonic-clonic generalized seizures.
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Obesity in the United States is an epidemic affecting approximately 72 million Americans. Individuals with body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2 have nearly a 100% increased risk of premature death as well as increased risk of developing more than 40 obesity-related diseases. With the recent recognition by the American Medical Association that obesity is a disease, it is incumbent upon primary care physicians to address our obese patients in a disease-model.
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This study provides clinicians with valuable guidance on a technique by which insulin therapy may be intitiated and intensified using a safe, timely, and rational therapeutic approach.
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The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released new guidelines for preventing heart disease and stroke. Dr. Crawford provides expert opinion and commentary on why these new guidelines are so important.
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In this study comparing the prevalence of silent cerebral ischemia (SCI) and cognitive performance in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and controls in sinus rhythm, the authors concluded that patients with AF had more SCI and worse cognitive function than matched controls in sinus rhythm.
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This long-term epidemiological study shows an association between glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease. Cup to disc ratio, but not elevated intraocular pressure, is a risk factor for dementia.