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During the course of pain management with opioids, the line between relief and complications may be thin. At ACG 2015, the problems and solutions were covered.

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ABSTRACT: Correction of chronic hyponatremia is associated with a very high risk of CNS complications; avoid a rapid increase in serum sodium concentration if you suspect a patient's condition is chronic. Thiazide- or metolazone-induced hyponatremia can develop rapidly-in 1 to 2 weeks-and its only presenting signs may be fatigue and listlessness. Diuretic-induced hyponatremia is 4 times as common in women as in men. Various factors greatly increase the risk of acute hyponatremia after surgery. Hyponatremia that develops after an operation which involves irrigation with a solution of glycine, mannitol, or sorbitol (such as transurethral prostatectomy [TURP] or hysteroscopy) may be hypertonic. An osmolar gap greater than 15 is a clue to this condition. Treatment of hypertonic hyponatremia in post-TURP or posthysteroscopy syndrome may require dialysis and a nephrology consult.

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Cough, fever, diarrhea, and weight loss had disturbed a 52-year-old woman for 1 month. AIDS had been diagnosed 5 years earlier, but she had declined medical treatment. The patient's vital signs were stable when she was admitted to the hospital. Physical examination results were unremarkable except for thrush and mild, diffuse abdominal tenderness.

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After a professional football player died of heatstroke, national attention focusedon heat-related illnesses among athletes. However, many amateur and “weekend”athletes do not fully appreciate the stress that a hot environment places on theirbodies when they exercise. As the popularity of outdoor exercise and sports continuesto grow, the number of persons at risk for heat illnesses increases each year.This book-the first to focus exclusively on exertional heat illnesses-describes howto identify, treat, and prevent these disorders. Among the topics covered are thephysiology of heat stress; classification of heat illnesses; exertional heatstroke; heatexhaustion; exercise-associated collapse; heat syncope; exertional heat cramps; hyponatremia;minor heat illness, such as miliaria and sunburn; and predisposingfactors for exertional heat illnesses. Case reports appear throughout the text. Alsoincluded are reproducible checklists, charts, tables, algorithms, and photographs.

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The differential diagnosis of intrascrotal pathology includes a myriad of benign and malignant entities. Timely detection is imperative to reduce the morbidity associated with many of these disease processes.

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As many as 300,000 sportsrelatedconcussions arediagnosed each year inthe United States.1 Thisfigure underestimatesthe true incidence, however, becausemany concussive injuries are notrecognized by the injured persons,trainers, or physicians. A recentstudy found that 4 of 5 professionalfootball players with concussionwere unaware that they had sufferedthis injury.2

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A new era in hepatitis C treatment began in May 2011, with approval of telaprevir and boceprevir. They are effective only for some patients, but new and better options are well on their way to the clinic.

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The authors present a case in which the initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), which is a rare presentation that carries a high risk of death. The patient failed to respond to standard therapy but was successfully treated with plasmapheresis.

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ABSTRACT: Many patients with osteoarthritis (OA) try such complementary therapies as special diets, nutritional and herbal supplements, yoga, t'ai chi, magnets, and acupuncture-but only 40% of these patients tell their physicians. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate can produce at least symptomatic relief; in addition, glucosamine (1500 mg/d) may increase or stabilize cartilage in osteoarthritic knees. Alert patients to the potential toxicities of many herbal remedies, as well as the risks of harmful drug interactions and possible contaminants and impurities. Yoga postures may have a beneficial effect on knee OA; t'ai chi may reduce joint pain and swelling and increase mobility. Small studies have shown that applied pulsed electromagnetic fields can reduce pain and improve function in patients with chronic knee OA. Acupuncture has also been shown, in small studies, to alleviate the pain of OA. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation was recently approved for treatment of knee OA. The efficacy and safety of various types of gene therapy are currently being evaluated.

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Dull, intermittent, midepigastric abdominal pain of 1 day's duration prompted a 73-year-old man to seek medical attention. He had no other symptoms.

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Approximately 1 million cases of herpes zoster are diagnosed in the United States every year. Here, a refresher on the virus and a good look at the rash.

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An obese 56-year-old woman was hospitalized after 2 days of chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities, and serial cardiac enzyme studies and an ECG ruled out myocardial infarction. However, transesophageal echocardiography showed a lesion in the mediastinum.

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abstract: Pulmonary disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) can be challenging to diagnose and manage. Patients typically present with nonspecific symptoms, such as cough and fever, and they often have underlying lung disease, which further complicates both diagnosis and treatment. To avoid treating pseudoinfection, the diagnosis should be based on a combination of the history and results of physical examination, radiographic imaging, and smears and cultures of at least 3 sputum samples. Occasionally, it is necessary to perform bronchoalveolar lavage or obtain tissue via transbronchial or open lung biopsy for histopathology and to assess for tissue invasion. Treatment involves a long course of often costly multiple antimycobacterial drugs. However, treatment with the second-generation macrolides, clarithromycin and azithromycin, has significantly improved cure rates for specific NTM infections. (J Respir Dis. 2007;28(1):7-18)

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Which treatment approaches are effective in a woman who has persistent or refractory vaginal trichomoniasis? Should the male sex partner of a patient who has recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis be treated? Answers to these and other questions can be found in the recently updated CDC guidelines on managing sexually transmitted diseases

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A 63-year-old African American man presented with severe epigastric pain of 1 day's duration. The pain was sharp and continuous and radiated toward the left flank. There were no aggravating or relieving factors or previous similar episodes.

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A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with diplopia and headache of acute onset accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

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A thin 26-year-old man has hadintermittent diarrhea with abdominalpain, nausea, vomiting, and occasionalepisodes of hematochezia for8 months. He also complains of weaknessand fatigue and has lost 4.5 kg(10 lb) in the past year. The patientis homosexual and admits to havinghad unprotected sexual intercourse.He denies any significant travelhistory.

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Microscopic polyangiitis is a potentially fatal disease if it is notrecognized and treated early. In the case described here, what initiallypresented as a postinfectious residual cough was actuallyactive pulmonary hemorrhage, severe anemia, and a crescenticglomerulonephritis. Significant improvement was achieved withhemodialysis and aggressive treatment with corticosteroids andcyclophosphamide. This case exemplifies a classic presentationof microscopic polyangiitis and demonstrates the importance ofan expeditious diagnostic evaluation and early treatment to preventrapid deterioration. Early recognition and highly aggressiveimmunosuppressive treatment achieved significant suppressionof the disease.

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Our goal here is to help you master the shoulder examination. We review the basics of the examination, and we evaluate emerging concepts in the diagnosis of the more common shoulder conditions.

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Because the causes of syncope are numerous and the diagnostic tests have low yield, this disorder is often difficult to evaluate. Here we describe a practical approach to the workup that can help you rapidly identify serious underlying pathology. We also discuss treatment of the most common causes of syncope.

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"Typical aura without headache" is a relatively rare headache diagnosis and not easy to make. Three leading headache specialists offer guidance on how to recognize and treat.

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Although it has been evident since the early days of the HIV epidemic that a dementing illness often accompanies HIV infection and that the virus invades the nervous system soon after systemic infection, the clinical syndrome has evolved with the introduction of antiretroviral therapy.

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Traumatic hemothorax usually results from penetrating or contused thoracic injuries that lead to rib fracture and damage of intercostal or pulmonary vessels. Hemorrhagic shock can occur with massive blood loss into the pleural space. The shock state may be exacerbated by decreased venous return.

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A54-year-old white woman presentswith extremely tender,firm lesions on the right hip and legsthat have been increasing in size andnumber over the past few months.

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Unilateral agenesis of the hemidiaphragm is a very rare congenital anomaly. We present the case of an adult who was evaluated for persistent cough. Unilateral agenesis of the diaphragm was an unexpected finding on a chest radiograph.

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In recognition of Valentine's Day, we present 2 incidental heart-shaped findings we encountered within the hearts of 2 patients during 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic studies.

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A 34-year-old woman who was coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus complained of acute abdominal pain and generalized pruritus of 3 weeks' duration. She was noncompliant with her antiretroviral medications.

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Antiretroviral Therapy: Darunavir: An Overview of an HIV Protease Inhibitor Developed to Overcome Drug Resistance

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For the past 7 years, a 32-year-old African-American man had multiple nonpruritic scalp abscesses. He also reported intermittent fever and joint pain. The abscesses had been drained on many occasions, and he had received several antibiotics, although no organisms had been isolated. Collagen vascular disease, SAPHO syndrome (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis), discoid lupus, and cutaneous sarcoid had been ruled out. During the past 7 years, he had been treated with prednisone, methotrexate, and hydroxychloroquine without any response.