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Occupational Prepatellar BursitisFor 2 months, a 29-year-old man had pain and circular, soft swelling (7 x 7 cm in diameter) over the anterior left knee, superficial to the patellar ligament. Pain was minimal and associated with extension and flexion.
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Middle-Aged Man With Wedge-Shaped Growths in Both EyesA 45-year-old man of Hispanic ancestry presents for evaluation of what he describes as a "growth in both eyes." This growth has been present for some time; however, it has recently become more prominent. The patient has had mild redness and irritation in both eyes, but he denies any change in vision.
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How to Improve Outcomes in African Americans and Hispanics With AsthmaIn general, asthma-related morbidity and mortality are greatest among members of ethnic minority groups who live in the inner cities; about 5000 deaths occur in these populations each year in the United States.
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Vin Rose UrineA 17-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea approximately 9 hours after swallowing 25 tablets (200 mg each) of iron sulfate in a suicide attempt. Her vital signs were within normal limits. She was mildly lethargic; stool was hemoccult-positive.
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Octogenarian With Low Back Pain and an Enlarged SkullAn 81-year-old woman is hospitalizedwith localized nonradiating low backpain of 3 weeks’ duration. She has nohistory of trauma, weakness of the legs,or urinary or bowel incontinence.
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Hyperpigmented Macules: Lines of BlaschkoLines of Blashko may represent normal embryonic movements of the skin during embryogenesis.
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A Young Boy With Painful, Erythematous Nodules on Lower ExtremitiesA 5-year old boy presented with these nonpruritic nonsupurrative painful erythematous nodules on his lower extremities. The rash had appeared about 1 week after the onset of a dry hacking cough.
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Replacing the ACA: A Battle was Won, But the War Isn't OverAmerican College of Physicians leaders call for steady opposition to the administration's proposed replacement of the Affordable Care Act.
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Economic Burden Associated With Parkinson DiseaseThe objective of this study was to estimate the annual cost burden of Parkinson disease (PD) in the United States. Resource use and cost profiles were developed using all-payer statewide hospital discharge data from 6 states; emergency department visit, long-term–care, and national survey data; fee schedules; and published study findings. (Average direct and indirect costs per patient were calculated in 2007 US dollars.) The annual cost per patient was $21,626 (direct cost: $12,491). When applied to the US PD population (N = 500,000), the annual average cost was approximately $10.78 billion (direct costs, $6.22 billion; indirect costs, $4.56 billion). PD has substantial economic consequences for patients and their families, insurers, and society. (Drug Benefit Trends. 2009;21:179-190)
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Various Manifestations of Rheumatic Disorders: Case 6 Progressive Systemic SclerosisFor several months, a 70-year-old woman had had dysphagia,mild dyspnea on exertion, and the Raynaud phenomenon.Her skin was waxy and edematous; 2- to 10-mm pinkishspots had appeared on her fingers, palms, and oral mucousmembrane over the past 2 weeks. These disappearedcompletely with pressure. Subcutaneous calcific depositswere present on the extensor surfaces of the forearms.
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Pay Attention to How Doctors TalkSlang is a window into the healthcare culture, this physician-author says.
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Boy With Extraordinarily High Blood Lead LevelsA 9-year-old asymptomatic boy was referred to our tertiary care facility with a blood lead level (BLL) of 59 μg/dL. A diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which was managed with amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, had been made when the patient was 6 years old.
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Raynaud Phenomenon as a Manifestation of Systemic DiseaseThe young female presented with a 1-month history of violaceous papules, petechiae, and healing ulcerations on the distal digits of both hands and feet.
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Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Recognizing Telltale Skin Lesions Disseminated Gonococcal InfectionTelltale skin lesions of syphilis, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus infection, and Haemophilus ducreyi infection.
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Giant Bullous EmphysemaA 54-year-old man presented to the ED with palpitations identified as atrial flutter and RVR. Medical history included stage IV renal-cell carcinoma, end-stage COPD, NYHA class IV heart failure, and recent pulmonary embolism. A CT scan of the thorax was ordered.
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Chronic Cough in Children: An OverviewThe prevalence of chronic cough is reported to be 5% to 7% in preschoolers and 12% to 15% in older children. Diagnosis and management can present challenges.
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Economic Evaluation of a Prior Authorization Program for Biologic Response ModifiersSpecialty medications constitute the fastest-growing segment of drug spending under the pharmacy benefit. This study evaluated the impact of a specialty pharmacy prior authorization (PA) program on prescription drug costs for biologic response modifiers (BRMs) used in the treatment of persons with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and other spondyloarthropathies. A retrospective, case-control, one-to-one matching approach based on patient age, sex, and client characteristics was used. Case clients were enrolled in the specialty pharmacy PA program from January 1 through December 31, 2005. The control group consisted of clients who were not enrolled in the program during this time. The average costs per eligible member per month (PMPM), for the total, plan, and member were $1.32, $1.29, and $0.03, respectively, in the case group, and $1.44, $1.41, and $0.03, respectively, in the control group. Clients who implemented the specialty pharmacy PA program for BRMs saved an estimated total cost of $0.12 PMPM. Implementing a specialty pharmacy PA program reduced BRM costs. (Drug Benefit Trends. 2008;20:26-31)
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Colorectal Cancer Screening: Which Tests, How Often?ABSTRACT: Screening options for colorectal cancer (CRC) include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or double contrast barium enema every 5 years. In white patients at average risk, screening should begin at age 50; in African American patients, at age 45. Colonoscopy is preferred to sigmoidoscopy because it can detect proximal neoplasms and has the longest protection interval. High-risk patients include those with a family history of CRC or adenomas. These persons should begin colonoscopic screening at age 40, or 10 years earlier than the age at which CRC or adenomas were diagnosed in a first-degree relative. Other high-risk patients are those with a personal history of CRC, a genetic syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease. In patients with CRC, the first follow-up colonoscopy is performed 1 year after surgery. If results are normal, the interval can be extended to every 3 years.
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Multiple Symmetric LipomatosisThe multiple, symmetrically distributed, soft, nontender swellings on the shoulders and torso of a 56-year-old Hispanic man are characteristic of multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL), also known as Madelung disease or Launois- Bensaude syndrome.
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Severe Hypersensitivity Reaction to Antituberculosis MedicationsA66-year-old white man with tuberculosis of the shoulderjoint had a severe hypersensitivity reaction to antituberculosismedications. Symptoms included development of pulmonaryinfiltrates, hepatic dysfunction, renal insufficiency, andneutropenia. The patient improved after the medicationswere withdrawn. [Infect Med. 2008;25:287-291]
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Pseudo-MI in a Patient with Pancreatitis and Polyarteritis NodosaA 38-year-old man with a history of alcoholism, intravenous drug use, and cerebrovascular accident was referred for assessment of possible endocarditis, based on history, fever 39 °C (102.9 °F) and mildly elevated troponin level.
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A Right Adrenal SerpentA large right adrenal mass was noted incidentally on an MRI scan of the lumbar spine, which had been performed for other reasons in a 55-year-old non-obese woman. The bright heterogeneous mass (T2-weighted image) measured 6.2 3 6.2 3 4.1 cm and sat like the head of a serpent on the superior pole of the right kidney. Its margins were smooth, but signal intensity was increased on T2 weighting because of high water content. The left adrenal gland was normal.
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Man With Progressive Induration of the Skin and PruritusA disorder similar to scleromyxedema, nephrogenic fibrosing dermatopathy, has been reported in patients receiving renal dialysis. Lichen myxedematosus, an atypical form of papular mucinosis, is not associated with sclerosis and paraproteinemia; however, it may represent an early presentation of scleromyxedema.
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Drug Therapy in the Elderly:Numerous factors put elderly patients at risk for adverse drug events. On average, they take at least 6 medications a day, which increases the likelihood of drug-drug interactions. In addition, many drugs that are safe and effective in younger patients are inappropriate for older persons because of age-related changes and comorbid conditions that affect absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. First-pass metabolism decreases with age, which may increase systemic absorption of some oral nitrates, ß-blockers, estrogens, and calcium channel blockers. The age-related rise in body fat increases the volume of distribution of lipid-soluble compounds, such as diazepam, and prolongs clearance. About two thirds of elderly persons have impaired kidney function; in these patients, the dosage of renally excreted drugs-such as digoxin-needs to be reduced. Other strategies for avoiding adverse drug events are detailed here.
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Exploring the link between nasal allergy and sinus infectionAbstract: There is solid evidence that a positive association exists between nasal allergy and acute or chronic sinusitis in both adults and children. Patients with perennial allergic rhinitis--especially those with significant sensitivity to molds and/or house dust mites--are particularly susceptible to acute sinusitis. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that controlling rhinitis by controlling allergens in the home environment will minimize recurrences of acute sinusitis. Conversely, many patients with chronic sinusitis also have nasal allergy. Thus, management of nasal allergy should be included in the treatment strategy for chronic sinusitis. (J Respir Dis. 2006; 27(10):435-440)
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Intoxication with street drugs: Cocaine and amphetaminesCocaine and amphetamine intoxication continue to be common causes of emergency department and hospital admissions.
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A Middle-Aged Man With Recurrent Pneumonia and Renal FailureA 56-year-old was seen in the ED after 4 days of hemoptysis and intermittent left chest pain. He also complained of exertional dyspnea and arthralgias. He had been treated for “pneumonia” twice during the past month. Histories were unremarkable.
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Varicella-Zoster Virus InfectionAre these tender, vesicular erythematous lesions symptomatic of HIV/AIDS? Of Ramsay Hunt syndrome? Of herpes simplex or varicella-zoster virus? What's your diagnosis?
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Sebaceous CystA painless swelling on the dorsum of the scalp had been present for many years in a 36-year-old man. An increase in the size of the lesion prompted the man to seek medical evaluation.
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A case of miliary TB complicated by ARDS and pancytopeniaWe present a case of a 35-year-old man with fever and pancytopenia, who had rapid progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy secondary to disseminated tuberculosis (TB). Although both sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid smears were negative for acid-fast bacilli, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay on the BAL fluid was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This case emphasizes the need to include TB in the differential for ARDS and the value of PCR testing of BAL fluid, especially in high-risk patients.
