April 2nd 2025
A mail campaign targeting adults with chronic conditions as well as their GPs increased the number receiving at least 1 shot by 9.5 percentage points.
Mechanical Ptosis in 39-Year-Old Man
September 14th 2005A swollen, painful eyelid prompted a 39-year-old man to seek medical attention. The patient had noticed swelling, redness, and irritation in his left lateral eyebrow area 2 days earlier. Upon awakening on the morning of his appointment, the left upper eyelid also felt full and tender and was drooping. A pointed draining area of purulent material had formed in the lateral brow region (not visible here). The patient was afebrile and denied any recent periorbital trauma. He was otherwise healthy; his only medication was a daily multivitamin.
Acute Gouty Arthritis in a 56-Year-Old Man
September 14th 2005A 56-year-old man who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol was awakened by an intense burning pain in the right great toe; local erythema and edema were also present. Within hours, the pain became excruciating, and the same symptoms developed in the left great toe. Acetaminophen provided no relief. The patient's serum uric acid level was 8.8 mg/dL.
Acute Pericarditis in an 8-Year-Old Girl
September 14th 2005The mother of an 8-year-old girl sought medical care for her daughter who had complained of intermittent chest pain for 3 days. The patient denied nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There was no shortness of breath, chills, fever, or diaphoresis. Her travel history included 2 trips to Mexico within the past year; the most recent trip ended 3 months before the pain started.
Acute Dilatation of the Stomach
September 14th 2005A 70-year-old man was brought from a nursing home to the emergency department with abdominal distention and vomiting of recent onset and a 2-day history of fever and abdominal pain. The patient had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. His gastric feeding tube, which had been placed via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, was blocked.
Hepatic and Splenic Infarction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
September 14th 2005Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was diagnosed in an 18-year-old man who presented with polyarthritis, fever, hypoxia, fatigue, anemia, neutropenia, and abnormal urinary sediment. A renal biopsy showed diffuse mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (World Health Organization class II). Serologic tests were positive for fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA), SS-A, SS-B, anti-Sm and anti-dsDNA antibodies, and rheumatoid factor; a direct Coombs' test result was positive as well.
Clinical Citations: Predicting antibiotic resistance in invasive pneumococcal infections
September 1st 2005How do you assess the likelihood of antibiotic resistance in patients presenting with suspected pneumococcal infection? Vanderkooi and associates addressed this in a study of 3339 patients with invasive pneumococcal disease. They found that antibiotic use in the 3 months before the onset of infection was the most important risk factor for antibiotic resistance. The single most important risk factor for resistance to a particular antibiotic was previous use of antibiotics from the same class.
Clinical Consultation: The respiratory benefits of vitamin E supplements
September 1st 2005Vitamin E has been evaluated for the treatment and prevention of several different chronic diseases in numerous clinical trials over the past 2 decades. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the potential therapeutic or prophylactic effect of vitamin E on allergic rhinitis and respiratory infections. In contrast to trials on cardiovascular disease, which have failed to demonstrate a benefit from vitamin E supplementation,1,2 there is mounting evidence that this essential vitamin may be useful for prevention of the common cold and treatment of allergic rhinitis.
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis, part 2: CNS involvement
September 1st 2005Abstract: Tuberculous meningitis has several different clinical presentations, including an acute meningitic syndrome simulating pyogenic meningitis, status epilepticus, stroke syndrome, and movement disorders. Cranial nerve palsies and seizures occur in about one third of patients, and vision loss is reported by almost 50%. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) typically shows moderately elevated levels of lymphocytes and protein and low levels of glucose. The demonstration of acid-fast bacilli in the CSF smear or Mycobacterium tuberculosis in culture confirms the diagnosis. CNS tuberculosis may also manifest as intracranial tuberculomas. The characteristic CT and MRI finding is a nodular enhancing lesion with a central hypointensity. Antituberculosis treatment should be initiated promptly when either tuberculous meningitis or tuberculoma is suspected. (J Respir Dis. 2005;26(9):392-400)
Kaposi Sarcoma of the Genitalia
September 1st 2005This painless, bleeding lesion had developed insidiously on the penis of a 47-year-old HIV-positive man. The patient was inconsistently compliant with antiretroviral therapy. He had a history of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and widespread cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma. The 2.5-cm, friable but firm, exophytic nodule was on the distal shaft of the penis.
Lower Is Better Redux: What TNT Tells Us About Aggressive Lipid Lowering
September 1st 2005For years, cardiologists and primary care physicians have engaged in a spirited debate about the appropriate target for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering in patients with coronary artery disease.