March 15, 2014

Clostridium difficile infection is a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The most practical testing options are rapid testing with nucleic acid amplification or enzyme immunoassays to detect toxin, or a two-step strategy. Treatment includes discontinuing the…

Intrauterine devices are highly effective, well tolerated, and appropriate for most women, including nulliparous women, adolescents, and women who are breastfeeding. As with other forms of contraception, there are side effects that should be discussed with the patient. Other…

Elder mistreatment includes intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or trusted person that harm a vulnerable older person. Although the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found insufficient evidence that screening reduces harm, physicians in most states have professional…

CMS Grants Physicians One-Month Extension on Meaningful Use Deadline | CMS Announces Updated Schedule for Sunshine Act Reporting | Physician Groups Urge Clinicians to Strongly Recommend HPV Vaccination | HHS Rule Expands Patient Access to Laboratory Test Results

IUDs are safe and effective. Physicians with an understanding of IUD procedures and of their benefits and risks are more likely to appropriately counsel their patients.

What are the potential benefits and adverse effects associated with dietary and pharmacologic interventions to prevent recurrence of kidney stones in adults 18 years and older?

Surgery should not be offered to patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis. Cholecystectomy may be beneficial for patients who are at high risk of biliary cancer, infection, or other complications, including younger patients and those with choledocholithiasis, sickle cell…

What are the effects of treatments for chronic tinnitus?

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

The use of a therapy in patients one would intuitively think might benefit, but in whom no benefit has been documented, is called therapeutic creep. The use of proton pump inhibitors for poorly controlled asthma is an example of this phenomenon.

When compared with observation, bracing significantly slows progression of high-risk curves to the surgery threshold (Cobb angle greater than 50 degrees), with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 4 in the randomized portion of the trial. This benefit is greater with more daily…

There has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of celiac disease over the past 50 years, and in the rate of diagnosis over the past decade. Despite this, it remains underdiagnosed in the United States. The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has released…

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