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Thyroid disease is commonly encountered in primary care practices because it occurs in a significant proportion of the general population. Routine thyroid disease usually is managed by the primary care provider. An understanding of the various diseases, appropriate diagnostic tests, therapeutic options, and complications of therapy is essential for proper management of the many patients with thyroid disorders.
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The National Cholesterol Education Program, a product of a collaboration of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes, the American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association, has updated its clinical practice guideline on cholesterol management.
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This two-part series discusses bacterial skin and soft-tissue infections. Part 1 will discuss bacterial skin infections that quite frequently are encountered in the general practice of medicine and that predominantly are benign in nature. With proper diagnosis and treatment of these entities, no major complication or long-term sequellae should be expected.
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Erythromycin and the Risk of Sudden Death; Vaccine Shortage Putting Americans At Risk; FDA Actions.
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Clinicians have been criticized for prescribing too much, as well as too little, sedation for critically ill patients, especially patients who require mechanical ventilation. Over-sedation may prolong weaning from ventilatory support, increase ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and predispose to development of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Inadequate sedation predisposes the patient to pain and discomfort and can evoke a stress response that compromises recovery.
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In this article, a leading expert in the area of improving health care quality argues that restricting visiting hours in ICUs is neither caring, compassionate, nor necessary.
