The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- The Sun Herald reports on how cardiologists in Mississippi have been using the iPhone to diagnose patients more quickly through more rapid access to EKGs and other medical information (Sun Herald)
- The presence of an infection at the time of gluten introduction in childhood is not a major risk factor for celiac disease (Pediatrics)
Technical Articles
- Updated 2009 guidelines on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. This was published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). (Clin Infect Dis)
- A meta-analysis of randomized statin trials revealed a 9% increased risk of diabetes with statin use. The study authors nevertheless add that “the risk is low both in absolute terms and when compared with the reduction in coronary events. Clinical practice in patients with moderate or high cardiovascular risk or existing cardiovascular disease should not change.” (Lancet)
- Successful development of human liver chimeric mouse model for the study of HBV and HCV infections (J Clin Invest)
- Eradication of H pylori may help treat gastric low-grade, B-cell, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol)
The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- The Lancet, a prominent British medical journal, formally retracted the original article that associated the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine with autism. The article, authored by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, had caused mass hysteria among parents who refused to have their children vaccinated, leading to a rise in the incidence of measles. Follow-up studies have however debunked the original hypothesis, and retrospective review by the medical journal reveals “that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield … are incorrect”. (Washington Post)
- Automated telephone outreach does not increase colorectal screening rates (Arch Intern Med)
Technical Articles
- PRORATA trial: Use of the biomarker procalcitonin to guide treatment of suspected bacterial infections reduced duration of antibiotic use in the intensive care unit (ICU). (Lancet)
- Decreased tissue levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2) are associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Presumably, abnormalities in autonomic function interferes with the the infant’s ability to detect and/or respond to high CO2 levels, leading to hypoxic death. (JAMA)
The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- Cell phones may protect brains from Alzheimer’s disease (Reuters)
- Chronic sleep loss hampers performance. One good night of sleep may not be adequate to recuperate from chronic sleep deprivation. (Reuters)
Technical Articles
- HIV infection is a risk factor for the development of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, as studied in a cohort of young HIV-infected men (AIDS)
- Morphine use following trauma may reduce the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NEJM)
- Microarray technology provides more rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of bacterial species than gold-standard cultures (Lancet)
- The COMPARE trial revealed that the second-generation everolimus-eluting stent was superior in safety and efficacy to the paclitaxel-eluting stent in all-comers who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention. (Lancet)
The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- Video games may cause kids to suffer finger and wrist pain (WebMD)
- Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine employed high-sensitivity MRI scanners to evaluate the effect of glucosamine on progression of knee osteoarthritis. They “did not find any evidence that glucosamine can prevent or slow joint damage in individuals with mild to moderate knee pain.” The results from the study resemble findings from an earlier meta-analysis that did not demonstrate substantive symptomatic benefit from the use of chondroitin. (WebMD)
- Universal health coverage in Massachusetts does not reduce visits to the Emergency Department (American Medical News)
Technical Articles
- Prophylactic administration of acetaminophen for febrile reactions at the time of vaccination reduces antibody responses to vaccine antigens in children (Lancet)
The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- Antibiotics can be purchased online without the need for a prescription. The danger of making this freely available is the indiscriminant use of antibiotics to treat infections inappropriately. Moreover, this leads to the progressive selection of organisms resistant to current drug therapies. (Ann Fam Med)
- AIDS vaccine reduces rate of new infections by 31%. Although modest, this is the first time a vaccine has shown any efficacy against the spread of HIV since the discovery of the virus 26 years ago. (LA Times)
- Do mobile phones cause brain tumors? A meta-analysis performed by a team led by Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung of South Korea’s National Cancer Center found a mild increase in risk of benign brain tumors in people who have used cell phone for over a decade. Larger studies are still needed to answer this question. (Reuters)
Technical Articles
- Risk of hyperkalemia is small with use of ACE inhibitors in nondiabetic patients with hypertensive CKD (chronic kidney disease) (Arch Intern Med)
- Glucocorticoid use associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter (Arch Intern Med)
