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Shinal v. Toms: It’s Now Harder to Get Informed Consent
Question: Which of the following statements regarding Shinal v. Toms, a recent landmark decision on informed consent, is correct?: A. The case was heard in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and its decision is binding only in that state. B. It…
Points/Counterpoint: Should surgeons operate on functional tricuspid regurgitation?
Yes, functional TR is worth repairing (David H. Adams, MD) Functional tricuspid regurgitation is a common finding in patients undergoing degenerative mitral valve repair. Severe tricuspid regurgitation is unusual, and clearly there is little debate on the merits of concomitant…
Hard road disproving that statins make you dumb
The impact of lipid-lowering drugs on patients’ mental states was on the minds of many attendees at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in March. The highest-profile report came from EBBINGHAUS (Evaluating PCSK9 Binding Antibody Influence on Cognitive Health…
Commentary: INR instability in the NOAC era
Progress in the development of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs), as well as agents for their reversal, has lowered the threshold to use these therapeutics as first line agents for the management of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism.1,2 Despite this…
The end of polypill – statins for everyone
At a time when therapeutics is emphasizing personalized therapy, it is reassuring that someone is interested in the big picture. Treating a single patient with drugs that cost $500 a pill seems in conflict with the needs of millions of…
Law & Medicine: Which doctors get sued?
Question: Doctors are more prone to lawsuits if they: A. Have been sued before. B. Spend fewer dollars per hospitalized patient. C. Show poor communication skills. D. A and C only. E. A, B, and C. Answer: E. Two very…
Analysis finds 28.8% prevalence of depression in residents
The estimated prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 28.8% among residents and interns worldwide in a meta-analysis of 54 studies of the issue, according to a report published online December 8 in JAMA. The depression rate ranged from 20.9%…
The pros and cons of novel anticoagulants
Novel anticoagulants will likely replace need for vitamin K antagonists BY MADHUKAR S. PATEL, M.D., AND ELLIOT L. CHAIKOF, M.D. The discovery of oral anticoagulants began in 1924, when Schofield linked the death of grazing cattle from internal hemorrhage to…
Medicare at 50: Physicians brace for transition to value-based payment
As Medicare celebrates its 50th anniversary, federal officials are beginning one of the most significant shifts in the program’s history – paying physicians based on quality and efficiency rather than for the volume of services they provide. The shift to…
Reduced resident duty hours haven’t changed patient outcomes
Patient mortality and morbidity outcomes have not changed since the most recent round of reforms to medical residents’ duty hours in 2011, according to two of the first nationwide studies to assess these “improvements,” which both were published online Dec.…