Hospital Medicine

Preliminary research suggests that optogenetics could eventually replace electric shocks in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

For more than 70 years methotrexate has been a popular tool in the prescription toolkit of doctors around the world. However, a recent case report by a team from the United Kingdom showed how important it is for prescribing doctors to also keep a close eye on some of the well-known adverse events associated with the medication.

Out of all possible factors, trauma is the single largest cause of death among Americans aged 46 years or younger.

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have released a study showing the potential of a dangerous interaction between a common supplement and prescription medication.

Among patients aged 65 years or older who are hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, azithromycin lowers the risk of 90-day mortality in exchange for slightly increased odds of myocardial infarction compared to other antibiotic regimens.

A new pill could be the next tool in a patient's fight to lose weight, according to a recent study.

This marks the first testosterone nasal gel for replacement therapy in adult males approved by the FDA for conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone.

Researchers in Saint Louis are examining the ways in which a drug already approved for multiple sclerosis could ease some of the pain associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients.

The brains of hyperglycemic patients with Type 1 diabetes produce elevated levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate, which may increase their risk of depression.

A retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for heart failure with a left ventricular ejection fraction between 30-35% found improved 3-year survival rates among those who received a prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators compared to those with no ICD.

New research has reached the unexpected conclusion that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may rank among the top causes of drug-induced anaphylaxis.

A recent review found that tonabersat, a novel benzoylamino benzopyran compound, is well-tolerated, but no better than placebo for migraine prophylaxis.

Researchers find that the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is a significant predictor for CVD in type 1 diabetes patients who are not using lipid-lowering drugs, and that the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is a more reliable marker for risk when considering primary prevention.

The US Food and Drug Administration partially lifted a clinical hold on a hepatitis C drug under development by Achillion Pharmaceuticals, clearing the way for a restart of the company's clinical trials of sovaprevir.

Comparatively few patients treated for anaphylaxis in the emergency department are prescribed adrenaline autoinjectors, and many who do receive them either do not know how to properly use the device or fail to carry it with them at all times.

Internists must resist taking as much as they can carry from the current healthcare system just because they can get away with it.

Results from two studies show that treatment with the novel kinase inhibitor nintedanib significantly slowed disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, only one study showed nintedanib had any effect on slowing deterioration in quality of life or reducing the risk of a first acute exacerbation compared with placebo.

Since nearly half of all Staphylococcus aureus infections harbor difficult-to-cure methicillin-resistant (MRSA) isolates, identifying MRSA risk factors could improve infection prevention and treatment, as well as reduce resistance patterns.

Among patients aged 16 years or older with unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), conservative management produces better clinical outcomes than any endovascular embolization, neurosurgical excision, or stereotactic radiosurgery.

Patients with schizoaffective disorder who were treated with paliperidone palmitate (as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy) experienced delayed time to relapse and reduced risk of relapse compared to patients treated with placebo.

Patients in a trial of a first-in-class medication for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction reported improvement in overall sexual function, including an increase in the number of satisfying sexual events, and a concomitant decrease in distress levels associated with sexual dysfunction.

Patients with celiac disease treated with larazotide acetate experienced improvements in GI symptoms and non-GI symptoms such as headache and fatigue, as well as significant reductions in the number of symptomatic days.

Study results presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association show that a reduced dosage of the antidepressant vilazodone is as effective as the currently approved dosage.