Internal Medicine

Medscape's Ask the Experts allows you to ask members of a panel of leading experts for advice or information. You also have the opportunity to share your own views and insights by clicking the "Discuss this" link at the top of each response.

• Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Still the Standard of Care for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? Clinical trials evaluating the use of HBO for CO poisoning have yielded conflicting results. Dr. Louise Kao reviews the debate and advises emergency physicians to seek guidance in these cases.
  Emergency Medicine Management, October 2008
• How Should I Treat Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis? Bacterial rhinosinusitis brings many patients into the office, but how many really need antibiotics?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, October 2008
• Delayed Adjuvant Chemotherapy in a Premenopausal Woman With Hormone-Positive Breast Cancer? Will taxane-based chemotherapy improve outcome for a premenopausal patient 3 years after diagnosis? Dr. Eric Winer looks at the evidence.
  Breast Cancer, September 2008
• Insulin and Visually Impaired Patients How can diabetes educators help visually impaired diabetes patients manage insulin injections?
  Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes, September 2008
• Do cccDNA Levels Have a Role in Predicting Response to Treatment in Hepatitis B? Does cccDNA have any role in predicting response to therapy with the oral antiviral agents in hepatitis B? Drs. Martin and Tan explore the issue.
  Liver Disease, September 2008
• When Should I Refer a Patient for Voice Changes? Evaluating laryngitis in primary care can be tricky -- when does acute become chronic? When is it best to refer?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, September 2008
• What Do Pathologic Skin Lesions in Elderly Patients Look Like? What are some of the most common premalignant and malignant lesions seen in older patients, and what do they look like?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, August 2008
• What Is My Legal Obligation if I Allow an Intoxicated Patient to Drive Home? Can you be sued if you allow an intoxicated patient to drive home from an appointment?
  Legal/Professional Issues for Advanced Practice Nurses, August 2008
• What Is the Maximum Dose of Mesalamine for Ulcerative Colitis? This agent can be administered both orally and rectally to treat ulcerative colitis.
  Pharmacotherapy, August 2008
• When Is it Appropriate to Use Methotrexate for Ectopic Pregnancy in the Emergency Department? Dr. Noelle Rotondo discusses the protocols and risks associated with using methotrexate in the ED for ectopic pregancies.
  Emergency Medicine Management, August 2008
• Is Penicillin Safe in a Patient Allergic to Cephalosporins? Can a patient who is allergic to cephalosporins receive a penicillin-class antimicrobial?
  Pharmacotherapy, August 2008
• Serum D-Dimer and Aortic Dissection Rapid and accurate detection of aortic dissection is critical to managing patients with chest pain or suspected ACS in the ED. Are serum D-dimer levels a safe and effective measure to "rule out" AD?
  Emergency Medicine Management, August 2008
• Does Switching Statins Increase the Risk for Adverse Events? Patients on statin therapy sometimes must switch from one statin to another. Does that increase the risk of developing an adverse reaction?
  Pharmacotherapy, July 2008
• Approach to Managing the Pregnant Woman With Chronic Hepatitis B and Detectable Viral Load? Should pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B with detectable viral load be treated with antiviral agents during pregnancy to decrease the risk for transmission to the baby?
  Liver Disease, July 2008
• The Role of Screening in Patients With Nonhereditary Chronic Pancreatitis What are the current recommendations for screening of asymptomatic individuals for pancreatic cancer in the setting of nonhereditary chronic pancreatitis?
  General Gastroenterology, July 2008
• Insulin: A Last Resort? Why is insulin often seen as a last resort?
  Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes, June 2008
• Is There a Limit to the Analgesic Effect of Pain Medications? Dr. Sergey Motov explores the ceiling effects of analgesics commonly used in the ED: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and opioids.
  Emergency Medicine Management, June 2008
• What Is the Value of "Baseline Coagulation" Studies in Patients Starting Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Warfarin Therapy? Dr. Robert Glatter discusses the role of baseline coagulation studies in patients beginning low-molecular-weight heparin and warfarin therapy.
  Emergency Medicine Management, June 2008
• How Do I Differentiate Normal Aging of the Skin From Pathologic Conditions? I see a lot of geriatric patients. How do I distinguish normal aging of the skin from pathologic conditions?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, June 2008
• Do Incontinence Drugs Affect Cognition in the Elderly? What is the role of anticholinergic bladder control medications in patients taking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for dementia? Do they affect cognition?
  Pharmacotherapy, June 2008

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