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ILD and High-Risk Medication Prescribing: Gray Matters Segment

Many clinicians lack familiarity with the diagnostic nuances and management strategies for interstitial lung disease (ILD), particularly in distinguishing subtypes (e.g., UIP vs. NSIP) and selecting appropriate treatment options, such as antifibrotics for fibrosing ILDs and avoiding immunosuppressants in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Additionally, gaps exist in recognizing the role of multidisciplinary care and addressing social determinants of health to improve outcomes.

Hyponatremia Correction: How Fast Is Too Fast?

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses hyponatremia correction rates with Dr. Dustin Mark.First, listen to the podcast. After listening, ACP members can take the CME/MOC quiz for free.

Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients. Hospital-associated hyponatremia includes community-acquired (e.g., hyponatremia on admission) and hospital-acquired hyponatremia. Acute-onset hyponatremia requires rapid treatment with hypertonic saline to decrease cerebral edema. In cases of chronic hyponatremia (>48 hours), the brain has time to normalize cell volume by losing solutes. However, even mild chronic cases can have adverse outcomes, such as decreased cognition, osteoporosis, increased risk for falls, and fractures.

Hypomagnesemia and Hypophosphatemia: 5 Pearls Segment

Hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia, often overlooked, are prevalent electrolyte disorders, affecting around 5-10% of hospitalized patients. Magnesium acts as a vital cofactor for multiple enzymes and helps regulate calcium and potassium levels, while phosphate is integral to various metabolic and signaling cellular processes. Depletion of these elements correlates with multiple symptoms and adverse outcomes. The rapid identification, diagnosis, and management from internists are crucial for optimal results across different medical settings.

Hypokalemia & Potassium Repletion: 5 Pearls Segment

Hypokalemia is one of the most frequent and significant electrolyte disorders. As the main ion that determines the electrochemical gradient of cells, potassium plays a central role in almost all cellular processes.

Hypertension

Updated U.S. and international hypertension guidelines reflect new studies and analyses that support changes in hypertension management. The 2025 U.S. guideline for prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure (BP) recommends lower BP targets, greater use of out-of-office BP for diagnosis and medication titration, and a different approach to severe hypertension presenting without acute or evolving cardiovascular disease symptoms or signs. New treatments for resistant hypertension are recommended.

Signs of Human Trafficking and Response: A Physician's Guide | ACP

Human trafficking is a widespread issue so physicians need to know signs of human trafficking and treatment. Learn about recognizing and responding to survivors with this course.

How Would You Treat Tricuspid Valve Infective Endocarditis in a Patient Who Uses Injection Drugs? Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Infective endocarditis is a common and morbid condition involving prolonged hospital stays, significant disability, and a high mortality rate. The current crises of injection drug use and opioid use disorder have contributed to high rates of infective endocarditis in the United States. Endocarditis in patients who inject drugs involves additional management complexity for multiple reasons. Several infective endocarditis management guidelines exist, including from the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology.

How Would You Treat This Inpatient With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus? Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Management of hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presents unique challenges. Two recently released guidelines, one from the American Diabetes Association and the other from the Endocrine Society, provide useful recommendations and evidence review to inform the care of medical inpatients with T2DM. These guidelines mostly agree, although there are slight differences in their recommendations.

How Would You Prevent Subsequent Strokes in This Patient? Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Stroke is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recently published updated guidelines on secondary stroke prevention. In these rounds, 2 vascular neurologists use the case of Mr.

These Annals of Internal Medicine results only contain recent articles.

Pain, Analgesic Use, and Patient Satisfaction With Spinal Versus General Anesthesia for Hip Fracture Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 175, No 7

Background: The REGAIN (Regional versus General Anesthesia for Promoting Independence after Hip Fracture) trial found similar ambulation and survival at 60 days with spinal versus general anesthesia for hip fracture surgery. Trial outcomes evaluating pain, prescription analgesic use, and patient satisfaction have not yet been reported. Objective: To compare pain, analgesic use, and satisfaction after hip fracture surgery with spinal versus general anesthesia. Design: Preplanned secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02507505) Setting: 46 U.S. and Canadian hospitals. Participants: Patients aged 50 years or older undergoing hip fracture surgery. Intervention: Spinal or general anesthesia. Measurements: Pain on postoperative days 1 through 3; 60-, 180-, and 365-day pain and prescription analgesic use; and satisfaction with care. Results: A total of 1600 patients were enrolled. The average age was 78 years, and 77% were women. A total of 73.5% (1050 of 1428) of patients reported severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery. Worst pain over the first 24 hours after surgery was greater with spinal anesthesia (rated from 0 [no pain] to 10 [worst pain imaginable]; mean difference, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.12 to 0.68]). Pain did not differ across groups at other time points. Prescription analgesic use at 60 days occurred in 25% (141 of 563) and 18.8% (108 of 574) of patients assigned to spinal and general anesthesia, respectively (relative risk, 1.33 [CI, 1.06 to 1.65]). Satisfaction was similar across groups. Limitation: Missing outcome data and multiple outcomes assessed. Conclusion: Severe pain is common after hip fracture. Spinal anesthesia was associated with more pain in the first 24 hours after surgery and more prescription analgesic use at 60 days compared with general anesthesia. Primary Funding Source: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Apixaban Versus Rivaroxaban in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Valvular Heart Disease: A Population-Based Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 175, No 11

Background: Although apixaban and rivaroxaban are commonly used in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and valvular heart disease (VHD), there is limited evidence comparing the 2 drugs in these patients. Objective: To emulate a target trial of effectiveness and safety of apixaban and rivaroxaban in patients with AF and VHD. Design: New-user, active comparator, cohort study design. Setting: Commercial health insurance database from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2020. Patients: New users of apixaban or rivaroxaban who had a diagnosis of AF and VHD before initiation of anticoagulant therapy. Measurements: The primary effectiveness outcome was a composite of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism. The primary safety outcome was a composite of gastrointestinal or intracranial bleeding. Cox proportional hazards regression with a robust variance estimator was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Results: When compared with rivaroxaban in a propensity score–matched cohort of 19 894 patients (9947 receiving each drug), apixaban was associated with a lower rate of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.40 to 0.80]) and bleeding (HR, 0.51 [CI, 0.41 to 0.62]). The absolute reduction in the probability of stroke or systemic embolism with apixaban compared with rivaroxaban was 0.0026 within 6 months and 0.011 within 1 year of treatment initiation. The absolute reduction in the probability of bleeding events with apixaban compared with rivaroxaban was 0.012 within 6 months and 0.019 within 1 year of treatment initiation. Limitation: Short follow-up time and inability to ascertain some types of VHD. Conclusion: In this study of patients with AF and VHD, patients receiving apixaban had a lower risk for ischemic stroke or systemic embolism and for bleeding when compared with those receiving rivaroxaban. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health.

Comparison of Patients Infected With Delta Versus Omicron COVID-19 Variants Presenting to Paris Emergency Departments: A Retrospective Cohort Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 175, No 6

Background: At the end of 2021, the B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 variant (Omicron) wave superseded the B.1.617.2 variant (Delta) wave. Objective: To compare baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection with the Delta variant versus the Omicron variant in the emergency department (ED). Design: Retrospective chart reviews. Setting: 13 adult EDs in academic hospitals in the Paris area from 29 November 2021 to 10 January 2022. Patients: Patients with a positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result for SARS-CoV-2 and variant identification. Measurements: Main outcome measures were baseline clinical and biological characteristics at ED presentation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 3728 patients had a positive RT-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 during the study period; 1716 patients who had a variant determination (818 Delta and 898 Omicron) were included. Median age was 58 years, and 49% were women. Patients infected with the Omicron variant were younger (54 vs. 62 years; difference, 8.0 years [95% CI, 4.6 to 11.4 years]), had a lower rate of obesity (8.0% vs. 12.5%; difference, 4.5 percentage points [CI, 1.5 to 7.5 percentage points]), were more vaccinated (65% vs. 39% for 1 dose and 22% vs. 11% for 3 doses), had a lower rate of dyspnea (26% vs. 50%; difference, 23.6 percentage points [CI, 19.0 to 28.2 percentage points]), and had a higher rate of discharge home from the ED (59% vs. 37%; difference, 21.9 percentage points [−26.5 to −17.1 percentage points]). Compared with Delta, Omicron infection was independently associated with a lower risk for ICU admission (adjusted difference, 11.4 percentage points [CI, 8.4 to 14.4 percentage points]), mechanical ventilation (adjusted difference, 3.6 percentage points [CI, 1.7 to 5.6 percentage points]), and in-hospital mortality (adjusted difference, 4.2 percentage points [CI, 2.0 to 6.5 percentage points]). Limitation: Patients with COVID-19 illness and no SARS-CoV-2 variant determination in the ED were excluded. Conclusion: Compared with the Delta variant, infection with the Omicron variant in patients in the ED had different clinical and biological patterns and was associated with better in-hospital outcomes, including higher survival. Primary Funding Source: None.

Adenoma Detection Rate and Risk for Interval Postcolonoscopy Colorectal Cancer in Fecal Immunochemical Test–Based Screening: A Population-Based Cohort Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 175, No 10

Background: The adenoma detection rate (ADR) is an essential quality indicator for endoscopists performing colonoscopies for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening as it is associated with postcolonoscopy CRCs (PCCRCs). Currently, data on ADRs of endoscopists performing colonoscopies in fecal immunochemical testing (FIT)-based screening, the most common screening method, are scarce. Also, the association between the ADR and PCCRC has not been demonstrated in this setting. Objective: To evaluate the association between the ADR and PCCRC risk in colonoscopies done after a positive FIT result. Design: Population-based cohort. Setting: Dutch, FIT-based, CRC screening program. Participants: Patients undergoing colonoscopy, done by accredited endoscopists, after a positive FIT result. Measurements: Quality indicator performance and PCCRC incidence for colonoscopies in FIT-positive screenees were assessed. The PCCRCs were classified as interval, a cancer detected before recommended surveillance, or noninterval. The association between ADR and interval PCCRC was evaluated with a multivariable Cox regression model and PCCRC incidence was determined for different ADRs. Results: 362 endoscopists performed 116 360 colonoscopies with a median ADR of 67%. In total, 209 interval PCCRCs were identified. The ADR was associated with interval PCCRC, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.92 to 0.97) per 1% increase in ADR. For every 1000 patients undergoing colonoscopy, the expected number of interval PCCRC diagnoses after 5 years was approximately 2 for endoscopists with ADRs of 70%, compared with more than 2.5, almost 3.5, and more than 4.5 for endoscopists with ADRs of 65%, 60%, and 55%, respectively. Limitation: The relative short duration of follow-up (median, 52 months) could be considered a limitation. Conclusion: The ADR of endoscopists is inversely associated with the risk for interval PCCRC in FIT-positive colonoscopies. Endoscopists performing colonoscopy in FIT-based screening should aim for markedly higher ADRs compared with primary colonoscopy. Primary Funding Source: None.

QUAPAS: An Adaptation of the QUADAS-2 Tool to Assess Prognostic Accuracy Studies

Whereas diagnostic tests help detect the cause of signs and symptoms, prognostic tests assist in evaluating the probable course of the disease and future outcome. Studies to evaluate prognostic tests are longitudinal, which introduces sources of bias different from those for diagnostic accuracy studies. At present, systematic reviews of prognostic tests often use the QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2) tool to assess risk of bias and applicability of included studies because no equivalent instrument exists for prognostic accuracy studies. QUAPAS (Quality Assessment of Prognostic Accuracy Studies) is an adaptation of QUADAS-2 for prognostic accuracy studies. Questions likely to identify bias were evaluated in parallel and collated from QUIPS (Quality in Prognosis Studies) and PROBAST (Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool) and paired to the corresponding question (or domain) in QUADAS-2. A steering group conducted and reviewed 3 rounds of modifications before arriving at the final set of domains and signaling questions. QUAPAS follows the same steps as QUADAS-2: Specify the review question, tailor the tool, draw a flow diagram, judge risk of bias, and identify applicability concerns. Risk of bias is judged across the following 5 domains: participants, index test, outcome, flow and timing, and analysis. Signaling questions assist the final judgment for each domain. Applicability concerns are assessed for the first 4 domains. The authors used QUAPAS in parallel with QUADAS-2 and QUIPS in a systematic review of prognostic accuracy studies. QUAPAS improved the assessment of the flow and timing domain and flagged a study at risk of bias in the new analysis domain. Judgment of risk of bias in the analysis domain was challenging because of sparse reporting of statistical methods.

Preventing Obesity in Midlife Women: A Recommendation From the Women's Preventive Services Initiative

Description: The Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI), a national coalition of women's health professional organizations and patient advocacy representatives, developed a recommendation for counseling midlife women aged 40 to 60 years with normal or overweight body mass index (BMI; 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2) to maintain weight or limit weight gain to prevent obesity with the long-term goals of optimizing health, function, and well-being. This recommendation is intended to guide clinical practice and coverage of clinical preventive health services for the Health Resources and Services Administration and other stakeholders. Clinicians providing preventive health care to women in primary care settings are the target audience for this recommendation. Methods: The WPSI developed this recommendation after evaluating results of a systematic review of the effectiveness and harms of interventions to prevent weight gain and obesity in women aged 40 to 60 years without obesity. Seven randomized clinical trials including 51 638 participants and using various counseling and behavioral interventions were included. Trials indicated favorable weight changes with interventions that were statistically significantly different from control groups in 4 of 5 trials of counseling, but not in 2 trials of exercise. Few harms were reported. Recommendation: The WPSI recommends counseling midlife women aged 40 to 60 years with normal or overweight BMI (18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2) to maintain weight or limit weight gain to prevent obesity. Counseling may include individualized discussion of healthy eating and physical activity.