Table of Contents

April 15, 2008; 148 (8)

Articles

  • Safety and Efficacy of a Testosterone Metered-Dose Transdermal Spray for Treating Decreased Sexual Satisfaction in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Trial

    • Susan Davis,
    • Mary-Anne Papalia,
    • Robert J. Norman,
    • Sheila O'Neill,
    • Margaret Redelman,
    • Margaret Williamson,
    • Bronwyn G.A. Stuckey,
    • John Wlodarczyk,
    • Karen Gard'ner,
    • and Andrew Humberstone
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:569-577

    Davis and colleagues evaluated the effects of 3 doses of exogenous testosterone and placebo, all administered with a metered-dose transdermal spray, on sexual function. They randomly assigned 261 premenopausal women who reported a decrease in satisfying sexual activity and had a morning serum free testosterone level less than 3.8 pmol/L (<1.1 pg/mL). After 16 weeks, the daily 90-µL dose of transdermal testosterone improved self-reported sexual satisfaction by a mean of 0.8 satisfactory sexual event per month. The rate with higher and lower testosterone doses did not differ from the rate with placebo.

  • Effect of Unrelated Comorbid Conditions on Hypertension Management

    • Barbara J. Turner,
    • Christopher S. Hollenbeak,
    • Mark Weiner,
    • Thomas Ten Have,
    • and Simon S.K. Tang
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:578-586

    Little is known about the quality of care received by patients with multiple unrelated comorbid conditions. The authors examined the electronic medical records of 15 459 patients with uncontrolled hypertension at 6 primary care practices. Most patients had 2 or more comorbid conditions unrelated to hypertension, such as arthritis, gastroesophageal reflux, or thyroid disease. At office visits, clinicians were less likely to intensify treatment for uncontrolled hypertension in patients with multiple unrelated conditions.

Reviews

  • Narrative Review: Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria: The Physiology of Complement-Related Hemolytic Anemia

    • Robert A. Brodsky
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:587-595

    Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare hematopoietic stem-cell disorder caused by a mutation that leads to increased susceptibility to complement-induced hemolysis. An expensive but highly effective drug markedly reduces the activity of PNH. This narrative review describes the history of the condition, its molecular biology and clinical manifestations, diagnostic testing, and therapeutic options.

  • Meta-analysis: Antibiotics for Prophylaxis against Hemodialysis Catheter–Related Infections

    • Matthew T. James,
    • Joslyn Conley,
    • Marcello Tonelli,
    • Braden J. Manns,
    • Jennifer MacRae,
    • Brenda R. Hemmelgarn,
    • and for the Alberta Kidney Disease Network
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:596-605

    Catheter-related infections are a major cause of illness among patients receiving long-term hemodialysis with a central venous catheter. This systematic review found 16 randomized trials that assessed the potential benefits of applying antibiotics topically to the catheter exit site or instilling them intraluminally into the catheter. Compared with no antibiotic therapy, prophylaxis with either topical or intraluminal antibiotics reduced bloodstream infections and the need to remove the catheter because of infection.

Perspectives

  • Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Urgent Need to Strengthen Prevention Strategies

    • Kimberly A. Workowski,
    • Stuart M. Berman,
    • and John M. Douglas, Jr.
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:606-613

    Prevention and control of gonorrhea is an important public health concern. Over the past 60 years, the increasing prevalence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has begun to limit therapeutic options. Workowski and colleagues describe comprehensive strategies for sustaining the effectiveness of antimicrobials and maintaining control over endemic gonorrhea.

Medicine and Public Issues

  • The International Pharmaceutical Market as a Source of Low-Cost Prescription Drugs for U.S. Patients

    • Aaron S. Kesselheim and
    • Niteesh K. Choudhry
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:614-619

    In response to increasing prescription drug costs, more U.S. patients and policymakers are importing less-expensive pharmaceuticals from other countries. Federal legislators continue to debate whether to legalize importation. Three factors affect whether U.S. patients and policymakers can rely on other countries as sources of imported prescription drugs: the feasibility of strategies to ensure the safety of the product, how the import price compares with domestic prices, and how importation might affect the exporting country's pharmaceutical market.

Editorial

  • Testosterone Supplementation to Improve Women's Sexual Satisfaction: Complexities and Unknowns

    • Rosemary Basson
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:620-621

    Sexual dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among women, ranging from 17% to 25%. We know enough about its causes to formulate a logical approach to treating sexual dissatisfaction in women. In this issue, the article by Davis and colleagues suggests that transdermal testosterone might be used to manage sexual dissatisfaction in premenopausal women. Their study showed only very modest benefit of testosterone treatment, and the authors caution against the widespread adoption of testosterone therapy in sexually dissatisfied premenopausal women.

On Being a Doctor

  • Paying at the Pump

    • Katherine Chang Chretien
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:622-623

    Long before my daughter was born, I acquired a top-of-the-line breast pump. My maternity leave was over when Jolie was 11 weeks old, and it was time to bring my pumping to work. I had to plunge right into patients, housestaff, actual medicine, while I contended with pumping and separation anxiety. My days, which had always been busy, were now nonstop action—I saw time in an entirely different light: the vanishing minutes of a working mother.

Letters

  • Could Increasing the Duration of Triple Therapy Be a Clinically Useful Strategy?

    • Xavier Calvet,
    • Albert Villoria,
    • and Mercedes Vergara
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:624

  • Could Increasing the Duration of Triple Therapy Be a Clinically Useful Strategy?

    • Lorenzo Fuccio,
    • Rocco Maurizio Zagari,
    • and Franco Bazzoli
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:624-625

  • When to Switch Therapy in Patients with Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

    • Eric M. Mortensen,
    • Marcos I. Restrepo,
    • and Antonio Anzueto
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:625

  • When to Switch Therapy in Patients with Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

    • Alpesh N. Amin and
    • Michael J. Pistoria
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:625-626

  • Does Tiotropium Reduce Hospitalizations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

    • Yuji Oba
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:626

  • Does Tiotropium Reduce Hospitalizations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

    • Timothy J. Wilt,
    • Dennis Niewoehner,
    • Roderick MacDonald,
    • and Robert L. Kane
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:626-627

  • How to Improve Coordination of Care

    • Todd P. Semla
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:627-628

  • How to Improve Coordination of Care

    • Edward J. Volpintesta
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:628

  • Is It Safe to Conclude that Beers Criteria Medications Led to Few Adverse Events?

    • Adam Golden,
    • Mark H. Beers,
    • and Donna M. Fick
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:628-629

  • Is It Safe to Conclude that Beers Criteria Medications Led to Few Adverse Events?

    • Daniel S. Budnitz,
    • Nadine Shehab,
    • Scott R. Kegler,
    • and Chesley L. Richards
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:629

  • Are Pay-for-Performance Programs a Threat to Medical Professionalism?

    • Paulette Metoyer
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:629-630

  • Are Pay-for-Performance Programs a Threat to Medical Professionalism?

    • Christopher M. Lowther
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:630

  • Are Pay-for-Performance Programs a Threat to Medical Professionalism?

    • Howard Brody
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:630

  • Are Pay-for-Performance Programs a Threat to Medical Professionalism?

    • Richard L. Neubauer and
    • Lois Snyder
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:630-631

  • Memantine-Induced Hepatitis with Cholestasis in a Very Elderly Patient

    • Nicola Ferrara,
    • Graziamaria Corbi,
    • Annalisa Capuano,
    • Amelia Filippelli,
    • and Francesco Rossi
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:631-632

  • Successful Treatment of Fulminant Clostridium difficile Infection with Fecal Bacteriotherapy

    • David M. You,
    • M. Alaric Franzos,
    • and Robert P. Holman
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:632-633

  • Overanticoagulation with Coumarin and Cutaneous Azole Therapy

    • Jean-François Alexandra,
    • Eric Pautas,
    • Isabelle Gouin-Thibault,
    • Virginie Siguret,
    • and Marie-Anne Loriot
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:633-635

  • Correction: Improved Diagnostic Evaluation of Suspected Tuberculosis

    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:635

  • Correction: Achieving a High-Performance Health Care System with Universal Access

    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:635

Medical Writings: Book Notes

  • Rewarding Provider Performance: Aligning Incentives in Medicare

    • Woodruff J. English
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:636

  • Internal Medicine Essentials for Clerkship Students

    • Krista M. Johnson and
    • Holly J. Humphrey
    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:636

Medical Notices

  • Medical Notices

    Ann Intern Med April 15, 2008 148:0
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This Issue

April 15, 2008; 148 (8)
  1. Articles
  2. Reviews
  3. Perspectives
  4. Medicine and Public Issues
  5. Editorial
  6. On Being a Doctor
  7. Letters
  8. Medical Writings: Book Notes
  9. Medical Notices

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