Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Brain Natriuretic Peptide Measurement in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cardiovascular (CV) risk and adverse cardiac outcomes are common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been presumed that chronic systemic inflammation has a deleterious effect on the myocardium and vasculature, thereby leading to higher rates of MI, CHF and CV death.
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Intraarticular Hip Injection of Ketorolac Equals Steroid Responses
Using ultrasound guided intraarticular injection of the hip, 98 OA of the hip patients were randomized to receive IA ketorolac or triamcinolone. At, 1, 3, and 6 mos pain scale and Harris hip scores were improved equally in both groups with no statistical differences.
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Thiazide Diuretics May Reduce Osteoporotic Fracture Risk
A large Swedish cohort study of hypertensive men and women presented at the 25th Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension, identitied a protective effect on osteoporotic fractures among current users of thiazide diuretic drugs independent of blood pressure level. This retr
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Targeting Autoantibodies in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis carries a high mortality rate and can be a management challenge. Moreover, exacerbations of IPF may be fatal. A multicenter uncontrolled study examined the utility of targeting autoantibody production with revealed surprising results.
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Frequency of Infliximab Infusion Reactions
A Canadian registry shows that in community-based infusion clinics, infusion reactions to IFX are uncommon and mild to moderate in nature.
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Benefits of Arthroscopic Surgery Questioned
A systematic review of the benefits and harms of arthroscopic knee surgery involving partial meniscectomy for middle-aged and older adults with knee pain and degenerative knee disease was recenttly published in BMJ. They found inconsequential benefits 3-6 months after surgery, but
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Common HIPAA Mistakes in Practice
This review details nine of the most common compliance missteps physicians are making regarding protected health information (PHI). These errors may result in legal trouble, but are avoidable. These include:
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DSB: EULAR 2015 Safety Reports
Biologic Use Curtails Sepsis Events. An analysis of the German biologics register, RABBIT, examined the effect of current biologic therapy on future risk of sepsis (#OP0161).
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FDA News; Undeclared Dexamethasone Containing OTC Products
The FDA has issued public warnings that 4 over-the-counter products promoted for pain relief contain potentially harmful, undeclared dexamethasone. The supplements are Asihuri Plus Forte, Ginseng She Lian Wan, Jianbu Huqian Wan, and Saurean Fong Sep Lin.
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Gastroenterologists Use OTC Meds for GERD or Constipation
When gastroenterologists responded to a nationwide survey regarding their management of GERD and contipation, half of the 830 gastroenterology respondents (23% response rate) prescribed for their patients OTC proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), 13% recommended an OTC histamine-2&nbs
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