The American journal of medicine
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CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc are validated scores used to predict stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Many of the individual risk factors included in these scores are also risk factors for atrial fibrillation. We aimed to examine the performance of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores in predicting new-onset atrial fibrillation in subjects without preexisting diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. ⋯ CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are directly associated with the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation, and have a relatively high performance for atrial fibrillation prediction.
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Breast cancer is an uncommon disease in men. As a result, the diagnosis may not initially be considered. Understanding the common benign and malignant entities affecting the male breast is critical for timely and accurate diagnosis in the primary care setting. ⋯ Imaging of the male breast generally relies on mammography and ultrasound, with mammography employed as the initial imaging modality of choice and ultrasound when a mass is detected or suspected. Here we describe the normal male breast anatomy and present an evaluation algorithm for the male patient with breast signs or symptoms. The most common benign and malignant entities are described.
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Venous thromboembolism is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and comprehensive studies profiling the epidemiology and pattern of health services use are needed. In this study we provide contemporary estimates of venous thromboembolism incidence and case fatality over the past decade. ⋯ The incidence of acute venous thromboembolism remained unchanged over a 10-year period. However, the case fatality of venous thromboembolism is substantial.
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Review
Update in Outpatient General Internal Medicine: Practice-Changing Evidence Published in 2015.
Identifying new practice-changing articles is challenging. To determine the 2015 practice-changing articles most relevant to outpatient general internal medicine, 3 internists independently reviewed the titles and abstracts of original articles, synopses of single studies and syntheses, and databases of syntheses. For original articles, internal medicine journals with the 7 highest impact factors were reviewed: New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), British Medical Journal, Public Library of Science Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and JAMA Internal Medicine. ⋯ Criteria for inclusion were as follows: clinical relevance, potential for practice change, and strength of evidence. Clusters of important articles around one topic were considered as a single-candidate series. The 5 authors used a modified Delphi method to reach consensus on inclusion of 7 topics for in-depth appraisal.