The American journal of medicine
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Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in the primary care setting. Imaging plays a key role in the evaluation of the multiple organ systems that can be responsible for chest pain. ⋯ In this 2-part series, we offer resources to guide primary care physicians in the selection of imaging studies and present the imaging findings of various causes of nonemergent chest pain. In Part 1, we focus on a discussion of the basic concepts of each imaging technique and the appearance of common cardiovascular etiologies of chest pain.
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Low plasma sodium concentration has been recognized as a prognostic factor in several disorders but never evaluated in sickle cell disease. The present study evaluates its value at admission to predict a complication in adult patients with sickle cell disease hospitalized for an initially uncomplicated acute painful episode. ⋯ Hyponatremia at admission in the medical department for an acute painful episode is a strong and independent prognostic factor of unfavorable outcome and, notably, acute chest syndrome. It could help targeting patients who may benefit from closer monitoring.
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The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between consumption of chocolate and measures of adiposity in a large, representative sample of US adults. ⋯ In this representative sample of US adults, chocolate consumption was associated with lower markers of adiposity. Further research using a longitudinal or experimental design is needed to establish the direction of causation.