The American journal of medicine
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Patients residing in agricultural communities have a high risk of developing chronic kidney disease. In the Great Plains, geo-environmental risk factors (eg, variable climate, temperature, air quality, water quality, and drought) combine with agro-environmental risk factors (eg, exposure to fertilizers, soil conditioners, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides) to increase risk for toxic nephropathy. However, research defining the specific influence of agricultural chemicals on the progression of kidney disease in rural communities has been somewhat limited. By linking retrospective clinical data within electronic medical records to environmental data from sources like US Environmental Protection Agency, analytical models are beginning to provide insight into the impact of agricultural practices on the rate of progression for kidney disease in rural communities.
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Blood cultures are of limited utility in nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia, though routinely recommended for severe community-acquired pneumonia or health care-associated pneumonia due to perceived greater bacteremia risk, particularly with multidrug-resistant organisms. The utility of this practice is unknown. ⋯ Routine blood cultures in pneumonia have extremely low yield and utility irrespective of severity and risk.
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We examined the overall association as well as the dose-response relationship between leisure-time running and incident type 2 diabetes. ⋯ Participating in leisure-time running is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults. Consistent linear dose-response relationships were observed between various running parameters and incident type 2 diabetes, supporting the prescription of running to prevent type 2 diabetes.