The American journal of medicine
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Comparative Study
A Brief Patient Self-administered Substance Use Screening Tool for Primary Care: Two-site Validation Study of the Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS).
Substance use screening is widely encouraged in health care settings, but the lack of a screening approach that fits easily into clinical workflows has restricted its broad implementation. The Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS) was developed as a brief, self-administered instrument to identify unhealthy use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. We evaluated the validity and test-retest reliability of the SUBS in adult primary care patients. ⋯ The SUBS was feasible for self-administration and generated valid results in a diverse primary care patient population. The 4-item SUBS can be recommended for primary care settings that are seeking to implement substance use screening.
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Ebola virus caused an epidemic of unprecedented extension in West Africa. There was concern that the outbreak would not be controlled for a prolonged period of time. ⋯ One of the cases has been associated with secondary transmission and other infected subjects have been repatriated for treatment. This article reviews the etiology, pathogenesis, transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease with emphasis on the identification and management in the US.
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As residency programs move toward measuring milestones for competency-based education assessment, medical schools will need to collaborate with residencies to determine competencies for graduating students. The objective of this study is to define the educational milestones for fourth-year medical students during an Internal Medicine sub-internship. ⋯ Tasks in the reporter domain such as taking a history, collecting medical records, and reporting results can be characterized as medical student milestones.
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Although common, little is known about factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (PICC-DVT). To better guide clinicians, we performed a comprehensive literature review to summarize best practices for this condition. ⋯ PICC-DVT is common, costly and morbid. Available evidence provides guidance for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this condition.
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Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) were introduced into the US market in 2007 and have quickly become a popular source of nicotine for many patients. They are designed to simulate smoking by heating a nicotine-containing solution producing an aerosol that the user inhales. ⋯ Although there are some reports of improved cessation in a subset of users, there are also studies reporting decreased cessation in dual users of regular and e-cigarettes. Additionally, there is no current regulation of these devices, and this allows virtually anyone with a form of online payment to obtain them.