The American journal of medicine
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There are very few studies about the impact of physicians' attire on patients' confidence and trust. The objective of this study was to determine whether the way a doctor dresses is an important factor in the degree of trust and confidence among respondents. ⋯ Respondents overwhelmingly favor physicians in professional attire with a white coat. Wearing professional dress (ie, a white coat with more formal attire) while providing patient care by physicians may favorably influence trust and confidence-building in the medical encounter.
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To determine the association between a previously validated frailty phenotype and the development of new-onset dependence in activities of daily living, independent of hospitalizations and other established predictors of disability. ⋯ Frailty, conceptualized as an underlying vulnerability, and hospitalization, which marks an acute deterioration in health, were strongly and independently associated with new-onset dependence in activities in daily living. Additional research is needed to determine if dependence can be minimized by targeting resources and programs to frail older persons.
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy is a common and serious cause of progressive renal insufficiency in patients with HIV, frequently presenting with nephrotic range proteinuria. The purpose of this study is to document the histopathologic diagnoses seen in HIV-positive patients with and without nephrotic range proteinuria and to evaluate the predictive value of both nephrotic range proteinuria and CD4 count in diagnosing HIV-associated nephropathy. ⋯ Our results suggest that HIV patients with nephrotic range proteinuria warrant a kidney biopsy because the presence of nephrotic range proteinuria, even in the presence a low CD4 count, does not establish the diagnosis of HIV-associated nephropathy.
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Retracted Publication
Homocysteine as a predictive factor for hip fracture in elderly women with Parkinson's disease.
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article is being retracted at the request of the Editor in Chief because of the stated concerns listed below. The article was accepted for publication by a previous editor and editorial board nearly 15 years ago, at a time when submissions and documentation were in paper form, prior to the transition of The American Journal of Medicine to a digital submission and review process. ⋯ We are therefore retracting this article since the evidence presented indicates that there has been scientific misconduct. Joseph S. Alpert, MD Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona; Editor in Chief, The American Journal of Medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Three-day vs longer duration of antibiotic treatment for cystitis in women: systematic review and meta-analysis.
We performed a meta-analysis to ascertain the efficacy and safety of the currently practiced 3-day antibiotic therapy for cystitis versus prolonged therapy (5 days or longer) to relieve symptoms and to achieve bacteriological cure. ⋯ Antibiotic therapy for 3 days is similar to prolonged therapy in achieving symptomatic cure for cystitis, while the prolonged treatment is more effective in obtaining bacteriological cure.