Journal of general internal medicine
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Wernicke's encephalopathy is a rare disorder resulting from nutrition deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1). It is most often associated with chronic alcohol abuse. It can accompany other disorders such as hyperemesis gravidarum and hyperthyroidism. ⋯ Wernicke's encephalopathy is a severe, life-threatening illness that can be a consequence of hyperthyroidism in addition to alcohol abuse and can be easily prevented with appropriate supplementation of thiamine.
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Variations in hospice use are not well understood. ⋯ Care before death is associated with hospice use among older women with advanced breast cancer. Additional research is needed to understand better how differences in patient characteristics and disease status influence cancer care before death and the role of various types of physicians in hospice referrals.
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The placebo and the placebo effect are often investigated in the context of clinical trials. Little data exist on the use of placebos in the course of routine health care. ⋯ Nearly half of the respondents use placebos in clinical practice and most believe in the mind-body connection. The results of this study, based on retrospective self-reported behavior, are subject to recall bias and may not be representative of American physicians.
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Older adults are commonly prescribed sedative-hypnotic (SH) medications when hospitalized, yet these drugs are associated with important adverse effects such as falls and delirium. ⋯ Improving decision support systems involves an understanding of how clinicians respond to real-time strategies encouraging better prescribing.