Connecticut medicine
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Connecticut medicine · Jan 2011
Case ReportsFamilial Mediterranean fever presenting with pulmonary embolism.
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the autoinflammatory disease and hereditary periodic fever syndrome that most commonly affects people of Eastern Mediterranean origin. It is characterized by recurrent self-limited attacks of fever and serositis, with an increase in acute-phase reactant markers, and is transmitted in an autosomal recessive pattern. Inflammation shifts the hemostatic mechanisms favoring thrombosis. ⋯ Further workup revealed an increase in acute phase reactants, negative hypercoagulability studies and heterozygosity for the M694V mutation in the pyrin (MEFV) gene. We identified untreated FMF and chronic inflammation as his only risk factor for pulmonary embolism. With this case report, we support recent studies that have demonstrated that inflammation may lead to prothrombotic states in patients with FMF.
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Connecticut medicine · Jan 2011
Are international and American graduates equally ACGME competent? Results of a pilot study.
Despite a substantial proportion of international medical graduates (IMG) matching to U.S. programs in Internal Medicine, little is known about their readiness in the six medical competencies compared to graduates of U.S. schools (USMG). ⋯ While this study is limited by its small sample size, it supports a hypothesis that USMG and IMG may differ in their preparedness for systems-based and practice-based learning. This hypothesis deserves exploration in future studies.
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Connecticut medicine · Jan 2011
A recession's impact on pediatric emergency household spending and attitudes about health-care reform.
We assessed changes in household spending and opinions about health-care insurance reform among parents in the pediatric emergency department (PED) during the current recession. ⋯ Parents with job loss reported hardship paying for household expenses. One in eight families have cut child health-care expenses. A population of PED parents commonly favored health-care insurance reform.