Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Mar 1989
Comparative StudyPreoperative cardiac consultations in a teaching hospital.
Perioperative consultations may play a major role in the care of surgical patients in an era of prospective payments. Since insurance reimbursement policy favors limitations in the number of consultants on a case, general medicine ("holistic") consultation services may become preferred perioperative consultants in the future. To focus curriculum planning for perioperative consultants, we reviewed the content of 60 consecutive perioperative consultations by noncardiac surgery services to a university cardiology consultation team. ⋯ The most frequent cardiac conditions for evaluation were congestive heart failure, old myocardial infarctions, murmurs, abnormal electrocardiograms, angina, and previous histories of coronary artery bypass surgery. Few patients needed management of arrhythmias. Physicians involved in perioperative care should assess their abilities in managing these cardiac conditions.
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Southern medical journal · Mar 1989
Comparative StudyHypertension: variations in prevalence in the black population.
Prevalence trends in hypertension in black men and women show an inversion at about ages 45 to 54 years. Incidence, mortality, and treatment of hypertension after age 35 can probably be related to this inversion. ⋯ Mortality data partially explain the inversion. Long-term epidemiologic studies of hypertension in black elderly persons are needed to explain these variations in prevalence, which may have a beneficial impact on treatment and prognosis.