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Since 1989, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has conducted a survey asking thousands of physicians across multiple specialties about the journals which they consider to be “essential” for their practice. NEJM defines an “essential journal” as one “that reports medical breakthroughs and has practice-changing impact. Physicians consider it essential to their practice and make an attempt to read it.”

The 2011 Essential Journal Study is now publicly available, and we’re pleased to let you know that ten of the journals on MD Consult are considered “essential” – American Family Physician, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Medicine, Chest, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Oncology, Mayo Clinic Proceedings and Neurology. In addition, MD Consult brings you summaries of the content from another five of the essential journals – NEJM, JAMA, The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Archives of Internal Medicine – in our feature “In This Week’s Journals”.

NEJM sent out nearly 11,000 surveys to physicians selected at random from the AMA membership list. Physicians from ten specialties were chosen: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hospitalists, ID Specialists, Internists, Neurology, Oncology and Hematology, Pulmonary Specialists and Rheumatology. A total of 1,655 surveys were completed for a very respectable response rate of 15%. The survey was an unaided recall survey, meaning that it did not include the names or photos of medical journals. It was conducted by an independent firm, the Matalia Group. The publicly available report is found at NEJM’s website.

New on MD Consult is the latest edition of Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. This is the 19th edition of the text, and it is once again edited by Dr. Courtney Townsend and his able co-editors, Drs. Maddox, Beauchamp, and Evers. The latest research has been incorporated, with entirely new chapters on organ transplantation, vascular surgery and tumor immunology (among others). Existing chapters have been extensively updated, especially with regard to basic science and regenerative medicine. More than 400 self-assessment questions are also included to aid readers in any recertification quests they may be undertaking. Regular MD Consult visitors can look forward to video content as well in the coming weeks.

Of course, there is new journal content, too – the February issue of Chest is now live, and it covers a wide range of topics, from a commentary on the prevention of embolic strokes in atrial fibrillation patients to a look at the economic impact of newer tools such as endobronchial ultrasound. A study examining an association between obesity and differences in right ventricular morphology appears in this issue, as does one on postoperative complications in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep-related problems in neurologic diseases are also reviewed. Sticking with the pulmonary/vascular theme, the February issue of Heart, Lung and Circulation was also added this week. Research published this month took in subjects from short term outcomes after cardiac surgery in a Jehovah’s Witness population (in other words, cardiac surgery with limited, if any, blood transfusions) to lipid management in high risk coronary patients. READ MORE >>

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MD Consult’s News section has covered quite a variety of stories this week, though it is likely that this report comes as no surprise to most: a survey discovered that many physicians are not always completely honest with their patients. While few doctors were emulating the fictional Dr. Gregory House, there were a number of key areas identified in which less than the complete truth was revealed: medical mistakes and relationships to drug and device companies seemed particularly problematic. Various specialties showed different trends – general surgeons tended to be in favor of full disclosure, while psychiatrists tended to be less so. It was noted that in most cases, the ‘untruthfulness’ was a response to difficult questions posed by patients, and the study authors encouraged working toward better communication.

New in the Journals section this week is the February issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology focuses on fungi and allergic lower respiratory tract diseases, including asthma. One article looked at an underlying genetic susceptibility to mucocutaneous fungal infections, while another examined fungal infections of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Last year’s advances in mechanisms of asthma, allergy, and immunology were reviewed, and another paper (perhaps looking forward to the Olympics) studied airway inflammation and remodeling in elite swimmers. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy is also new for February; among the subjects covered are simulation in endoscopy training, unsedated colonoscopy, and an experiment to assess the initial design of a suction enteroscope. Also of note is an article reporting positive results when looking to manage children with symptoms of gastroparesis via endoscopic intrapyloric botulinum injections. READ MORE >>

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This week’s MD Consult news featured a story that was widely reported elsewhere as well – it seems that bread and lunch meat are responsible for nearly half of the sodium most people manage to consume on a regular basis. Even cottage cheese was noted as a culprit, exceeding the percentage of sodium contributed by obvious offenders like chips and pretzels.

Lowering sodium intake is particular important for those suffering from kidney disease, as regular readers of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases are aware. The latest issue features a wide variety of articles, including one touching on a different aspect of sodium levels. It seems that lower serum sodium levels in certain hemodialysis patients may put them at a greater risk of death, although the authors caution that other factors cannot be ruled out by this study. Also studied is the impact of periodontal disease on kidney function in the elderly, and there is a commentary on the recent SHARP trial, which examined lipid-lowering therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease. This issue also includes a case report which focuses on acute kidney injury caused by ‘bath salts’ intoxication – it’s a useful article as the designer drugs become more popular, and this aspect of their impact may not be widely recognized. Another new issue this week is the February American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Articles in this edition range from a look at the ’30-minute rule’ from surgical decision to surgical delivery as well as the prevention of mother-to-child infection transmission. Another paper examined the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases later in life. READ MORE >>

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No, it’s not an early Valentine’s Day special – it just so happens that this week, MD Consult featured quite a bit of cardiology news, covering stories ranging from the impact of lifestyle changes on cardiovascular risk to a closer look at earlier ventral septal defect repair, which was associated with poorer outcomes. But in more positive news, left ventricular assist devices for patients waiting for transplants performed well in a large database study, while in another story, the ideal treatments for carotid atherosclerosis were still up for debate. Fans of Spanish food will be pleased to hear that fried foods in that country may not be linked to coronary heart disease, most likely because of the types of oils used, as well as the varieties of fried foods in question – usually fish. It’s not exactly a license to eat poorly, but it’s something – although one may want to consult the next section before overindulging.

New in Journals this week is the January/March issue of Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, which kicks off 2012 with an article on the association between insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk factors and overweight in Japanese schoolchildren. American children were also considered, with a study exploring whether cell phones (plus other electronic toys) and social patterns are useful predictors of body mass – it would seem that they are. Adults came in for scrutiny as well, with a paper concluding that even ‘metabolically healthy’ obese people should still be carefully watched for signs of coronary artery disease. Sticking with the opening cardiology theme, the February 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology is also online now. An intriguing paper examines whether there has been any long-term increase in the rate of acute myocardial infarction in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. An article on preventive cardiology looks at the role of primary care, while another takes a look at barriers to lifestyle changes for hypertension patients. READ MORE >>