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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.
Meanwhile, in the Clinics, the immunology theme continues with February’s Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. This issue spotlights food allergies, from their mechanisms and determinants to alternative therapies such as acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Other papers focus on food allergy prevention, the latest diagnostic testing techniques, and mental health issues surrounding such allergies. Elsewhere, there are articles in press for a wide variety of titles: Medical Clinics of North America features an article on age as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and readers of Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics can look forward to a paper on insulin therapy in pregnancy in a future issue.
Check back next week for more of what’s new on MD Consult.
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