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Abstract: Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) portends significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We therefore determined how often rheumatologists screened for and managed cardiovascular risk factors in RA patients, and the barriers to doing so. Methods: We examined 300 patient charts from 10 university‐affiliated rheumatology practices, to ascertain if they had been screened, treated and/or referred over a 3‐year period. We subsequently distributed a national survey to Canadian rheumatologists to elucidate challenges in performing optimal cardiovascular risk modification. Results: Most patients were screened for hypertension. Forty‐one per cent were found to be hypertensive; however, the majority of these patients were neither treated nor referred to another provider for management. A small minority of patients were screened for diabetes and/or hyperlipidaemia, and these were usually not addressed if abnormal. Men were referred more frequently than women. Consistent with these findings, the majority of rheumatologists from the national survey felt that they did not manage cardiovascular risk adequately; 79.4% cited a lack of time as a major barrier, and 82.5% felt that it should be managed by the primary care provider. Conclusion: There is marked underdiagnosis and undertreatment of cardiac risk in RA. Several major barriers exist, including lack of time. Most rheumatologists feel that this aspect of care is the responsibility of primary care physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: An experimenter controlled form of reflection has been shown to improve the detection and correction of diagnostic errors in some situations; however, the benefits of participant-controlled reflection have not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the current study is to examine how experience and a self-directed decision to reflect affect the accuracy of revised diagnoses. DESIGN: Medical residents diagnosed 16 medical cases (pass 1). Participants were then given the opportunity to reflect on each case and revise their diagnoses (pass 2). PARTICIPANTS: Forty-seven medical Residents in post-graduate year (PGY) 1, 2 and 3 were recruited from Hamilton Health Care Centres. MAIN MEASURES: Diagnoses were scored as 0 (incorrect), 1 (partially correct) and 2 (correct). Accuracies and response times in pass 1 were analyzed using an ANOVA with three factors-PGY, Decision to revise yes/no, and Case 1-16, averaged across residents. The extent to which additional reflection affected accuracy was examined by analyzing only those cases that were revised, using a repeated measures ANOVA, with pass 1 or 2 as a within subject factor, and PGY and Case or Resident as a between-subject factor. KEY RESULTS: The mean score at pass 1 for each level was PGY1, 1.17 (SE 0.50); PGY2, 1.35 (SE 0.67) and PGY3, 1.27 (SE 0.94). While there was a trend for increased accuracy with level, this did not achieve significance. The number of residents at each level who revised at least one diagnosis was 12/19 PGY1 (63 %), 9/11 PGY2 (82 %) and 8/17 PGY3 (47 %). Only 8 % of diagnoses were revised resulting in a small but significant increase in scores from Pass 1 to 2, from 1.20/2 to 1.22 /2 ( t = 2.15, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Participants did engage in self-directed reflection for incorrect diagnoses; however, this strategy provided minimal benefits compared to knowing the correct answer. Education strategies should be directed at improving formal and experiential knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopsy with immunofluorescence is diagnostic.[3] Our patient denied exposure to plants containing psoralens, supporting the diagnosis of ACD. Skin biopsy is diagnostic and patch testing can identify the allergen. Skin biopsy diagnosed allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) (Fig. [Extracted from the article]

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common complication of cirrhosis of the liver. It is also extremely debilitating, with an untreated 3-year survival of only 23 %. While the exact pathophysiology of HE has yet to be elucidated, a number of contributing factors have been described. Abnormal levels and altered metabolism of ammonia play a central role. Recently, inflammation has also been identified as a contributor to HE. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of HE is crucial, as current therapy centers on reduction of the body's ammonia load. Lactulose is the first-line therapy for HE, with some antibiotics recently showing promise for improved outcomes in patients with HE. The role of anti-inflammatory therapies has yet to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]