Table of Contents

December 21, 2004; 141 (12)

Articles

  • Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

    • Brian M. Berman,
    • Lixing Lao,
    • Patricia Langenberg,
    • Wen Lin Lee,
    • Adele M.K. Gilpin,
    • and Marc C. Hochberg
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:901-910

    Acupuncture as adjunctive therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee seems to improve function and relieve pain when compared with control groups receiving either credible sham acupuncture or patient education.

  • Acupuncture versus Placebo for the Treatment of Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

    • Peter White,
    • George Lewith,
    • Phil Prescott,
    • and Joy Conway
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:911-919

    Acupuncture reduced chronic neck pain by a statistically, but not clinically, significant effect compared with placebo. The beneficial effects of acupuncture for pain may be due to both nonspecific and specific effects.

  • A Clinical Prediction Rule To Identify Patients with Low Back Pain Most Likely To Benefit from Spinal Manipulation: A Validation Study

    • John D. Childs,
    • Julie M. Fritz,
    • Timothy W. Flynn,
    • James J. Irrgang,
    • Kevin K. Johnson,
    • Guy R. Majkowski,
    • and Anthony Delitto
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:920-928

    Patients with low back pain were most likely to benefit from spinal manipulation if they met at least 4 of the following criteria: symptom duration less than 16 days, no symptoms distal to the knee, score less than 19 on a fear-avoidance measure, at least 1 hypermobile lumbar segment, and at least 1 hip with more than 35 degrees of internal rotation.

  • Using Serum Creatinine To Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate: Accuracy in Good Health and in Chronic Kidney Disease

    • Andrew D. Rule,
    • Timothy S. Larson,
    • Erik J. Bergstralh,
    • Jeff M. Slezak,
    • Steven J. Jacobsen,
    • and Fernando G. Cosio
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:929-937

    The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) substantially underestimates GFR in healthy persons. A new equation developed with patients with chronic kidney disease and healthy persons may be a step toward accurately estimating GFR when renal function is unknown.

Improving Patient Care

  • Comparison of Quality of Care for Patients in the Veterans Health Administration and Patients in a National Sample

    • Steven M. Asch,
    • Elizabeth A. McGlynn,
    • Mary M. Hogan,
    • Rodney A. Hayward,
    • Paul Shekelle,
    • Lisa Rubenstein,
    • Joan Keesey,
    • John Adams,
    • and Eve A. Kerr
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:938-945

    This study used a comprehensive quality-of-care measure to compare the quality of care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and in a national sample. Patients from the VHA received higher-quality care. Differences were greatest in areas where the VHA has established performance measures and actively monitors performance.

Review

  • Narrative Review: Hepatobiliary Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

    • Keith G. Tolman,
    • Vivian Fonseca,
    • Meng H. Tan,
    • and Anthony Dalpiaz
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:946-956

    The authors discuss liver disease in type 2 diabetes, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis C, acute liver failure, and cholelithiasis. They also review the metabolic effects of type 2 diabetes on the liver, the hepatotoxicity of antihyperglycemic medications, and the treatment of diabetes in patients with liver disease.

Editorials

  • Treatments for Back Pain: Can We Get Past Trivial Effects?

    • Richard A. Deyo
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:957-958

    Two articles in this issue address “alternative” treatments for spinal disorders: manipulation for acute low back pain and acupuncture for chronic neck pain. Both studies suggest that the patient's expectations of treatment affect the outcomes of treatment. Therefore, we should try to learn patient expectations and think about how they should affect our treatment recommendations.

  • Clinical Implications of Estimating Equations for Glomerular Filtration Rate

    • Lesley A. Stevens and
    • Andrew S. Levey
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:959-961

    Estimating equations that accurately calculate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with chronic kidney disease and normal renal function are potentially important for early detection of disease. Until we are confident that they accurately calculate GFR in several independent populations, we should use current estimating equations, which are well-tested in several different populations of patients with kidney disease.

On Being a Doctor

  • Another Brand of Medicine

    • Richard G. Druss
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:962-963

    After an extensive evaluation, my father would usher the patient into his consulting room. He would then offer 2 sequential proclamations: This is what you have, and this is what you must do about it. He was not there for discussion. He believed in the authoritarian, not the collaborative, school of medicine. But patients ate it up. When Moses delivered the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai, it was not to start a debate on the merits of “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”

  • I Want To Go Home

    • Cynthia X. Pan,
    • Jennifer Kales,
    • and Sandra Sanchez-Reilly
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:964-965

    After hearing the risks and benefits of treatment options, Mrs. V. decided she did not want to be treated. She told us that she wanted to focus on getting home. Two problems arose: Home was in the Philippines, and Mrs. V. had no health insurance and therefore could not receive home hospice benefits.

Letters

  • Terminal Sedation in the Netherlands

    • Shimon M. Glick
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:966

  • Terminal Sedation in the Netherlands

    • Zbigniew Zylicz
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:966

  • Terminal Sedation in the Netherlands

    • Judith A.C. Rietjens,
    • Agnes van der Heide,
    • and Gerrit van der Wal
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:966-967

  • Age and Routine Invasive Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes

    • Nasseer A. Masoodi
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:967

  • Age and Routine Invasive Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes

    • Richard G. Bach,
    • Christopher P. Cannon,
    • and Eugene Braunwald
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:967-968

  • Gatifloxacin-Induced Hyperglycemia

    • Marc R. Happe,
    • Brian P. Mulhall,
    • Corinne L. Maydonovitch,
    • and Kent C. Holtzmuller
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:968-699

  • Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia, and Gatifloxacin

    • Weerapan Khovidhunkit and
    • Sarat Sunthornyothin
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:969

Current Clinical Issues

  • Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption

    • Jennifer Fisher Wilson
    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:977-980

Thanks to Reviewers

Medical Notices

  • Medical Notices

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:0

Summaries for Patients

  • Acupuncture for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:I-20

  • Acupuncture for Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:I-26

  • Identifying Patients with Low Back Pain Who Are Likely To Benefit from Spinal Manipulation

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:I-39

  • Estimating Kidney Function in Healthy People

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:I-40

  • The Quality of Health Care for Veterans Compared with Other Patients

    Ann Intern Med December 21, 2004 141:I-42
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This Issue

December 21, 2004; 141 (12)
  1. Articles
  2. Improving Patient Care
  3. Review
  4. Editorials
  5. On Being a Doctor
  6. Letters
  7. Current Clinical Issues
  8. Thanks to Reviewers
  9. Medical Notices
  10. Summaries for Patients

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