Diagnosis and Management of Ectopic Pregnancy Using Bedside Transvaginal Ultrasonography in the Emergency Department: A Two-Year Experience. Join discussion...

These findings suggest that the accumulation of socioeconomic status in terms of family income across childhood is more important than social mobility or variability in socioeconomic status, although there may be certain periods of time (early life) that have stronger effects on health. These findings suggest the importance of childhood interventions for reducing health disparities. Join discussion...

These population-based data suggest that restless legs syndrome is prevalent and troublesome in children and adolescents, occurring more commonly than epilepsy or diabetes. Join discussion...

The type of attending obstetrician (regular care v. on call) had a minor effect on obstetric outcomes. Join discussion...

There were no overall effects of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, or beta carotene on cardiovascular events among women at high risk for CVD. Join discussion...

The present study identified several prognostic factors that could help to detect those individuals who are at highest risk during heat waves and to provide a basis for potential risk-reducing interventions in the setting of heat waves. Join discussion...

Selenium supplementation does not seem to prevent type 2 diabetes, and it may increase risk for the disease. Join discussion...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is the extreme manifestation of acute lung injury. Both these conditions complicate many medical and surgical conditions, not all of which affect the lung directly and are therefore encountered by clinicians working outside the critical care setting . . . Join discussion...

In this week's BMJ, Mant and colleagues and Fitzmaurice and colleagues present the results of the SAFE (screening for atrial fibrillation in the elderly) study. They assess how accurately general practitioners, practice nurses, and an interpretive computer program can diagnose atrial fibrillation on an electrocardiogram (ECG), and they report on the effectiveness of screening patients aged 65 and over for atrial fibrillation in British general practice.1 2 The prevalence of atrial fibrillation rises with age from 1.5% in people in their 60s to more than 10% in those over 90. People with atrial fibrillation have double the mortality and a four to fivefold higher risk of stroke than those without fibrillation. About a quarter of all strokes in elderly people are caused by atrial fibrillation. Strokes caused by atrial fibrillation are often severe and lead to high mortality and a low quality of life.3 Join discussion...

A 61-year-old man was admitted to this hospital because of recurrent fevers. He had been well until approximately 3.5 months earlier, when chills, fevers, and fatigue developed. He had no cough or production of sputum. He saw his primary care physician, who sent him to the emergency department of another hospital. A chest radiograph revealed a left basilar opacity, and a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was made. A 5-day course of azithromycin was begun. His symptoms persisted, and he was admitted to the same hospital 5 days later. A chest radiograph . . . Join discussion...