• Pneumonia
    Infectious Diseases,  Internal Medicine

    Pneumonia

    Outpatient Are there risk factors for MRSA or pseudomonas (e.g. had MRSA or pseudomonas previously or was recently hospitalized and received IV antibiotics in the last 90 days)? Are there comorbidities e.g. chronic heart, lung, liver or kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism or asplenia? No: Amoxicillin 1 g tid OR Doxycycline 100 mg bid OR a macrolide if local pneumococcal resistance is < 25%. Macrolide options include: Azithromycin 500 mg on day 1 then 250 mg daily OR Clarithromycin ER 1g daily OR Clarithromycin 500 mg bid. Note that the strongest recommendation is for amoxicillin, followed by a conditional recommendation for doxycycline (there is limited data for oral doxycycline use…

  • Neurology

    Stroke and TIA

    Stroke symptoms last ≥24 hours Stroke results in permanent neurologic deficits Stroke can be due to hemorrhage (20%) or ischemia (80%) Stroke with no known cause is called cryptogenic Stroke spares the upper 1/3 of the face TIA symptoms last <24 hours TIA symptoms resolve completely TIA can only be due to ischemia (emboli or thrombus) – because hemorrhage would take >24 hours to resolve TIA does not spare the upper 1/3 of the face Artery localization The artery affected in stroke or TIA can be localized based on the symptoms. Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA) Mainly lower extremity weakness Urinary incontinence Personality changes or psychiatric symptoms Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)…