Perhaps no topic is as difficult to categorize into the appropriate section of the ABIM Board, NBME Shelf, or USMLE Step exams as is hypertension.   Is elevated blood pressure a topic for General Internal Medicine (we see it more …
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Everything you need to know about Infective Endocarditis, as relevant for the Internal Medicine boards, shelf exam and USMLE Step 3   Infective endocarditis (IE) is a condition in which bacteria or fungus attach to the inside of the endocardial …
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Whether studying for emergency medicine, internal medicine, or USMLE board examinations, cardiovascular diseases are by far and away one of the biggest organ systems of which questions get asked.  If you pay attention, the first three pearls are all on …
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Concepts related to cardiology are seen on the ABIM and Med School Clerkship Shelf exams more frequently than any other specialty area. On the former, according to the ABIM exam blueprint, cardiovascular disease is found in 14% of questions while …
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Start off your week with our Radiology Challenge, featuring an Internal Medicine board exam-style image question:   58-year-old male presents to the Emergency Room with shortness of breath and chest pain. The pain radiates to the left shoulder and is …
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One of the frustrating parts of remembering heart murmurs for the ABIM Internal Medicine exam are the various maneuvers and factors that affect intensity. In today’s post, we present a few words on the impact of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) …
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Once a patient has been cleared from a cardiac standpoint, the next step in the process is to reduce perioperative complications even further. Our goal should be to prevent postoperative infections, bleeding, and minimize the length of stay.   What …
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As a senior resident, I was frequently asked to assess the preoperative risk of patients and currently do it on a daily basis as faculty. The goal is to identify procedures and patient factors that could significantly elevate the risk …
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Traditionally, mention a clinical vignette featuring a “20-something year-old male basketball player with no known medical or surgical history suddenly collapsing during a game” to any medical student and he or she will enthusiastically respond “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”   After news …
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The benefit of statins in preventing cardiovascular disease has been well established for years. So has the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Thus, it came as somewhat of a surprise when the 2008 JUPITER trial revealed that the use …
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