Myocarditis and pericarditis recovery following smallpox vaccine 2002-2016: A comparative observational cohort study in the military health system.

Objectives: (1) Characterize the initial clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of smallpox vaccine-associated hypersensitivity myocarditis and pericarditis (MP) in United States service members. (2) Describe the process of case identification and adjudication using the 2003 CDC nationally defined myocarditis/pericarditis epidemiologic case definitions to include consideration of case-specific diversity and evolving evidence.

Background: Between 2002 and 2016, 2.

Heart Failure: Optimizing Recognition and Management in Outpatient Settings.

Heart failure represents a growing chronic medical condition with major implications on patient morbidity, mortality, and cost to health care systems. In this article, the heart failure syndrome is reviewed from a perspective of diagnosis and management, with updated therapeutic options reflected in major guidelines published since this topic was last reviewed in Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice in 2013. An emphasis is placed on the use of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology's staging system as a framework to improve early identification and treatment of patients at risk of symptomatic heart failure.

Referral for competency committee review for poor performance on the internal medicine clerkship is associated with poor performance in internship.

Purpose: To determine how students who are referred to a competency committee for concern over performance, and ultimately judged not to require remediation, perform during internship.

Methods: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' students who graduated between 2007 and 2011 were included in this study. We compared the performance during internship of three groups: students who were referred to the internal medicine competency committee for review who met passing criterion, students who were reviewed by the internal medicine competency committee who were determined not to have passed the clerkship and were prescribed remediation, and students who were never reviewed by this competency committee.

The association of students requiring remediation in the internal medicine clerkship with poor performance during internship.

Purpose: To determine whether the Uniformed Services University (USU) system of workplace performance assessment for students in the internal medicine clerkship at the USU continues to be a sensitive predictor of subsequent poor performance during internship, when compared with assessments in other USU third year clerkships.

Method: Utilizing Program Director survey results from 2007 through 2011 and U.S.

A prospective study of the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis and new onset cardiac symptoms following smallpox and influenza vaccination.

Background: Although myocarditis/pericarditis (MP) has been identified as an adverse event following smallpox vaccine (SPX), the prospective incidence of this reaction and new onset cardiac symptoms, including possible subclinical injury, has not been prospectively defined.

Purpose: The study's primary objective was to determine the prospective incidence of new onset cardiac symptoms, clinical and possible subclinical MP in temporal association with immunization.

Methods: New onset cardiac symptoms, clinical MP and cardiac specific troponin T (cTnT) elevations following SPX (above individual baseline values) were measured in a multi-center prospective, active surveillance cohort study of healthy subjects receiving either smallpox vaccine or trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV).

Carotid artery examination, an important tool in patient evaluation.

Examination of the arteries is an age old medical tradition. Examination of the carotid artery is of unique importance because it is an easily accessible large artery. Through the methods of inspection, palpation, and auscultation, carotid artery examination gives clinicians important diagnostic clues about the health and disease of the patient.

Carotid bruits and cerebrovascular disease risk: a meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: Current guidelines recommend against routine auscultation of carotid arteries, believing that carotid bruits are poor predictors of either underlying carotid stenosis or stroke risk in asymptomatic patients. We investigated whether the presence of a carotid bruit is associated with increased risk for transient ischemic attack, stroke, or death by stroke (stroke death).

Methods: We searched Medline (1966 to December 2009) and EMBASE (1974 to December 2009) with the terms "carotid" and "bruit.

Carotid bruits as a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.

Background: Although carotid bruits are deemed to be markers of generalised atherosclerosis, they are poor predictors of cerebrovascular events. We investigated whether a carotid bruit predicts myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death.

Methods: In this meta-analysis, we searched Medline (1966 to August, 2007) and Embase (1974 to August, 2007) with the terms "carotid" and "bruit".

The Framingham Risk Score: an appraisal of its benefits and limitations.

The concepts of risk assessment and reduction are the cornerstones of preventive cardiology practice. The Framingham Heart Study is a landmark achievement that has provided valuable insights into coronary heart disease risk prediction. Through this cohort study, risk calculators have been generated to predict the risk of cardiac disease in asymptomatic patients.