Assessing the prioritization of primary care referrals for polysomnograms.

Study Objective: The mortality attributed to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is comparable to that of breast cancer and colon cancer. We sought to determine if patients at high risk for OSA were less likely to be referred by their primary care physician for polysomnograms (PSG) than mammograms or endoscopies.

Design: Prospective cohort study; patients were recruited between January 2007 and April 2007.

Cardiologist's knowledge and attitudes about obstructive sleep apnea: a survey study.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular diseases, yet available data suggests cardiologists underreport OSA. This study assessed whether cardiologists' knowledge and attitudes about OSA contribute to this finding. A previously validated questionnaire, the "Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire" (OSAKA), was modified by the addition of 20 knowledge items and one attitude question to include a total of 38 knowledge items and six attitude questions.

An intervention to improve procedure education for internal medicine residents.

Background: Internists commonly perform invasive procedures, but serious deficiencies exist in procedure training during residency.

Objective: Evaluate a comprehensive, inpatient procedure service rotation (MPS) to improve Internal Medicine residents' comfort and self-perceived knowledge in performing lumbar puncture, abdominal paracentesis, thoracentesis, arthrocentesis, and central venous catheterization (CVC).

Design: The MPS comprised 1 faculty physician and 1-3 residents rotating for 2 weeks.

Findings of a Berlin Questionnaire survey: comparison between patients seen in an asthma clinic versus internal medicine clinic.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and asthma are common and share similar nocturnal symptoms. We hypothesized that the prevalence of OSA symptoms would be greater in asthmatics compared to a general internal medicine population.

Methods: Patients in the Asthma Clinics (n=177) and Internal Medicine Clinics (n=328) at MetroHealth Medical Center, an urban academic institution, were surveyed for OSA risk.

Characteristics and impact of obesity on the outpatient echocardiography laboratory.

The impact of the growing obesity epidemic on the outpatient echocardiography laboratory and the characteristics of these patients were retrospectively investigated. Over a 6-month period, 916 patients were referred for study, 49.7% of whom were obese (body mass index >29.