Disease-a-month : DM
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Lung cancer is the most common fatal malignancy in both men and women, both in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Today, lung cancer is most often diagnosed on the basis of symptoms of advanced disease or when chest x-rays are taken for a variety of purposes unrelated to lung cancer detection. Unfortunately, in the United States no society or governmental agency recommends screening, even for patients with high risks, such as smokers with airflow obstruction or people with occupational exposures, including asbestos. ⋯ A new health care initiative, the National Lung Health Education Program, recommends spirometric testing for all smokers 45 years or older, as well as for patients with symptoms of lung cancer. Screening for lung cancer in such patients will find many cancers at an early stage when they are amenable to cure. Today, we have the knowledge and the technology that could change the outcome of lung cancer.
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Infectious diarrhea is an extremely common illness that affects millions of Americans annually. For most patients, the illness is a self-limited one. Its major risk is dehydration. ⋯ Several organisms have been associated with specific postinfectious syndromes that are responsible for additional morbidity and mortality. The antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens has been increasing, and this has a limiting effect on the empiric treatment choices available for suspected bacterial diarrhea. Careful attention to local sensitivity patterns and appropriate testing of the patient's isolate are among the important factors that lead to successful treatment decisions.