To evaluate the ability of two graphologists and two practising internists not trained in graphology to differentiate letters written by subjects who have attempted to commit suicide by self-poisoning and healthy volunteers, we performed a maximal blind controlled study vs. healthy volunteers. Forty fully recovered patients who had attempted to commit suicide and 40 healthy volunteers wrote and...

Necrosis significantly increases rates of morbidity and mortality in acute pancreatitis. Hospitalists and general internists are on the front lines in identifying severe cases and consulting the appropriate specialists for optimal multidisciplinary care.

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of life-threatening meningitis and sepsis in the United States (US). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, Y (MenACWY) all 11–12-year-old adolescents, with booster dose at age 16. Additionally, ACIP serogroup B (MenB) 16–23 (pr...

AIM. To assess physicians' knowledge and practices for obtaining patients' informed consent to medical procedures. METHODS. An anonymous and voluntary survey of knowledge and practices for obtaining informed consent was conducted among 470 physicians (63% response rate) working in 6 hospitals: 93 specialists in anesthesiology, 166 in internal medicine, and 211 in surgery. RESULTS. Only 54% phys...

CONTEXT Optimal diagnostic and treatment modalities in chronic pancreatitis are controversial due to lack of evidence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate current clinical practice, we conducted a survey with the primary objective to evaluate decisions regarding the diagnosis, management and screening in chronic pancreatitis. DESIGN We developed a vignette survey. SETTING We surveyed Dutch gastroentero...

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between general internists' tendency to conserve medical resources and their willingness to participate in physician-assisted suicide (PAS). DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Survey of a random sample of general internists in 6 urban areas of the United States. MEASUREMENTS We assessed the physicians' use of medical resources by constructing a scale based on 6 hy...