Genomics in medicine: A new era in medicine

The sequencing of complete human genome revolutionized the genomic medicine.However,the complex interplay of gene-environment-lifestyle and influence of non-coding genomic regions on human health remain largely unexplored.Genomic medicine has great potential for diagnoses or disease prediction,disease prevention and,targeted treatment.However,many of the promising tools of genomic medicine are still in their infancy and their application may be limited because of the limited knowledge we have that precludes its use in many clinical settings.In this review article,we have reviewed the evolution of genomic methodologies/tools,their limitations,and scope,for current and future clinical application.

Do we need to screen every patient in intensive care unit for diabetes in community with high prevalence of diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is marked as global health care challenge with almost 10% of the United States population being diagnosed with DM. A sizeable percentage of patients are oblivious of their disease, in spite of easily accessibility knowledge about its early signs and symptoms and rapid diagnostic modalities. Critically ill patients with undiagnosed DM are likely to have an increased mortality as compared to intensive care unit (ICU) patients with diagnosed DM. DM may have adverse effect on ICU patients causing organ failure and complications. Early Screening of patients at the risk of developing disease may prevent long term complications. Early screening and management may be beneficial as controlled DM patients have similar morbidity as non DM patients in ICU. An intense glycaemic and blood pressure control improves retinopathy and albuminuria, but may not affect the macrovascular outcomes.

Effective Communication in the Pre-Operative Environment

Introduction: Building a strong patient rapport is a founding principle instilled early on in medical education. For many specialties, this relationship can be developed through repeated encounters. However, anesthesiologists are limited in opportunity for which such rapport can be built. Therefore, it is critical that the pre-operative visit is used effectively to develop a strong patient-physician relationship and help relieve patient anxiety. Methods: The primary objective of this study was to determine what communication aspects are most important to patients in the pre-operative period. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of our current communication practices and their impact on patient’s anxiety. This study was an anonymous and voluntary survey conducted in the pre-operative area prior to elective surgical cases at Mayo Clinic Arizona from Dec. 2018-Jan. 2019. Patients completed a one-page questionnaire ranking the importance of various communication aspects and its subsequent impact on their anxiety level. Results: Of the communication qualities evaluated, patients most valued their physician’s thoroughness and ability to describe their anesthetic plan. Greater than 95% of patients felt “very satisfied” with their anesthesia provider encounter and on a 1 - 5 point scale, with 5 being the highest, there was an average reduction of 0.75 in anxiety level after completion of the anesthesia interview. Conclusion: Incorporation of and improving these communication aspects during your pre-operative evaluation can help improve rapport, reduce patient anxiety, and improve the patient’s overall experience. Implementing a communication-focused curriculum during training may prove beneficial in improving resident’s effectiveness in communicating.