Undoing UTIs, overseeing stroke survivors, and more stories

Postmenopausal women are often plagued with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), but it's a problem with several solutions. Senior Writer Gianna Melillo talks to women's health experts about the latest in prevention and treatment. While the FDA recently approved two new antibiotics for this indication, they're not the only answer, the experts explained: Preventive methods like supplements, increased water intake, and, most importantly, vaginal estrogen can help keep UTIs at bay.

For stroke survivors, hospital discharge is only the beginning. This population faces challenges including physical problems, cognitive issues, and mood changes, as well as risk for recurrent stroke. Primary care physicians are the ones best placed to coordinate this complicated care and help ensure patients are getting what they need, according to experts. Our story offers tips on establishing early contact, detecting depression, and managing risk factors, among other topics.

Have you ever thought about how you introduce yourself to patients? A recent study offered people several ways a doctor could introduce themselves and found that one specific type of phrasing came out on top. In this issue's I.M. Ready, one of the study authors discusses the findings and offers her own perspectives, including the importance of matching how you introduce yourself with how you address the patient.

Vaccination has become a fraught topic in the U.S. recently, with conflicting recommendations and political upheaval sowing confusion for physicians and for patients. At a recent virtual forum, ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine sought to offer some advice, with experts weighing in on clinical vignettes and answering questions submitted in advance by the audience. For more on the ever-changing state of vaccine access and the growing threat to public health, read the Washington Perspective.

Our conference coverage in this issue is from the American Geriatrics Society's annual meeting, which was held in Chicago in May. Matthew Griffith, MD, MPH, offered attendees a rundown on dyspnea and ways to distinguish it from the effects of aging in older adults, including what questions to ask and how to modify existing tools for assessing pulmonary function. Among his tips is that seasonal variations in symptoms and exacerbations of dyspnea are not related to aging.

Also in this issue, Pearls from I.M. Peers covers listening to optimize patient/physician communication, while the President's Message discusses the importance of combating mis- and disinformation.

How often do you see patients with recurrent UTIs in your practice? What questions do you have about vaccination? Let us know.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Kearney-Strouse
Executive Editor