JAMA Author Interviews

Mononucleosis is a common disease of young adults manifested by lethargy, fever, pharyngitis, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. In this podcast, we review the clinical features of the disease and how good each of them is at establishing a diagnosis of mononucleosis. We also review how Epstein Barr virus was discovered as the cause of mononucleosis and talk to Mark H. Ebell, MD, MS, author of Does This Patient Have Infectious Mononucleosis? The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. Articles discussed in this episode: Does This Patient Have Infectious Mononucleosis? The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review (2016) Acute Lymphatic Leukemia and Infectious Mononucleosis (1931) Infectious Mononucleosis: Part I. Clinical Aspects (1935) Infectious Mononucleosis: Clinical Manifestations in Relation to EB Virus Antibodies (1968)

Interview with Kiros Berhane, PhD, author of Association of Changes in Air Quality With Bronchitic Symptoms in Children in California, 1993-2012

Interview with Raj Chetty, PhD, author of The Association Between Income and Life Expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014, and Angus Deaton, PhD, author of On Death and Money: History, Facts, and Explanations

Interview with William R. Phillips, MD, MPH, author of Screening for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

Interview with Wendy C. King, PhD, author of Change in Pain and Physical Function Following Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity

Interview with Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, author of Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care on Back Pain and Functional Limitations in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

An opioid abuse epidemic now plagues US healthcare. It was caused, in part, by overzealous advocacy for controlling chronic pain resulting in overuse of narcotics. There are now 2 million Americans addicted to opioids. The approach for treating chronic pain must change. In this podcast, we summarize recent CDC guidelines for the proper use of opioids for treating chronic pain. Articles discussed in this episode: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain— United States, 2016, The CDC Guideline on Opioid Prescribing: Rising to the Challenge (Yngvild Olsen, MD, MPH), The DSM-V definition for opioid use disorder and 11 point checklist

Interview with Saad B. Omer, MBBS, MPH, PhD, author of Association Between Vaccine Refusal and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the United States A Review of Measles and Pertussis

Polypharmacy is a rapidly worsening problem that hits elderly patients particularly hard. As patients grow older, they need more medications but at the same time become less capable of managing the complexity of drug treatments. In order to simplify treatment regimens for older patients, it is necessary to consider the evidence supporting treatment of various conditions and when the evidence is not particularly strong, reduce or eliminate medications accordingly. Diabetes management in the elderly is highlighted in this podcast with specific attention given to deintensifying diabetes treatment in the elderly. Articles discussed in this episode: Polypharmacy in the Aging Patient: Glycemic Control in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Review (Kasia J. Lipska, MD, MHS) Evaluation and Treatment of Older Patients With Hypercholesterolemia: A Clinical Review (Timo E. Strandberg, MD, PhD) Trends in Prescription Drug Use Among Adults in the United States From 1999-2012 (Elizabeth D. Kantor, PhD, MPH)

Interview with Lynn Babcock, MD, MS, author of Identifying Children and Adolescents at Risk for Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms