From MedPage Today:

1. ED Throughput: A Fixable Problem. As I travel the freeways of the various cities I visit, I often come across billboards announcing waiting times at the local ED, or billboards promising no wait at all. Sometimes they just advertise “faster” care, whatever that means.
2. Mumps Checks NHL Players. It has been a bad year for mumps and not even elite athletes are immune.
3. Watch for Axial Back Pain in Psoriatic Pts. Patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of lower axial back pain than the general population while inflammatory back pain (IBP), spondyloarthritis (SpA), and alternating buttock pain are also more likely to occur in those with psoriasis than those without, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data indicates.
4. Budget Bill Gets Thumbs Down From Physician Groups. The House ended its “lame duck” session with a budget deal that didn’t please most physician groups.