From MedPage Today:

1. Nicotine Replacement in Pregnancy: How Risky? The absolute risk of major congenital anomalies was similar among infants born to smokers and those born to women on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), but respiratory problems were worse in the latter group.
2. AS Activity Tied to Future Risk for Heart Disease. Early inflammation and disease activity predicted future elevations in arterial stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
3. Medicare Is Stingy in First Year of Doctor Bonuses. Dr. Michael Kitchell initially welcomed the federal government’s new quality incentives for doctors. His medical group in Iowa has always scored better than most in the quality reports that Medicare has provided doctors in recent years, he said.
4. Staff Infections: What to Do When Exposed in the ER. As emergency physicians, we are exposed to patients with a host of different infections, and sometimes are required to take post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent infection.