Archives of Internal Medicine Reader's Choice: Continuing Medical Education FREE

Physicians with current and valid licenses in the United States, Canada, or Mexico who read any 3 of the selected continuing medical education (CME) articles in this issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, complete the CME Evaluation Form, and fax it to the number or mail it to the address at the bottom of the CME Evaluation Form are eligible for Category 1 CME credit. There is no charge.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The AMA designates this educational activity for up to 1 hour of Category 1 credit per Archives of Internal Medicine issue toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award (PRA). Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that were actually spent in the educational activity.

Physicians with current and valid licenses in the United States, Mexico, or Canada are eligible for CME credit even if they live or practice in other countries. Physicians licensed in other countries are also welcome to participate in this CME activity. However, the PRA is only available to physicians licensed in the United States, Canada, or Mexico.

To earn credit, read the articles designated for CME credit carefully and complete the CME Evaluation Form. The CME Evaluation Form must be submitted within 4 weeks of the issue date. A certificate awarding 1 hour of Category 1 CME credit will be faxed or mailed to you; it is then your responsibility to maintain a record of credit received. Questions about CME processing should be directed to the Blackstone Group, fax: (312) 269-1636.

One of our goals is to assess continually the educational needs of our readers so we may enhance the educational effectiveness of the Archives of Internal Medicine. To achieve this goal, we need your help. You must complete the CME Evaluation Form to receive credit.

For a complete description of the ARCHIVES' mission statement, please refer to the table of contents.

A flexible curriculum of article topics is developed annually by the journal's editorial board and is then supplemented throughout the year with information gained from readers, authors, reviewers, and editors. The Reader's Choice CME activity allows readers, as adult learners, to determine their own educational needs and to assist the editors in addressing their needs in future issues.

Readers of the Archives of Internal Medicine should be able to attain the following educational objectives: (1) select and read at least 3 articles per issue to gain new medical information on topics of particular interest to them as physicians, (2) assess its value to them as practicing physicians, and (3) think carefully about how this new information may influence their own practices.

The following articles in this issue may be read for CME credit:

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Associated With Ticlopidine in the Setting of Coronary Artery Stents and Stroke PreventionArticle

Educational Objective: To understand the syndrome associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with ticlopidine.

Outpatient Visits for Infectious Diseases in the United States, 1980 Through 1996Article

Educational Objective: To understand the epidemiology of and recent trends in outpatients visits for infectious diseases.

Treatment of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis With Leflunomide Compared With Placebo and MethotrexateArticle

Educational Objective: To learn the efficacy of leflunomide, a new agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Patient Risk Factors for Adverse Drug Events in Hospitalized PatientsArticle

Educational Objective: To understand risk factors leading to adverse drug events in hospitalized patients.

Associations Between Initial Antimicrobial Therapy and Medical Outcomes for Hospitalized Elderly Patients With PneumoniaArticle

Educational Objective: To determine the association between initial antibiotic choice and medical outcomes in elderly patients who are hospitalized with pneumonia.

Effect of Macrolides on Length of Stay in Patients Hospitalized With Community-Acquired PneumoniaArticle

Educational Objective: To understand the value of initial macrolide therapy in reducing the length of stay in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Prospective Study of Body Mass Index, Weight Change, and Risk of Adult-onset Asthma in WomenArticle

Educational Objective: To understand the relationship between body mass index and the diagnosis of asthma.

Brain Biopsy in Patients WIth Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeArticle

Educational Objective: To understand the indications and clinical value of brain biopsy in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.