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November's top internal medicine stories

Healio.com/Internal Medicine presents the month’s top news stories, which included the topics of chest compressions, fish oil supplements and direct prescription drug advertising.

ABIM, ACCME release list of CME that qualifies for MOC

A partnership between the ABIM and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education is resulting in "a more flexible, streamlined process to combine continuing medical education activities with Maintenance of Certification requirements," according to a blog post written by the organizations. Read more.

Continuous chest compressions during CPR do not improve survival rates

Data from a cluster-randomized trial demonstrated that continuous chest compressions during CPR did not affect survival or neurological function compared with interrupted chest compressions. Graham Nichol, MD, MPH, the director of the University of Washington Medical Center/Harborview Medical Center for Prehospital Emergency Care in Seattle, and colleagues wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine that ventilation given as rescue breathing interrupts chest compressions during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Read more.

AMA votes in favor of ban on direct prescription drug advertising

The AMA is calling for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, according to a press release from the organization. Physicians at the Interim Meeting of the AMA voted in favor of the advertising ban, citing concerns that the advertising results in more expensive treatment. Read more.

Fish oil supplementation does not lower levels of inflammation biomarkers

An investigation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid found that they did not reduce C-reactive protein or interleukin-6 levels in healthy adults, according to research published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Read more.

FDA orders recall for Custom Ultrasonics automated endoscope reprocessors

The FDA has ordered Custom Ultrasonics to recall automated endoscope reprocessors it has manufactured from health care facilities, according to a press release. Custom Ultrasonics has repeatedly violated federal law and a consent decree between the company and the FDA, according to the agency. Read more.