Liraglutide (Victoza – Novo Nordisk), a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist given by subcutaneous injection, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. It can be used alone or in addition to oral antidiabetic drugs such as metformin (Glucophage, and others) or glimepiride (Amaryl, and others). Liraglutide is not recommended for first-line therapy and is not approved for use with insulin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend using insect repellents to prevent infections transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks. Insect repellents applied to exposed skin should be used in conjunction with other preventive measures such as wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts and avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito-biting times. Mosquitoes can transmit diseasecausing pathogens, including Zika, chikungunya, dengue, West Nile, eastern equine encephalitis, and yellow fever viruses, and the malaria parasite....

An oral nonopioid analgesic is often sufficient for acute treatment of mild to moderate migraine pain without severe nausea or vomiting. A triptan is the drug of choice for treatment of moderate to severe migraine in most patients without vascular disease. Treatment of pain when it is still mild to moderate in intensity improves headache response and reduces the risk of recurrence.

Primary hypothyroidism is usually the result of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism, goiter or cancer, or radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism.

Ever-increasing specialization has made it difficult for many physicians to keep up with therapeutic standards in intensive-care units (ICUs). This issue of Treatment Guidelines offers current recommendations for use of cardiovascular drugs in the ICU for treatment of hypertensive emergencies; shock, cardiac arrest or decompensated heart failure; and ventricular arrhythmias.

About 60% of men ≥60 years old have clinically relevant prostatic enlargement due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The goals of treatment are to decrease lower urinary tract symptoms and to prevent disease progression and complications such as acute urinary retention. The American Urologic Association's guidelines for treatment of BPH were recently updated.

The choice of drugs for treatment of pneumonia depends on the most likely pathogens causing the infection and local antimicrobial resistance patterns. Factors such as severity of illness, presence of co-morbid conditions and whether the infection is community or hospital-acquired also need to be considered.

Every pharmaceutical drug is a dose-dependent poison. This article describes the clinical presentation and treatment of some dangerous overdoses commonly reported in adults.

Smoking tobacco remains the primary preventable cause of death in the US. Smoking cessation often requires both pharmacotherapy and behavioral support.

Most respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses. Bacterial respiratory tract infections are usually treated empirically with antibiotic therapy that targets the most probable causative pathogens. Recommended antibiotic regimens for outpatient treatment of some common respiratory tract infections are listed in Table 1 for adults and Table 2 for children.