May 15, 1998

For optimal management, chronic bronchitis requires judicious episodic antibiotic therapy combined with sustained relief of airway inflammation and bronchospasm.

Common medical problems in premature infants include anemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, apnea, retinopathy of prematurity and gastroesophageal reflux.

Early recognition and prompt, appropriate treatment are the keys to management of this common, distressing and disabling disorder.

Bacterial, viral and fungal skin infections are common and generally have distinctive patterns that can be helpful in diagnosis.

Currently, the most effective intervention for preventing recurrent UTIs in children is the identification and treatment of voiding dysfunction. Imaging evaluation of the urinary tract following an infection should be individualized, based on clinical judgment and the child's…

In the United States, preterm labor affects approximately one in 10 births. To minimize fetal morbidity, family physicians who provide obstetric care should familiarize themselves and their patients with the predisposing risk factors.

The diagnosis and management of an adnexal mass can be influenced by many factors, particularly the age of the patient, family history, characteristics of the mass, and data from ultrasonography and selected laboratory studies.

Pseudoneurologic syndromes can be identified by use of a careful history and physical examination, and expensive diagnostic tests and unnecessary treatments can be avoided.

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, February 1998, p. 84.) Approximately 20 percent of women have vaginal bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy. Between 50 and 60 percent of these cases end in miscarriage, but if fetal heart activity can be demonstrated by ultrasound at…

Prompted by AFP's continuing popularity and widening audience, and by the concomitant increase in the number of requests we receive from readers, we recently created a department of the AAFP Publications Division that specializes in reader services. The reader services…

Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

Athletes who can successfully train their brains as well as their bodies may be able to gain that extra edge needed during competition. According to a report in The Brain in the News, founders of the Brain-Body Center for Performance Enhancement are helping athletes teach their…

Anxiety disorders affect millions of persons in the United States and are among the most common psychiatric disorders. Everyone experiences anxiety at one time or another, especially in situations such as meeting someone new, giving a speech or taking a test. Some individuals…

The article by Hellerstein1 in this issue focuses on risk factors for urinary tract infection in children and reviews methods of prevention. Leaving aside the issue of circumcision and abnormal voiding patterns, this commentary will focus on the diagnosis of urinary tract…

Today, JSR was working with a fourth-year medical student who was rotating through our practice. One of the first patients they saw was a four-year-old girl accompanied by her mother. Both were new to our practice. A father of two young girls himself, JSR quickly recognized the…

(American Heart Association's 23rd International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation) Use of the cholesterol-lowering drug pravastatin (Pravachol) can significantly reduce the risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in persons who have previously had a…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a consensus development statement on acupuncture. The two and one-half day conference that culminated in the consensus statement was organized by the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine and the NIH Office of Medical Applications…

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued recommendations on the management of shoulder dystocia (ACOG Practice Pattern no. 7, 1997). The purpose of the document is to provide physicians with clinically useful information derived from a review of…

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Heart Association recommend that all primary care physicians offer their patients counseling to promote physical activity, a healthy diet and smoking cessation as part of the preventive health examination. The Centers for…

Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation, or irritation, of the airways in the lungs. Airways are tubes in your lungs that air passes through. They are also called bronchial tubes. When the airways are irritated, thick mucus gets into the tubes. The tubes get plugged up with mucus…

If your baby was born prematurely (before the due date), he or she may need special care, especially during the first two years. Special care is often needed in babies who weigh less than 3 pounds at birth. Here are some ways you can give your baby this special care when he or…

All humans have a built-in “alarm system” that goes off when they feel threatened. This alarm starts physical and emotional changes that prepare us to either flee or fight the danger that triggered the alarm. In some people, this alarm may go off unexpectedly, creating a very…

The urinary tract has these parts:

An ovarian cyst is a collection of fluid that comes from an ovary. Many cysts are completely normal. These are called functional cysts. In women who are having periods, functional cysts are normal. They occur as a result of ovulation (the release of an egg). Functional cysts…