May 1, 1999

Stroke prevention is cost-effective and often cost-saving. Most strokes can be prevented using currently available, well-tolerated therapies.

A systematic approach to the interpretation of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring is critical to ensure appropriate patient management.

Because the symptoms of pancreatitis are similar to those of gastroenteritis, the diagnosis of pancreatitis is easily missed in children. Hereditary pancreatitis is frequently recurrent and can now be diagnosed by use of gene probe techniques.

An understanding of the two basic types of fractures of the proximal portion of the fifth metatarsal bone can improve both management and prognostic advice.

Malaria, currently in resurgence throughout the tropics, is posing a greater threat to world travelers now than at any time in the past 30 years.

Testicular cancer, the most common malignancy in young men, has excellent cure rates when detected early.

Problems with sleep organization in elderly patients typically include difficulty falling asleep, less time spent in the deeper stages of sleep, early-morning awakening and less total sleep time.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians have issued a joint statement to provide general guidance on the use of combination vaccines in childhood immunization and related issues and…

An understanding of the two basic types of fractures of the proximal portion of the fifth metatarsal bone can improve both management and prognostic advice.

Upholding the editorial standards of a reputable medical journal like AFP requires not only vigilance in monitoring for violations of authorship criteria and detecting financial conflicts that would create biases, but also quite a paper trail documenting that policies are…

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

The government may help physicians join unions. According to The Kiplinger Washington Letter, only about 35,000 physicians out of a total of 680,000 now belong to unions. The government is likely to remove barriers to the unionization of physicians who are tired of managed-care…

In the 1960s and 1970s, continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) was introduced with the idea that it would help clinicians diagnose fetal hypoxia in time to prevent perinatal neurologic damage. By the early 1990s, more than 75 percent of the nation's birth attendants had…

The cooperation between the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) continues with the publication of a joint statement on combination vaccines for childhood immunization…

This past Sunday night, at 11:57 p.m., JTL introduced 7-lb, 4-oz Olivia Rose to the world, his first delivery since joining Heritage Family Physicians earlier in the year. The poignancy of this event was magnified by the news, learned earlier that same evening, that JTL's…

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

(Australia—Australian Family Physician, December 1998, p. 1110.) Because more than 80 percent of persons who smoke begin the habit before age 18 years, prevention efforts are increasingly directed toward teenagers. Adolescents are believed to be at high risk for smoking because…

How did things go wrong in this physician-patient relationship? The patient ended up angry and distrustful of the physician. At what point did this lack of trust develop? One obvious trouble spot occurred when the patient only reluctantly agreed to see the psychiatrist. A…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a draft consensus development conference statement on the diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The conference that culminated in the draft statement was convened by the NIH to address the…

Recommendations for the medical management of epilepsy have been developed by a group of 40 neurologists. The recommendations, published in the November 1998 issue of Neurology, come from a symposium convened at the 1998 annual meeting of the Southern Clinical Neurological…

Available evidence is insufficient to recommend regular use of oral antibiotics for the prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults and adolescents who have abnormal bladder function because of spinal cord damage, according to an evidence-based report/technology…

Also Received

When an artery that carries blood to the brain is blocked or breaks, it damages the brain. We call this damage a “stroke.” Strokes can be mild, severe or even fatal. Most people who have strokes are 60 or older, but younger people can also have strokes.

Malaria is an infection that causes high fevers and shaking chills. It's spread by a mosquito that feeds at night. The mosquito carries a parasite (“bug”) that causes malaria. If this mosquito bites you, the bug can get into your blood. The bug turns into many bugs, and they…

Cancer of the testicles is the most common cancer in young men (15 to 34 years old). Testicular cancer has a very good cure rate if it's found early and treated. Your doctor can check your testicles during an exam. A self-exam is another way to find testicular cancer (see below…

Most of us need about eight hours of sleep at night to feel fully alert when we're awake. Many things can get in the way of sleeping well or sleeping long enough. As we get older, we might have more trouble sleeping.