February 1, 2000

The National Cholesterol Education Program's diagnostic and treatment approaches in children at high risk for atherosclerosis as adults are reviewed, and a practical guide for implementation is presented.

Diagnosing overuse elbow injuries requires a knowledge of elbow anatomy as well as good history-taking and physical examination skills. Overuse injuries can be divided into anterior, posterior, lateral and medial disorders.

Tuberous sclerosis is a neurocutaneous syndrome marked by seizures and mental retardation. Dermatologic manifestations such as ash-leaf spots or facial angiofibromas may assist in the diagnosis of the disorder.

Urinary tract infections such as asymptomatic bacteriuria, cystitis and pyelonephritis are common causes of morbidity during pregnancy and should always be treated with appropriate antibiotics.

Treatment of localized psoriasis begins with topical corticosteroids and coal tar or calcipotriene. Difficult-to-control lesions may be improved with anthralin or tazarotene.

Pathologic gambling is a common condition, often accompanied by depression and alcohol abuse. Family physicians should be aware of screening tools and therapeutic options to treat patients and aid family members in coping with this disorder.

Based on an appropriate assessment and following established guidelines on the use of analgesics, family physicians can provide successful pain relief in nearly 90 percent of dying patients.

This is part III of a three-part series of articles derived from the USPHS/IDSA guidelines. New data about the prevention of opportunistic diseases have emerged since the guidelines were first published in 1997, and this section discusses prevention of disease recurrence.

This feature is part of a year-long series of excerpts and special commentaries celebrating AFP's 50th year of publication. Excerpts from the two 1950 volumes of GP, AFP's predecessor, appear along with highlights of 50 years of family medicine.

A statement about metformin and radiographic contrast material in the article “Evaluation of Asymptomatic Microscopic Hematuria in Adults” (September 15, 1999, page 1143) requires clarification. Starting with the third sentence of the third complete paragraph on page 1148, the…

While rewards for editors are sometimes intangible, with their efforts to preserve the purity of thought from author to paper painstaking yet often invisible, it's undoubtedly gratifying to witness the transformation of an idea from drawing board to journal page, especially…

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

Genetic testing might allow some at-risk patients to reduce their risk of cancer. According to a recent study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy significantly reduced breast cancer risk in patients who had the BRCA1…

Over the past two decades, convincing evidence has emerged linking defined risk factors with atherosclerosis, the pathologic basis for cardiovascular disease. Postmortem studies have clearly shown that elevated total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are…

I will not endure chemotherapy. I will not go through that indignity. If this is the way I am to end my life, that's fine. I don't want to retch and writhe in nausea. I don't want to lose my hair and dignity. I am ready to go if that is what is demanded of me.

After 20 years of practice, JRH has days when, with just a few clues, the diagnosis seems obvious. Last week, a middle-aged woman (a mother of three) with pain in the right upper quadrant came in for evaluation. Physical examination quickly showed a positive Murphy's punch…

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

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, October 1999, p. 746.) Although atrial fibrillation occurs in up to 2.4 percent of persons older than 50 years of age, many cases are asymptomatic and undiagnosed. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of stroke…

The first step in addressing unnecessary demands is to ascertain the patient's needs.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have developed guidelines for the use of ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG).

The Committee on Public Education of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a statement on the effects of the mass media on children and adolescents. The paper appears in the August 1999 issue of Pediatrics.

High blood cholesterol, also called hypercholesterolemia, is an unhealthy level of cholesterol in the blood. Having high levels of blood cholesterol can cause your child to have heart problems when he or she gets older. But there are changes you can make in your child's diet…

Tuberous sclerosis causes growths in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin or lungs. These growths are usually benign (not cancer). The first signs may be seizures and spots on the skin. People in the same family who have tuberous sclerosis may have no learning problems or mild…

Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. The most common type of urinary tract infection is a bladder infection. Other types of urinary tract infections are kidney infections and infections of the urethra. The urethra is the small tube that goes from the bladder to the…

Psoriasis (say: sore-eye-a-sis) is a very common skin disorder. Over 7 million people in the United States have it. It causes large red or purple patches on your skin, with scaly skin on top of them. The patches look thick and bumpy. They are usually on the elbows, knees and…

Pathologic gambling affects about 10 million Americans. People with this condition can't control their impulses to gamble. They end up losing a lot of money and get into financial trouble. Gambling usually causes problems with work or relationships. Men or women of any age can…