April 1, 2000

Nightmares and night terrors are common conditions that may be associated with psychiatric illnesses. They often respond to medication, with or without behavioral therapy.

Overdiagnosis of acute otitis media can be reduced by relying on more than fever, ear pain and redness of the eardrum to make the diagnosis. These symptoms are nonspecific for the presence of infection.

Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia are closely related disorders that cause significant morbidity. These disorders are best treated with corticosteroids, given in a high dosage for giant cell arteritis and in a lower dosage for polymyalgia rheumatica. Benefits and risks of…

Etiologically, acute renal failure can be divided into three categories: prerenal, intrinsic and postrenal. A systematic approach to acute renal failure can establish the cause and facilitate optimal treatment.

Family physicians and their staff members can have a significant impact on the initiation and maintenance of breast-feeding.

Recognition of age-related injuries in athletes with hip complaints can aid the physician in arriving at a specific diagnosis.

Benzodiazepines are relatively safe, but chronic use may be addicting. Short-acting, high-potency agents cause dependence sooner than long-acting, low-potency agents.

Obesity is a common medical problem associated with an increased mortality rate and other risk factors. Weight reduction achieved through behavioral and medical therapy is associated with varying degrees of success and adverse effects.

The presenting signs and symptoms of cancer may be vague and nonspecific in children. Leukemias, lymphomas and central nervous system tumors account for more than one half of new cases.

The evaluation of an elderly patient who has fallen includes an assessment for risk factors, medications, environmental hazards and medical conditions that contribute to falls. Treating the underlying cause of a fall can return the patient to baseline functioning and reduce the…

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.

This commemorative “Yours Truly” section contains letters reproduced from the first two volumes of GP, AFP's predecessor, as part of the celebration of AFP's 50th year of publication.

Jay Siwek, M.D., editor of AFP, and his father, Stanley J. Siwek, M.D.

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

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman, now there's something faster! A recent report in Physician's Financial News predicts that computers will revolutionize medical practices in the near future. Despite recent advances provided by computers, such as the ordering of supplies online…

Lately, everyone has been focusing on a major milestone—the new millennium. But here at American Family Physician, we're celebrating an anniversary closer to our hearts: AFP's 50th anniversary. Throughout the year, we're featuring glimpses of what it was like 50 years ago for…

Time is at the heart of most clinical encounters. The patient presents to the office with complaints; the time required to address those complaints often overrides the delivery of routine preventive care. Other competing priorities and barriers that jeopardize the effective…

Is tympanocentesis safe and does it improve outcomes following episodes of acute otitis media? Undoubtedly, we need to improve diagnostic strategies for acute otitis media. Several strategies recommended by Pichichero in an article in this issue of American Family Physician1…

In this part of the country, we see our share of kidney stones. While most patients proceed to the local hospital emergency department, a fair number still show up at our office. Until just recently, JRH had been in the practice of getting a urinalysis and a kidney, ureter and…

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

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, November 1999, p. 830.) Exercise triggers symptoms in up to 80 percent of persons with asthma. Several studies have reported that 3 to 13 percent of children and young adults have exercise-induced asthma. Although exercise-induced asthma causes…

There is probably no situation more difficult for the physician than working effectively with a potentially violent patient.

JS is a 54-year-old white woman who comes to your office to establish herself as a patient. During a review of her medical history, several active medical problems come to light, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (formerly known as non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) for…

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed recommendations for the prevention of hepatitis A infection through active or passive immunization.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently finalized rules that define the types of statements that can be made about the effects of dietary supplements on the structure or function of the body. These rules follow the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of…

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Nightmares are scary dreams. Most children have them from time to time. One out of every four children has nightmares more than once a week. Most nightmares happen very late in the sleep period (usually between 4 and 6 a.m.). Your child may wake up and come to you for comfort…

Temporal arteritis is the most common form of giant cell arteritis, a condition in which some arteries become tender and swollen. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen through the body.

Breast-feeding helps prevent some problems in babies, such as ear infections, diarrhea, lung infections and urinary tract infections. Breast-fed babies go to the hospital less often. They are less likely to get adult illnesses such as diabetes. Mothers who breast-feed have less…

We gain weight when we take in more calories than we burn off with exercise. Unless lean muscle is built by exercise, weight gain means mostly more body fat. In some cases, weight gain may also relate to our genes, the environment, our psychological state and other factors.

Falls are the top cause of accidents in people over the age of 65. Falls are also the main cause of serious injuries and accidental deaths in older people.