May 15, 2000

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.

Prostatitis encompasses a variety of conditions in which there is inflammation of the prostate gland. Many physicians find chronic prostatitis difficult to treat; therapy has been based primarily on case series and anecdotal experience.

Laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy are effective in treating only certain forms of exudative age-related macular degeneration. Vision rehabilitation can help patients maximize remaining vision and adapt to perform activities of daily living.

Single-dose combination antihypertensive drug therapy is an important option in the management of hypertension. This treatment effectively reduces blood pressure, with the added benefits of a low side effect profile and convenient once-daily dosing.

Anyone involved in the care of children is likely to see children who have been physically abused. The physician who suspects abuse in a patient is confronted with special challenges.

Because prenatal patients may be exposed to a variety of respiratory viral infections, physicians should be aware of the possible consequences to the fetus.

Shoulder pain is second only to knee pain in musculoskeletal injuries and complaints in family practice. A clinical evaluation involves a thorough inspection, palpation, range of motion and provocative testing, and a sensorimotor examination.

Atrophic changes cause symptoms in the urogenital tract in almost one half of postmenopausal women. These changes result in vaginal symptoms such as vaginitis and dyspareunia and urinary symptoms, including urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence, as well as an increased…

In this issue, we continue the celebration of AFP's 50th anniversary with a special contribution for the “ AFP 50 Years Ago” series from AAFP executive vice president Robert Graham, M.D. (see page 2941). This piece opens with excerpts from an annual report to the 1950 AAFP…

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

Moving in with Grandma may not be the best answer, reports the Gerontological Society of America. A reported 3.9 million children were being raised by their grandparents in 1997, which has led to concerns about the effects of surrogate parenting on grandparents. A recent study…

Combination antihypertensive drug therapy has long been an infrequently exercised therapeutic option in the difficult battle to achieve target blood pressure levels. In this issue of American Family Physician, Skolnik and colleagues1 present a timely discussion on the many…

Child abuse and neglect are prevalent in American society. In many cases, the abuse is perpetuated generationally.1 Child maltreatment, abuse and victimization refer to the intentional assault of a child by a caretaker. This definition has been expanded to cover any action that…

A young woman recently visited WLL in the office. The patient was covered from head to toe in an amazing rash. Itchy pustules coated even the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands. She was obviously miserable. The rash had been present for less than 36 hours and looked…

(85th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America) The use of hypnotic relaxation techniques before some medical procedures reduced patients' anxiety and pain during the procedures, decreased procedure time and cost, and, in nearly one…

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, February 2000, p. 70.) In patients with otosclerosis, recurrent phases of bone formation and resorption in the ear result in otosclerotic fixation of the stapes in the oval window. The condition is hereditary and usually occurs in persons in…

In response to the widespread problem of depression in the United States, the American Medical Association (AMA) has conducted a clinical review on the diagnosis and management of depression.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a hazard controls document (HC 29) on the control of nitrous oxide gas during cryosurgery. Studies have shown that airborne concentrations of…

Prostatitis is common and affects many men at some time. Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. When part of your body is inflamed, it is red, hot and sore. Prostatitis can cause many symptoms. It can make it difficult or painful to urinate. It can make you have…

A respiratory viral infection is a contagious illness that can affect your respiratory tract (breathing) and cause other symptoms. The flu and the common cold are examples of respiratory viral infections. Other examples of respiratory viruses are:

An item in “Tips from Other Journals,” entitled “Overview of Methods for Treating Allergic Rhinitis” (January 1, 2000, page 207), contained dosage errors in the accompanying table on second-generation antihistamines. The dosage approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…