January 15, 2001

Infection in older adults is more difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often atypical. Early detection and treatment are crucial, considering the greater risk for morbid outcomes in the elderly.

Helping parents resolve a child's sleep problem is satisfying for a family physician and worth time spent taking a careful history.

Incidental renal cysts may be categorized as simple benign cysts, probable benign cysts, indeterminate or complex cystic lesions and clearly malignant cystic masses. Size and “functioning” are key features in the evaluation of incidental adrenal cysts.

Prediction of fetal macrosomia is difficult, and the vast majority of macrosomic infants will have a favorable outcome. Elective induction of labor or cesarean section for suspected macrosomia is not recommended.

By identifying patients with elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein and instituting appropriate lipid-lowering therapy, family physicians could help prevent cardiovascular events and deaths in many patients.

Sporotrichoid lymphocutaneous infection is characterized by distal cutaneous microbial inoculation associated with inflamed lymphangitic nodules progressing up an extremity. A variety of microorganisms can cause this syndrome.

Residents and students have a special place in AFP, and I'm not just referring to the department called “Resident and Student Voice.” Let me explain. “Resident and Student Voice,” or RSV, is a department of essays on clinical or other topics that is scheduled to appear four…

AHRQ Receives 36 Percent Increase in Funding | Public Voices Concern About Medical Errors | Health Experts Hope to Raise Awareness of Anemia | South African Organization to Host WONCA Meeting | Shalala Will Make Move from HHS to Academia | Pisacano Foundation Names Recipients…

From the “How Do I Get a Job Like That?” file: Folks at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are watching daytime television. According to an article published recently in American Medical News, the CDC is giving daytime dramas (soap operas) credit for informing…

The success of the childhood immunization initiative in the United States is clearly demonstrated by the low incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. With the widespread use of vaccines in the United States and the near-eradication of many childhood diseases that were common…

Hypertension is the leading cause of patient visits to primary physicians.1 However, there is reason for concern about how effectively this common condition is being treated. A recent national survey2 found that only 27 percent of patients had their blood pressure reduced to…

A pediatrician in our area recommends that his asthmatic patients use an antihistamine from overseas (ketotifen) to keep asthma attacks down in the winter. Last winter, several patients who transferred into WLL's practice had used this anecdotal suggestion. The moms involved…

Study Examines Delivery of Reproductive Health Services to Adolescents | Some Physicians May Need Education to Manage Alzheimer's Disease | Multidisciplinary Education Is Helpful for Medical Students | Physician Compliance with Asthma Guidelines Is Less Than Optimal | Study…

(Australia—Australian Family Physician, July 2000, p. 631.) While immunization has greatly reduced the incidence of rubella, physicians must still be aware that this disease can be disastrous during pregnancy. The infection is frequently subclinical; if symptoms occur, they may…

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has released recommendations on the exclusive use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

Medication Errors in Pediatric Patients | Education of Children with HIV Infection | FDA Approval of New Indication for Oseltamivir | Prevention of All-Terrain Vehicle Injury | New Guide Provides Spanish-Speaking Patients with Disease and Health Care Information | ACSM…

“Let me warn you before we go into the next room,” the physician whispered, “this woman is crazy!”

As the owner of several major texts on infectious disease, I was quite interested in reviewing another entry in the field. My initial impression was that Root's first edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases: A Practical Approach, was being published as a potential competitor to…

Letter

Your kidneys remove waste products from your blood. They do this by filtering the blood and making urine.

A high cholesterol level can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. You have an even higher risk if you also have other risk factors, such as: