February 1, 2001

The characteristic sign of plantar fasciitis is heel pain that is most severe with the first few steps taken in the morning.

Plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA measurements can help physicians determine when to start or change antiretroviral therapy. Plasma viral load is also useful in assessing the effectiveness of treatment and, in a select group of patients, diagnosing HIV infection.

Patients without a functioning spleen have a lifelong increased risk of potentially serious infections and are more susceptible to parasitic infestations of the blood, such as malaria.

Because even the best screening tests have a low positive predictive value, most positive screening results are false-positives, increasing the likelihood of further testing and patient anxiety.

A new year usually brings on a lot of changes, and this year's start was no exception. While everyone expects a new year to begin with resolutions and changes, it was impossible for us to have predicted the string of events that would affect AFP at the turn of the millennium…

More doesn't always mean better. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, lower dosages of estrogen are just as effective as higher dosages in reducing bone turnover. A group of 107 women was given a placebo, 1.0 mg of 17-beta…

New Medicare Policy Mandates Medical Error Disclosure | Surgeon General Satcher Warns of Children's Mental Health Crisis | Registry Is Established for Two Types of Muscular Dystrophy | Study of State CHIP Programs Finds Access Problems | HHS Issues Rule on Physician Self…

In his article on the detection, education and management of asplenic and hyposplenic patients in this issue,1 Brigden reviews important information on the role of the spleen and what can be done when this organ is absent or not functioning.

The article in this issue, “Screening for Cancer: Evaluating the Evidence,”1 clearly reviews the basic science behind screening tests. Most readers will find this article useful, although it contains little new data. We should have learned this information in medical school or…

Many of WLL's patients have tried glucosamine and chondroitin products for osteoarthritis. Although some patients report that glucosamine (with or without chondroitin) seems to help, no patients who have tried chondroitin alone have reported success. Initially, this was a…

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

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, September 2000, p. 764.) Patients with Peyronie's disease develop thick plaques on the dorsal shaft of the penis, resulting in painful erection. These plaques can also lead to fibrous scarring and curvature of the penis. The condition occurs in…

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed a clinical practice guideline on the early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), which includes frank dislocation, partial dislocation, instability and inadequate formation of the acetabulum. Written by the…

AAP Statement on Pediatric Palliative Care | Weaning Patients from Mechanical Ventilation | Use of EEG to Evaluate First Seizure in Children | ACSM Statement on Exercise During Pregnancy

For all of my professional life, I have been seeing overweight, diabetic, hypertensive patients with severe osteoarthritis in their knees and hips. I admit thinking to myself, “Don't they know how much better they would feel if they would only lose some weight? Don't they know…

Until about 1994, herbal products languished in the backwaters of medicine, far from the mainstream. Pharmacognosy—the branch of pharmacology focusing on natural products—was, at best, an obscure area of study. Clinicians generally had no knowledge of most natural remedies…

Plantar fasciitis (say: plant-er fash-ee-eye-tis) is a common cause of pain in the heel of your foot. Your heel may hurt, feel hot, swell or turn red. This is called inflammation. The inflammation occurs in the plantar fascia, which is a thin layer of tough tissue that supports…

A plasma viral load test (also called a PVL test) measures how much HIV is in your blood. The amount of virus in your blood is called your viral load. HIV means “human immunodeficiency virus.”

Your spleen plays an important part in your resistance to infection (immunity). Your spleen is in the upper left side of your abdomen, partly protected by your lower ribs. The spleen may have to be taken out (splenectomy) or may stop working right for many reasons.

The article “Acute Renal Failure” (April 1, 2000, page 2077) contained two errors. The second sentence of the first paragraph should have stated that 0.5 percent of all hospitalized patients (not just those with acute renal failure) require dialysis. Table 3, which lists…