May 15, 2001

Fingertip injuries require prompt attention and management to prevent permanent disability of the hand.

Babesiosis is a tick-borne hemolytic disease that is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. The clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic to rapidly progressive and fatal.

Preemptive analgesia can decrease perioperative sensitization of the nervous system and lead to more effective pain control following surgery.

The recently approved pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for young children has a demonstrated 94 percent efficacy against invasive disease.

Bicycling is a wonderful form of exercise and sport but, as with any activity, it carries a risk of injuries. Cyclists should be educated about wearing helmets and using safety gear.

After an insufferably long winter—one that will be remembered for its harsh temperatures and harsher gas prices—we've begun to enjoy the first of the fruits of spring. It's the time of year we begin work on our gardens and take stock of winter's damage to our exteriors (and I'm…

President Bush Releases Budget Details | AAFP Will Participate in Annual Seminar on Breast-Feeding | Program Offers Tips on Teaching Bicycle Safety | AAFP Deems Privacy Rule ‘Cumbersome, Costly and Time-Consuming’ | Lawmakers Seek Physicians’ Comments on Medicare | AAFP Joins…

“I'm only 25. Cardiac arrest can't happen to me.” Wrong. Listen up: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association released a study showing that deaths from cardiac arrest had increased in 15- to 34-year-olds during the 1990s. Researchers are…

The article “Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine for Young Children” in this issue of American Family Physician, presents evidence and recommendations for use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).1 In this editorial, we comment on the process used to make policy recommendations…

Physicians have a poor track record for relieving pain. A deplorably large number of studies during the past few decades document our persistent failure to adequately relieve pain in many patients, particularly in those undergoing surgery and those with cancer-related pain…

Year by year, family by family, we have promoted breast-feeding to all of our patients who become new mothers. Some are reluctant to breast-feed, some are coachable, and others are so determined that their focus is inspiring. It's to this last group that today's young mother…

Botox Is An Effective Treatment for Excessive Sweating | Remicade Decreases Joint Damage Caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis | Valsartan Reduces Death and Morbidity in Heart Failure Patients | Vaccine Reduces Illness in Children Attending Day Care

(Hong Kong—The Hong Kong Practitioner, November 2000, p. 539.) At the age of five years, about 7 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls have enuresis. The spontaneous remission rate is 5 to 10 percent per year after age five. The medical history should establish the occurrence…

In 2000, the three medical product review staffs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Devices and Radiological Health—approved 160 new drugs, biologic…

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, affecting adults and children. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has issued recommendations for the treatment and management of patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease or persons…

FDA Approves Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator | ACSM Statement on Exercise in Health Clubs | AHRQ Report on the Effects of Dietary Garlic | FDA Approval of Extended-Release Divalproex | NIDA Clinical Toolbox for Drug Treatment Strategies

Babesiosis (say: bab-e-see-oh-sis) is a rare illness that is caused by a parasite, or bug, that lives in some ticks. Deer ticks carry the parasite that causes this illness. Whenever you find a tick on you or on someone else, try to save it to show to your doctor.

Pain relief after surgery requires teamwork, and the patient is a key member of the team. This team also includes nurses, the surgeon, an anesthesiologist (a doctor who will give you medicine to make you sleep during your surgery) and your family doctor. The first job of this…

Pneumococcal disease is a serious disease that causes sickness and death. In fact, it causes about 200 deaths each year in children younger than five years.

Yes, riding a bicycle is great exercise. It can help you get in shape and lose weight and it can reduce the risk of diseases like heart attacks. Bicycling puts less strain on your joints than jogging does, so bicycling is easier on your body.