August 15, 2001

Step-wise therapy using beta2 agonists, anticholinergics, corticosteroids, antibiotics and oxygen can help control the inexorable symptomatic progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Children may present special challenges in screening and diagnosis of eye disorders. Eight conditions—amblyopia, small-angle strabismus, leukocoria, glaucoma, ocular inflammation, eye trauma, nystagmus and systemic conditions that affect the eye—are specifically discussed.

Early diagnosis and treatment of a spinal cord injury are critical to the possible prevention of permanent neurologic deficits. Physicians must look for “red flags,” key historical and clinical clues that increase the likelihood of a serious underlying disorder.

Approximately 65 percent of patients with acute myocardial infarction report experiencing depression. Physicians can assess patients for depression by using any of several easily administered and scored self-reporting inventories. A combination of cognitive-behavior therapy and…

This August 15 edition of AFP features the first in a series of “Practical Therapeutics” updates from the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. The series, coordinated by William Hueston, M.D., opens on page 603 with the cover…

Guidance Issued on New Federal Protection Rules on Patient Privacy | Participants Are Needed for Prostate Cancer Prevention ‘SELECT’ Trial | Document Compares Five Federal Prescription Drug Coverage Proposals | HHS Awards $75.4 Million in Grants to Reduce High Infant Mortality…

“Alpha-hydroxy-acid? What is that? And is it really good for skin?” A Web site on cosmetics produced by the Food and Drug Administration reports that many of the compounds found in skin care products can cause more problems than they cure. While alpha-hydroxy acids are added to…

In the article “Evaluating the Febrile Patient with a Rash” (August 15, 2000, page 804), the prodrome of erythema infectiosum is described on page 808 as possibly consisting of fever, anorexia, sore throat and abdominal pain, with the classic facial rash appearing once the…

The battle against heart disease has frequently taken center stage among the major public health concerns of the past 20 years. The importance of early detection and aggressive treatment of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels and…

ASW has long known the importance of a good history for accurate diagnoses; what she didn’t know is that even animals can sometimes assist in this process. She recently saw a woman with allergic rhinitis whose symptoms started shortly after the purchase of a talkative and…

Tegaserod Demonstrates Efficacy in Improving IBS Symptoms | Study Compares Antidepressant Therapies and Depression-Free Days | Study Evaluates NSAID in Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain | Researchers Report Relief of IC Symptoms with Pentosan Polysulfate | Foradil Aerolizer…

Update on Community-Acquired Pneumonia | Thrombosed External Hemorrhoids | Lattice Corneal Dystrophy | Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed guidelines for evaluating and treating adults with acute respiratory disease. The recommendations in part III of the guidelines present an argument for a conservative approach to antibiotic use in patients with…

AAP Report on Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia | Safety and Efficacy of St. John's Wort | Blood Test for Diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure | NIAMS Issues Booklet on Sjögren's Syndrome

COPD is a chronic lung disease. It blocks the large and small airways of your lungs (see picture below). COPD includes two main illnesses: chronic bronchitis and emphysema (say this: em-fa-see-ma). There is no cure for COPD.

Depression is a mood disorder. The symptoms of depression include these: