July 15, 2002

Initial treatment of atrial fibrillation is directed at controlling the ventricular rate, most often with a calcium channel blocker, a beta blocker, or digoxin. In patients who remain in atrial fibrillation, medical or electrical cardioversion to restore sinus rhythm is the…

Anticoagulation agents play an important role in preventing thromboembolic complications of atrial fibrillation. Heparin is routinely used in the pericardioversion period. Warfarin is preferred for chronic therapy in patients at high risk for thromboembolic complications…

Proton pump inhibitors are considered a major advance in the treatment of acid-peptic diseases. They have minimal side effects and few significant drug interactions, and are generally considered safe for long-term treatment.

This article presents an overview of diagnostic and therapeutic joint and soft tissue injection techniques.

Recommendations for colorectal cancer screening and prevention have been broad and sometimes conflicting. Several important new studies have refined the understanding of existing screening tools and explored novel means of screening and prevention.

The article on page 297 by Michael Pignone, M.D., M.P.H., and Bernard Levin, M.D., represents the first of a new type of clinical review article in AFP that provides a structured presentation of the evidence supporting clinical recommendations. The article, entitled “Recent…

Awards Are Available to Increase Numbers of Nurses and Quality of Nursing Services | AHRQ Partnership Will Help Turn Research into Improved Care | CDC Report Reveals Significant Decline in Prevalence of Teenaged Smoking | Study Shows Positive Results from Early Head Start…

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), through its Commission on Continuing Medical Education (COCME), is again taking a leadership role in the area of continuing medical education (CME). Unique among specialties, the AAFP has always accredited specific CME programs…

Practice makes perfect… Hospitals that do a high volume of certain operations report fewer complications in patients, reported two studies published in New England Journal of Medicine. After reviewing 2.5 million Medicare claims from 1994 to 1999, one study found that hospitals…

More and more often, seniors are faced with outpatient prescription benefits that have annual spending limits, and they may be forced to cut back on use of medications when they run out of benefits before the end of the year. Family physicians can play a valuable role by…

As RHS walked past the employee bulletin board this morning, he noticed a letter posted by a couple who had been long-time patients of his. The letter complimented the nursing and clerical staff of the practice. RHS was gratified by this, and it reminded him of the importance…

In hypertensive patients at high risk for coronary artery disease, multiple risk factor reduction interventions reduce risk factors and mortality. In other patients, multiple risk factor reduction interventions reduce total cholesterol levels, blood pressure (systolic and…

The Committee on Practice Bulletins–Obstetrics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has developed a practice bulletin on the diagnosis and management of preeclampsia and eclampsia. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 33 appears in the January 2002 issue of…

AAFP Policy on Smallpox Immunization | HHS Report on Women's Health | USPSTF Depression Screening Recommendations | FDA Recalls OB-GYN, Surgical Devices | ACOG Opinion Paper on Bone Density Screening | CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Campaign | AAFP Annual Scientific Assembly

Domestic violence in the United States is a problem of enormous proportions and represents a significant health concern.1 It results in more injuries requiring medical attention than rape, accidents, and muggings combined.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that may be very fast. (Say: ay-tree-all fib-rill-ay-shun.)

A joint and soft tissue injection is a shot, with a needle, into a joint (such as the knee) or a soft tissue space (such as the space between a muscle and a bone). Doctors can use a needle to take out fluid or to put in medicine. Pain relievers, such as lidocaine, and anti…

Safe-sun guidelines are four ways to protect your skin and reduce your risk of skin cancer.

Tick-borne diseases are a group of illnesses that people get from tick bites. They occur in all areas of the United States and affect people of all ages. These diseases are more common in the spring and summer months when tick bites are more common. Some of the tick-borne…

The best way to clean a cut, scrape, or puncture wound (such as from a nail) is with cool water. You can hold the wound under running water or fill a tub with cool water and pour it from a cup over the wound.

The answer block for the “Clinical Quiz” in the January 1, 2002 issue (page 133) gave an incorrect answer for Question 5, pertaining to the article “Medical Care for Obese Patients: Advice for Health Care Professionals,” on page 81. The correct answer to this question is B. The…