March 1, 2003

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common cause of macrocytic anemia and has been implicated in a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. Its role in the promotion of atherosclerosis is only now being explored.

Key factors in the management of asthma include rapid assessment of the severity of an attack, objective determination of the response to therapy, and identification of the risk of respiratory failure. Patients with severe asthma require aggressive management of exacerbations…

The most common cause of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia. Other disorders include alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, cicatricial alopecia, and traumatic alopecias.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, and hypoglycemia are common causes of night sweats.

Delirium affects up to 30 percent of all hospitalized patients with medical illness and more than 50 percent of persons in certain high-risk groups. The symptoms vary and are easily confused with primary psychiatric disorder. The morbidity and mortality associated with delirium…

AFP is pleased to make a special announcement: We are welcoming two new medical editors to our staff. Mark Ebell, M.D., previous editor of the Journal of Family Practice, will be joining AFP on March 1 as the journal's deputy editor for evidence-based medicine. Dr. Ebell will…

In two studies about medical errors, family physicians reported health, time, and financial consequences in nearly 85 percent of their error reports. Health consequences occurred when the error caused pain, extended or created illness, or placed patients, their families, and…

Bush's 2004 Proposed Budget Includes Revised Medicare Fee Schedule | Campaign Aims to Reduce Risk of SIDS-Related Deaths in Child Care Settings | SCHIP Enrollment Increased 15 Percent to 5.3 Million Children in 2002 | New ‘3-A-Day’ Campaign Promotes Importance of Adequate…

How many apples a day does it take to keep the doctor away? The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends up to nine, reports Newsweek. Even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid has recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables since 1991, the…

Vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) appears to go in and out of fashion. Enthusiasm for VBAC peaked in 1996, when 28.3 percent of women with previous cesarean delivery underwent trial of labor, and declined to 16.5 percent in 2001.1,2 Growing concerns about uterine…

“I'm a mess,” Gwen confessed. Struggling to hold back her tears, this 54-year-old woman described a recent history of feeling nervous, shaky, and hot. She had unintentionally lost 12 lb, even though her appetite was good. Lately, she'd been experiencing palpitations. Less than…

What are the effects of treatments for childhood constipation?

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

The National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) recently issued revised guidelines for prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal (GBS) disease. GBS disease remains one of the leading causes of newborn morbidity and mortality, resulting in an estimated 1,600 early-onset…

ACS Recommendations for Detection of Cervical Cancer | Buprenorphine Physician Training Sessions | CDC Guidelines for Hand Hygiene | FDA Approval | Intervention May Reduce Teen Driving Risk | Medication Errors in Acute Cardiac Care

In this case scenario, the patient believes that having her boyfriend's child will solve her problems, and she wants to continue the ovulation induction therapy. The physician should consider the effects on the unborn child's future, as well as the future of the mother and…

Letters to the Editor

Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin that you usually get from your food. It is mainly found in meat and dairy products. Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps your nervous system working right.

Hair loss in women is common and can be very upsetting. It can happen anywhere on the body but most often happens on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. (Say: al-oh-pee-sha)

There are several reasons why you could be losing your memory. Age is usually the cause. Information is stored in three different parts of your memory: the short-term memory, the recent memory, and the remote memory. Information stored in the short-term memory may include the…

Dementia is a problem in the brain that makes it hard for a person to remember, learn, or communicate. After a while, this problem makes it hard for the person to take care of himself or herself.

Grief is a normal, healthy response to loss. One of the greatest losses that can occur is the death of someone you love. Other losses include the loss of your health or the health of someone you care about, or the end of an important relationship, such as a marriage. Healing…