August 1, 2003

Lower extremity abnormalities in children, which are common in family practices, include intoeing, out-toeing, bowlegs, and knock-knees. An accurate diagnosis for appropriate treatment options can be made with a careful history and physical examination.

Because status epilepticus is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, physicians must be prepared for immediate diagnosis and treatment of this emergency neurologic condition.

Sudden arrhythmia death syndrome, which is caused by hereditary ion channel disorders such as long QT syndrome and the Brugada syndrome, accounts for a substantial proportion of sudden cardiac deaths when no anatomic abnormalities are found.

Off-label conditions for which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective include generalized anxiety disorder, premature ejaculation, migraine prophylaxis, diabetic neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and neurocardiogenic syncope.

Physicians are being asked more frequently about preventing malarial infection. Patients traveling to tropical locations should have their itineraries reviewed, be prescribed appropriate chemoprophylaxis, be advised of protective measures, and be instructed about when to seek…

AFP is pleased to announce the newest name on its list of medical editors: Rebecca Poage, M.D., has accepted the John C. Rose medical editing fellowship and, as of July 1, has joined the staff of medical editors based at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. A…

Family physicians provided nearly 20 percent of labor and delivery care in Maine in the year 2000. A substantial proportion of this care was provided to women insured by Medicaid and those delivering in smaller, rural hospitals and residency-affiliated hospitals. As family…

AAFP to Publish Consumer Health Magazine for Physicians' Waiting Rooms | CDC Releases Revised Travel Health Information Resource | HHS Launches Efforts to Build a National Electronic Health Care System | Statistics Show U.S. Birth Rate Reached a Record Low in 2002 | Family…

Inherited mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) gene result in a distinct obesity syndrome, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. MC4R gene mutations were found in 29 (5.8 percent) of 500 adults with severe early-onset obesity; 23 of…

Many physicians believe it is sometimes appropriate to prescribe drugs for indications that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this issue of American Family Physician, Stone, Viera, and Parman1 base their review article on this premise and…

The personnel devoting their time to homeless patients are a godsend. This evening, one patient posed a difficult dilemma. The history reflected a hand injury one month earlier, involving several extensor tendons. After receiving primary closure of the wound in the emergency…

What treatments improve outcomes in acute myocardial infarction? Which treatments improve outcomes for cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction?

Case study: TS, a 24-year-old, sexually active, white woman, visits your office to discuss birth control methods. She first had intercourse at age 16 and smokes two packs of cigarettes per week. You suggest that she be screened for cervical cancer as part of routine health…

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

Recommendations for the use of smallpox vaccine in a pre-event vaccination program are now available from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee…

Guidelines on Exertional Heat Illnesses | CDC Awareness Campaign on Healthy Swimming

The questions being asked in this case scenario can be consolidated into one, “Should I continue as this patient's physician?” An attorney's typical answer to such a query is often a cautious “It depends.” In this case, a more definite answer is appropriate: “No.”

Malaria is a serious disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Malaria occurs in the warmer regions of the world. Large areas of Central and South America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are risk areas for…