October 15, 2003

Family physicians frequently treat patients who have stress fractures, injuries commonly associated with participation in sports that involve running, jumping, or repetitive stress.

Panax ginseng is a safe, well-tolerated herbal medicine that may be used in the treatment of a variety of conditions. Potential beneficial effects include improvements in psychologic function, immune system function, and conditions associated with diabetes.

The most common movement disorder is tremor, a rhythmic, involuntary, oscillatory movement of body parts. The best tools for diagnosing and classifying tremor syndromes are a thorough history and physical examination.

School refusal often is associated with comorbid psychiatric disorders. Family physicians should identify problems early and make appropriate interventions to prevent further problems in children and adolescents who refuse to go to school.

Patients with diabetes have demonstrated a significant lack of knowledge of the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By increasing awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, physicians can help reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes.

Effective repair of obstetric perineal lacerations requires a knowledge of perineal anatomy and surgical technique. Sequelae of these lacerations include chronic perineal pain, dyspareunia, urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence.

ILLUSTRATION BY WILLIAM B. WESTWOOD

AAFP Endorses Senate Bill to Change Judicial System for Malpractice Cases | Survey Indicates Health Insurance Premiums Up 13.9 Percent from 2002 | HHS Provides $1.4 Billion for Terrorism Preparedness | CDC Releases Tool Kit for Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury…

Licorice root could provide a treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). As reported in a research letter in The Lancet, researchers in Germany assessed the antiviral activities of ribavirin, 6-azuridine, pyrazofurin, mycophenolic acid, and glycyrrhizin against two…

Growth in the primary care physician workforce (physicians per capita) in the United States has trailed the growth of the specialist physician population in recent years. This has occurred despite calls during the same period for increased production of primary care physicians…

A persistent, six-year trend in the choice of specialty training by U.S. medical students threatens the adequacy of the physician workforce of the United States. This pattern should be reversed and requires the attention of policy makers and medical educators.

Primary care physicians work hard, but their compensation is not correlated to their work effort when compared with physicians in other specialties. This disparity contributes to student disinterest in primary care specialties.

In this issue of American Family Physician, the series of One-Pagers1–3 from the Robert Graham Center offer evidence that a primary care workforce crisis may once again be taking shape. The 1990s saw alignment of public policy and funding efforts to increase the primary care…

Family physicians might react to a new article about diabetes—such as the one by Gavin and colleagues1 in this issue of American Family Physician—by thinking, “Another diabetes article? I know how to care for diabetes. I'll skip this one.” Please don't skip this article…

“What have you done?” KS asked her patient in amazement. The 72-year-old woman held up a small jar, out of which she emptied three large toenails. KS took a fearful look at her patient's feet and saw that the right great toe was covered with a large bandage. The woman explained…

Synopsis: Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a novel, selective cholesterol absorption inhibitor. Ezetimibe blocks the absorption of dietary and biliary cholesterol within the brush-border enzyme system of the small intestine. Ezetimibe does not appear to alter or decrease the absorption of…

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

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a policy statement on eye examinations in infants, children, and young adults. The report focuses on the importance of early detection and prompt treatment of ocular disorders in children to avoid permanent visual impairment.

Update on Automated Defibrillator Use for Children | AHRQ Reports on Coronary Heart Disease in Women | CDC/ATS Recommendations on Latent Tuberculosis | NIA Releases Publications on Alzheimer's Disease | FDA Approval

Essential tremor, sometimes called benign or familial tremor, is an uncontrollable shaking of the hands and forearms. You might notice this tremor when your arms are extended in front of your body. Tremor affects each person differently. Some people hardly notice it, but it…

Children with school refusal are scared to go to school. They may be so scared that they won't leave the house. School refusal is most common in 5- and 6-year-olds and in 10- and 11-year-olds, but it can start at any age.

If you have diabetes, you have a high risk for having a heart attack or a stroke. You are more likely to get heart disease—and at an younger age—than someone without diabetes.

Eczema (say: “ex-zuh-mah”) is an itching, scaling, swelling rash on the skin. The upper layers of the skin turn red and swell (inflame), and form dry or greasy scales (skin flakes). In severe cases, yellow and red pimples form on the skin, behind the ears, in the ear canal, on…

Psoriasis (say: “sor-eye-ah-sus”) is a skin problem that causes thick red marks like scales on your skin. The thick scaling is probably caused by an increase in the number of skin cells. Sometimes pus-filled blisters form. Most of the time, the skin on the elbows and knees is…

Rosacea (say: “rose-ay-she-ah”) is a disease that affects the skin on the face. It often begins as redness that looks like a blush across the nose, cheeks, chin, or forehead. As time goes on, red pimples and pus-filled bumps may appear. Some people notice small blood vessels…

Seborrheic dermatitis is a disease that causes flaking of the skin (say: seb-oh-ree-ick). It usually affects the scalp. In teenagers and adults, it is commonly called “dandruff.” In babies, it is called “cradle cap.”