February 1, 2004

Peripheral arterial disease is frequently overlooked because of subtle physical findings and lack of classic symptoms. This article reviews major risk factors for peripheral arterial disease, exercise therapy, and pharmacologic treatments.

Viral croup is a common form of airway obstruction in children. New evidence suggests benefit from treatment with oral steroids in the outpatient setting.

A new evidence rating system, the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT), addresses the quality, quantity, and consistency of evidence. Developed by the editors of family medicine journals, it allows authors to rate bodies of evidence or single studies and is designed to be…

Mild sleep apnea is managed with conservative measures such as losing weight, getting sufficient sleep, abstaining from the use of alcohol and sedatives, and avoiding a supine sleeping position. Patients with more severe obstructive sleep apnea are treated with continuous…

Most family physicians use local anesthesia because of its ease of administration, safety, and efficacy. However, other anesthetic techniques such as topical application, local infiltration, and field and nerve blocks may be considered in certain clinical situations.

In this issue, AFP announces a new system for labeling the strength of evidence supporting key recommendations in clinical review articles. The article on page549 introduces a taxonomy that will help family physicians sort through the evidence that drives their clinical…

Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule Is Online | FDA Issues Alert on Safety of Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedra | Summary of New Medicare Legislation Available Online | Presidential Candidates Provide Views on Various Health Issues | New Web Resource…

A way to improve balance in older persons? The decline in somatosensory function that occurs with age has been associated with an increased risk of falling. Through a mechanism termed stochastic resonance, input noise has been shown to enhance both motor and sensory function. A…

What business are you in? If you are like most family physicians, you will probably say that you are in the healing business, the curing disease business, or maybe the keeping people well business. Another way to look at our profession is that we are in the information…

Today was especially busy on the mobile clinic. Perhaps the rain prevented other activities, but it seemed as if everyone in the homeless shelter had some medical complaint. One particular patient reported four months of right upper quadrant pain. A gastroenterologist had…

Mefloquine prevents malaria in military personnel, but its effectiveness in a heterogeneous population of civilian travelers is poorly studied. Evidence of side effects is based on spontaneous reports and may underestimate their frequency.

What are the effects of treatments for chronic tinnitus?

The efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors is similar to that of nonselective NSAIDs in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

The first part of this two-part “Point-of-Care Guide” discusses how to use two validated clinical decision rules to determine the likelihood of pulmonary embolism.

Case study: KC, a 46-year-old woman, visits your office to refill her cholesterol-lowering medication. She says she saw a recent news feature on the “diabetes epidemic” and asks if she needs to be tested.

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

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a practice bulletin about the use of prophylactic antibiotics during labor and delivery. The bulletin presents a review of clinical situations in which prophylactic antibiotics frequently are prescribed…

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a statement about poisoning in the home. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), approximately 1.2 million children younger than six years ingest a poisonous substance each year.

CDC Guidance Plan on SARS | ACEP Recommendations on Fever in Children | Physical Activity Among Adults | CDC Report on Rabies | Progesterone to Prevent Preterm Birth

This scenario is likely to be common in clinics such as the one described here. This physician's frustration with the patient, his family members, and the system as a whole is evident. Providing care to a transient visitor with a chronic disease is a difficult proposition…

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a clogging of the arteries usually caused by atherosclerosis (say: ath-air-o-sklair-o-sis). Arteries are blood vessels that take oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all parts of the body. Atherosclerosis is a hardening and narrowing of the…

Croup is a common infection that causes swelling in the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box).

In some people, the tongue and the uvula at the back of the throat block airflow to the lungs during sleep. This is called obstructive sleep apnea (see Picture 1).

The body is made up of many kinds of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and die. Sometimes, cells change and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells. Rather than dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form tumors. If these tumors are cancerous, they can…

The body is made up of many kinds of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and die. Sometimes, cells change and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells. Rather than dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form tumors. If these tumors are cancerous, they can…

This is a corrected version of the handout that appeared in print.