February 15, 2004

Almost one half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. To address problems related to the underuse or incorrect use of contraceptives, several new and effective forms of contraception have been introduced in the past five years.

A quick yet thorough examination of a newborn's feet can reveal several potentially correctable deformities.

Although many investigative techniques for determining the source of gastrointestinal bleeding are available, each method has drawbacks. Most patients benefit from a thorough examination that visualizes as much of the bowel as possible.

More family physicians across the country are seeing patients with injuries or illnesses caused by sea creatures. Possible scenarios include everything from toxic poisoning to violent trauma.

Familiarity with anatomic landmarks is key to successfully blocking nerves in surgical procedures of the extremities and perineum.

AFP keeps in contact with readers throughout the year to monitor how well we are doing in meeting their needs. We conduct focus groups, we administer written mail surveys, and we ask readers to respond to surveys when we exhibit at meetings, to answer online surveys and send in…

AAFP Annual Assembly to Be Held in Conjunction with Wonca Conference | IOM Report Advocates Universal Health Care Coverage by 2010 | Survey Reveals People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Medical Services | Organizations Endorse Protocol to Prevent Surgical Errors | Early…

Even so-called “good” air quality affects some children with asthma. A study published in JAMA showed that ozone levels below the current standard of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (120 parts per billion [ppb], one-hour average; 80 ppb, eight-hour average) are…

More than 10 million women in the United States use oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) to prevent pregnancy.1 However, OCPs have a 6 percent failure rate within the first year.1 Data1–4 have shown that unintended pregnancy with this method of contraception often is related to…

Fewer active persons develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who are sedentary, and the beneficial effects of exercise on risk factors for CHD are well documented.1 Despite this, inactive lifestyles and overeating remain the norm for most Americans, as illustrated by…

“I am so glad I had a chance to talk with you,” exclaimed the young woman. “I was frightened when I saw her this morning—I thought she looked awful attached to all of those machines.” KS had just seen this woman's mother in the intensive care unit. The 68-year-old woman had…

This statement summarizes the current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on counseling to prevent skin cancer and the supporting scientific evidence, and updates the 1996 recommendation contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, second…

EMLA cream reduces the pain experienced by newborns during circumcision compared with placebo.

Compared with other commonly used antihypertensive medications, eplerenone is effective in lowering blood pressure when used alone or as add-on therapy. However, mortality benefits related to antihypertensive treatment have not yet been shown, so it should not be considered a…

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 the revised indications for the use of palivizumab and respiratory syncytial virus immune globulin intravenous (RSV-IGIV) for the prevention of RSV infections.

The Committee on Practice Bulletins-Gynecology of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a practice bulletin on sterilization. The bulletin lists methods of surgical sterilization, including laparoscopy, minilaparotomy, and transcervical and…

Strategies to Prevent Juvenile Violence | Scientific Exhibit Deadline for AAFP Assembly | Immunotherapy in Patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome | AAP Policy on Soft Drinks in Schools | Call for Papers of Family Medicine Research Presentations | IOM Report on Cancer Prevention…

Take off any visible tentacles. Use gloves or a towel so that you do not get more stings. Jellyfish tentacles keep stinging even if they are not attached to the jellyfish and even if the jellyfish is dead. The tentacles are the long stringy parts that hang down under the…

Good nutrition is one of the keys to good health. Good nutrition means eating foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, and foods that are not high in fat. For most people, foods that are high in fiber are a good choice, and almost everyone should eat five…

Eating healthy foods does not mean losing flavor. You can choose and prepare low-fat foods that your family will enjoy. Just follow the advice below and be aware that a “serving” might be smaller than you think.

Eating foods that are high in fiber can help relieve some problems with constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Dietary fiber may help lower your cholesterol levels. It also may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer.

Your doctor will use a chart to find out if your child is too heavy. Your child is overweight if he or she is heavier than 85 percent of other children who are the same age and height.

Not all heavy children grow up to have weight problems as adults. However, as children get older, their risk for staying overweight goes up. The risk is even higher if one or both parents also are overweight. It is important to catch weight problems early.

High cholesterol is an unhealthy amount of cholesterol in the blood. A high level of cholesterol can cause heart problems when your child gets older. High cholesterol can be lowered with weight loss, exercise, and changes in what your child eats.