April 15, 2004

In women of childbearing age who have abnormal uterine bleeding, a careful history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation may rule out etiologies such as pregnancy, medications, iatrogenic causes, systemic conditions, and genital tract pathology. Dysfunctional uterine…

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. Identification of the type of tick attached to a person is crucial in determining the proper treatment.

A systematic examination of the hand and wrist, based on an understanding of anatomy and biomechanics, allows physicians to identify many common injuries and reduces the likelihood of a missed diagnosis.

Physicians must be able to evaluate, triage, and stabilize emergent hand injuries such as vessel laceration, amputation, injection injuries, bites, and open fractures. Physical examination and assessment of distal function are essential before obtaining surgical consultation.

Lifestyle interventions, including dietary changes, weight loss, and exercise, can delay or prevent progression to type 2 diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for obesity in adults based on the USPSTF's examination of evidence specific to obesity and overweight in adults.

April is career month for many students, and later this month local students will be visiting the American Academy of Family Physicians for Take Your Children to Work Day. We're hoping our children will learn more about family medicine and possibly even consider a career in…

AAFP and AAP Release Acute Otitis Media Guideline | HHS Releases FDA Report on Combating the Obesity Epidemic | NIDDK Sponsors Clinical Trial Focusing on Type 2 Diabetes in Youth | FDA Warns Manufacturers to Stop Distributing Products Containing Andro | HHS Launches Campaign to…

Television viewing can be reduced in children, according to the results of a randomized controlled study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Viewing time was reduced by three hours per week in children in eight preschool and day care centers in…

Hardly an issue of any primary care medical journal, including this issue of American Family Physician, can be opened without encountering an article on type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, or hypertension. Furthermore, newspapers and television news shows are replete with reports…

“Always think twice when adjusting thyroid doses,” KS advised the fourth-year medical student. They were discussing the case of a 46-year-old woman who had been on levothyroxine for several years. The student planned to decrease her dose of medication in response to an elevated…

Guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) address the preoperative evaluation of patients for noncardiac surgery.

Teriparatide increases bone density in men and women with osteoporosis and has reduced the risk of new vertebral fractures in high-risk women. Its role in therapy is not clear. Due to its uncertain safety profile, lack of long-term experience, and high cost, it makes sense to…

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

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released its annual recommendations for the early detection of cancer. These include screening guidelines for breast, cervical, colorectal, endometrial, and prostate cancer.

CDC Report on Disease Characteristics | AHA Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease | CDC Information on Ricin | MRI in Suspected MS

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is any bleeding from the uterus other than your normal monthly period.

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal. High blood sugar can cause heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, and vision loss. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.