October 15, 2004

Rates of squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas have been increasing, possibly as a result of increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Primary care physicians can expect to diagnose six to seven cases of basal cell carcinoma and one to two cases of squamous cell carcinoma…

Compared with community-dwelling persons, residents in long-term care facilities have more functional disabilities and underlying medical illnesses and are at increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases. Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this…

Patients with personality disorders are common in primary care settings; caring for them can be difficult and frustrating. The characteristics of these patients' personalities tend to elicit strong feelings in physicians, lead to the development of problematic physician-patient…

Although the pregnancy rate in adolescents has declined steadily in the past 10 years, it remains a major public health problem with lasting repercussions for the teenage mothers, their infants and families, and society as a whole. Successful strategies to prevent adolescent…

A recent e-mail news release from the American Academy of Family Physicians caught my attention. A landmark survey has reported the prevalence of personality disorders in the United States. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes…

Vaccine Manufacturer Expecting Delays in Distribution of Fluvirin | U.S. Census Bureau Report Confirms Rising Number of Uninsured Americans | CDC Reminds Physicians to Consider West Nile Virus in Pregnant Women | New Studies from Robert Graham Center Focus on Race and Access to…

Sometimes diagnosis can be as easy as cherry pie. An article in the American Journal of Surgery describes an 80-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. A computed tomographic scan showed a foreign body in the colon, and a left…

Adolescent pregnancy and its prevention are topics that excite intense controversy. In this issue of American Family Physician, As-Sanie and colleagues1 describe the impact of this public health problem and outline strategies to address it. Despite recent declines, teenage…

“When in doubt, always ask the patient more questions,” KS reminded herself for the 100th time. A 44-year-old woman had been referred from the gynecology clinic for evaluation of hyperkalemia. On chart review, she was a healthy woman scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy because…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on the primary care clinician’s role in the prevention of dental disease among preschool-aged children based on the USPSTF’s examination of evidence specific to dental disease in young…

The Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules are validated clinical decision rules. The process by which the Ottawa rules were developed and validated serves as a model for researchers in developing decision support tools for other clinical problems.

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

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recently issued interim guidelines as an addendum to the 2002 Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines regarding the management of cholesterol.

First-Trimester Screening for Genetic Defects

CDC Report on Cancer Mortality Surveillance

School-Based Mental Health Services

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Think of your arteries as tubes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Blood pressure is the force your blood puts on the walls of your arteries. If your blood moves through your arteries with more force than normal, you have high blood pressure (also called…

Measuring your blood pressure at home and writing down the readings will show you and your doctor how much your blood pressure changes during the day. Your doctor can use the measurements to see how well your medicine is keeping your blood pressure low.