October 15, 2005

Syncope has a complex presentation that must be differentiated from otherconditions that can cause a loss of consciousness or falling. It can be classedas cardiac, reflex-mediated, orthostatic, or cerebrovascular.

Physicians can support patient self-management in a variety of ways includingadopting a partnership role with patients, making office system changes, andlinking patients to community resources.

Subclinical hyperthyroid and hypothyroid disease are laboratory diagnoses. Theirmanagement is controversial because there is limited evidence that early treatmentcan alter their clinical course.

The number of lifetime sex partners is the strongest predictor for this recurrent,lifelong disease. Treatment is aimed at controlling outbreaks, and patients should becounseled about the risk of transmission and to address psychosocial concerns.

The diagnosis of this painful, debilitating disease often is overlooked. Availabletreatment options include antibiotics, retinoids, corticosteroids, local excision,radiation, and laser therapy, although none has proved effective for all patients.

As we Americans watched the news reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, I’m sure most of us thought about what we could do to help. Some of us helped by sending money to relief organizations, others helped by loading bottled water onto trucks destined for the…

Hurricane Katrina May Stall Pay-for-Performance Legislation | Medicare Deadline Flexible for Patients With ‘Creditable Coverage’ | Research Finds Low EHR Adoption Rates for Physician Groups | 2005 Match Results Point to Greater Diversity | New AHRQ Booklet Explains Breast…

Watching television is often a mindless experience, but can it actually make kids more mindless? According to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, it might. Researchers examined 1,800 children six and seven years of age and found that those…

As the medical community becomes increasingly aware of the ubiquitous prevalence of chronic illness, more and more physicians are realizing that most decisions determining the outcome of a chronic condition are made not by the physician, but by the patient.

The baby boom generation will place large demands on the Medicare program and the U.S. health care system. These demands may be extended by a large legal immigrant population that will become Medicare-eligible soon after the baby boom generation does. The U.S. health care…

“Yes, yes, yes … yes, yes,” the woman chanted in her high-pitched, singsong voice. During rounds, we were checking in on a patient who is truly beloved by the nursing home staff, the residents, and me. Marta has a number of medical problems, including chronic paranoid…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and the supporting scientific evidence and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive…

Topiramate is more effective than placebo for migraine prevention. Its effectiveness appears to be similar to that of other antiepileptic drugs and beta blockers. Because of the high cost of topiramate and the relative frequency of adverse effects, other approaches to migraine…

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

The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) recently issued a clinical position statement on outpatient management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

CDC Updates 2005–2006 Influenza Vaccine Recommendations

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has published an updated version of evidence-based clinical guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its report on assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures conducted in the United States in 2002.

FDA Advisories: Label Information Updated for Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

Genital herpes (say: HER-pees) is a disease caused by a virus known as the herpes simplex virus. It causes painful blisters on the thighs or genitals. These blisters break open and turn into sores. The virus can also cause fever blisters or cold sores around the mouth. Once you…

Hidradenitis suppurativa (say: hi-dra-dun-I-tis sup-you-ra-TI-va) is a disease that causes painful bumps or sores in the armpits, groin, and anal area.

Prenatal diagnosis is a way for your doctor to tell if your baby has a problem such as Down syndrome while you’re still pregnant. Amniocentesis (say: AM-nee-oh-sen-TEE-sis) and chorionic villus sampling (say: CORE-ree-on-ik VILL-us SAM-pling, or CVS, for short) are tests that…

Toxoplasmosis (say: tox-oh-plas-MOH-sis) is an infection caused by a parasite. This parasite lives in the intestines of cats and is spread through cat feces, usually into litter boxes and garden soil. You can get the parasite by handling cat litter or soil where there is cat…

When a viral infection attacks your air passages, it can affect your breathing and cause other symptoms. These infections can be passed to and from other people. The flu and common cold are two kinds of viral respiratory infections. Other respiratory viruses are: