December 1, 2005

Sputum samples should be obtained from patients with findings of tuberculosis and those suspected of having active disease. Most patients are treated with eight weeks of a four-drug regimen; some require an added two-drug regimen for 18 weeks.

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. Many patients improve without intervention, although shoe inserts, stretching exercises, steroid injection, and custom-made night splints may be beneficial.

This herbal preparation has been found to be superior to placebo and equivalent to standard antidepressants for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Males with an additional X chromosome (47,XXY) are infertile and have hypogonadism with gynecomastia and small testes. Early androgen replacement therapy may ameliorate many clinical findings.

Cultural competency is an essential skill for family physicians because of increasing ethnic diversity among patient populations. Culture, the shared beliefs and attitudes of a group, shapes ideas of what constitutes illness and acceptable treatment. A cross-cultural interview…

Symptoms of constipation often improve with increased fiber intake and laxatives; biofeedback and surgery may be necessary in some patients.

The Quantum Sufficit (QS) column in AFP was created more than 40 years ago. It is intended to add “just enough” information about short news items that may be of interest to you. The style is quite different from the typical clinical, academic style of most AFP articles. Nearly…

HHS Releases Pandemic Influenza Plan | Link to<i>AFP, FPM</i> Articles from PubMed Now Available | CMS Asks Physicians to Report on Quality of Care | HHS Adopts E-Prescribing Standards for Medicare Part D | United States and China Partner to Combat Infectious Diseases | NIH…

Striving for the perfect tan may be a form of addiction. The Archives of Dermatology released a study that shows sunbathing can be as addictive as alcohol or drugs. Using adapted alcohol and drug abuse questionnaires, researchers surveyed 145 beachgoers in Galveston, Tex. The…

The subject of cross-cultural medicine is an enormous one, and the article by Juckett1 in this issue of American Family Physician provides a succinct overview of the nation’s changing demographics, racial and ethnic health disparities, and selected traditional health care…

Seeing a few cases of an uncommon malignancy in patients can easily increase the index of suspicion when other patients present in a similar manner. Reuben is a middle-age, homeless man who came in looking for help. For two months, he had noticed food “sticking in my throat.” I…

There is no evidence that rhythm control in older patients with atrial fibrillation is more effective than rate control for improving patient-oriented outcomes.

Three days of antibiotic therapy is as effective as longer courses for treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in women.

In patients with moderate or severe COPD, tiotropium reduces exacerbations, hospitalizations, and symptom scores and improves health-related quality of life compared with placebo and ipratropium (Atrovent). However, more study is needed to determine tiotropium’s role in the…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the supporting scientific evidence, and it updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive…

What are the effects of treatments in persons with type 1 diabetes and early or late nephropathy? What are the effects of treatments in persons with type 2 diabetes and early or late nephropathy?

Both antidepressant medications and psychologic treatment are beneficial for adult patients with mild to moderate depression, with no consistent evidence that one type of treatment is more effective than the other.

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

The quality and detail of ultrasonography has advanced to the point of providing easy-to-interpret, striking fetal images, especially with newer three-dimensional (static) and four-dimensional (real-time three-dimensional) imaging.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released new recommendations for preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) has issued updated guidelines for prophylaxis of health care professionals with occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids that might contain human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Reported in Recipients of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released recommendations for the recognition of possible sexual abuse in children, the need for diagnostic testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in these children, and determination of the need to inform child protective…

Letter

Tuberculosis (say: too-bur-cue-LO-sis), or TB for short, is an infection caused by a germ. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can spread to other parts of the body. It is spread from one person to another by coughing.

The plantar fascia (say: PLAN-tar FASH-ee-ah) is a band of tough fiber on the bottom of your foot (see drawing). It runs from your toes to your heel and forms the arch of your foot. When this tissue becomes hot, red, swollen, and sore, it is called plantar fasciitis (say: fash…

Constipation is when you have fewer bowel movements than usual. You also may have hard, dry stools. If you don’t have a bowel movement every day, this does not mean you are constipated. Constipation usually means you have fewer than three stools each week.