February 15, 2006

Initial management of this autoimmune disease includes education and topicaltherapy with steroids and vitamin D derivatives. Options such as light therapy orsystemic therapy are reserved for patients with psoriasis involving more than20 percent of their skin.

Nonpharmacologic management of dementia-associated behaviors includes theuse of sensory intervention, removing environmental hazards, and maintainingroutines. Atypical antipsychotics have the greatest effectiveness and are best tolerated,but the axiom start low, go slow should…

Preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes can cause significant perinatalmorbidity and fetal demise. Treatment options vary with gestational age and mayinclude delivery when rupture occurs at or after 34 weeks gestation.

Patients with this disease usually present with a variety of clinical findings, includingelements of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Symptoms alone are not diagnostic,and physicians should consider risk factors, global guidelines, and clinicaltest results when evaluating…

The patient information handouts accompanying our clinical review articles are used in many ways. Our most recent reader survey shows that 31 percent of readers give an AFP information handout to patients at least once a week. The survey also shows that approximately half of…

Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

Think smoking only a few cigarettes a day is not as dangerous as more frequent smoking? Think again. In a study published in Tobacco Control, researchers analyzed health data and smoking habits from 43,000 men and women in Norway over 30 years and found that light smoking (i.e…

The worldwide chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) epidemic affects nearly 600 million people and accounts for more than 2.2 million deaths each year.1 Airflow obstruction makes COPD an even greater health burden because it independently contributes to the morbidity and…

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. This is true whether patients are outpatients or inpatients; diabetes is the fourth most common comorbid condition complicating all hospital discharges. In 1997, diabetes was present in 9.5 percent of all patients…

A 58-year-old woman presented with non-pruritic skin lesions on her hands (see accompanying figure) and back and sensorineural deafness in her left ear that had progressed over the previous four weeks. She did not have any known drug allergies. Her medical, personal, social…

Nesiritide improves short-term hemodynamics in hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure who have not benefited from aggressive treatment with standard care. However, nesiritide may cause renal function to worsen and may increase the risk of death within 30…

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released evidence-based guidelines for management of abnormal cervical cytology and histology. Cervical cytology screening has been associated with a dramatic reduction in cervical cancer incidence and mortality.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report on the barriers to children walking to and from school in the United States in 2004. The CDC believes that comprehensive initiatives that include behavioral, environmental, and policy strategies are…

A report analyzing the rate of diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and adolescents has been released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A report that identifies ways to improve prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in persons with type 1 diabetes has been released by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases…

Psoriasis (say: sore-EYE-uh-sis) is a skin condition that causes pink or red areas on the skin with thick, silvery scales. It usually shows up on the lower back, elbows, knees, scalp, and nails.

People with dementia (say: duh-MEN-shuh) can have changes in their personality and the way they act. They might be confused about what is real, and they might see things that are not there. If someone you know has these problems, it does not mean that he or she is mentally ill…

During pregnancy, the word “membranes,” also called the “water bag,” refers to the sac that grows around the baby and protects it from germs. The water bag is a cushion for the baby and holds the fluid that helps the baby’s lungs grow. Preterm PROM is when the water bag breaks…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD, for short) is a lung disease that causes you to have less air when you breathe. There are two main illnesses in COPD: chronic bronchitis (say: bron-KIE-tiss) and emphysema (say: em-fa-SEE-ma).

The Clinical Evidence Concise article “Urinary Tract Infection in Children” (September 1, 2005, page 858) contained an error in the editor’s note on page 860. The editor’s note stated “Co-trimoxazole is called trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin is called sulfamethoxazole in the…