August 1, 2006

Incomplete immunization and declining immunity after pertussis vaccination have contributed to a significant increase in adolescent and adult pertussis and com plications in infants. Patients with suspected pertussis should undergo laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis…

These rare, slow-growing tumors of the neuroendocrine system are becoming more common. Family physicians should know the signs and symptoms of carcinoid tumors and carcinoid syndrome.

With a basic knowledge of exercise guidelines and counseling strategies, physicians can promote the lifestyle changes that are essential for healthy aging.

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome becomes more likely the longer a patient has taken antidepressant medication. Symptoms usually are mild and short-lived and are rapidly extinguished with reinstitution of antidepressant medication.

In addition to review articles, each issue of AFP includes departments that provide readers with clinical information, evidence-based tools for decision making, opportunities to obtain continuing medical education (CME) credit, and forums to voice their opinions. These…

CMS to Offer Beneficiaries Health Savings Account Plan Option | AAFP Objects to Proposed Medicare Hospital Discharge Procedure | HHS Collaboration Aims to Improve Health of Older Americans | AHRQ Provides State Leaders with Asthma Care Resource Guide | Study Finds Increased…

Judging a book by its cover may be exactly what women do when choosing a mate. A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences suggests that women can detect a man's testosterone level and his fondness for children through his facial cues. The…

In this issue of American Family Physician, Gregory1 gives an excellent up-to-date summary of the epidemiology, natural history, clinical presentation, laboratory diagnosis, and guidelines for treatment of pertussis.1 For more than a decade, this bacterial respiratory disease…

Compared with other active medications, diuretics can improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure by about 30 percent. Withdrawal of diuretic therapy from patients with heart failure may increase the risk of hospital readmission or death. About eight deaths are…

Fiber has a consistent beneficial effect in the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids for up to three months' follow-up as measured by overall symptoms and bleeding.

Although the atypical antipsychotic medications risperidone (Risperdal) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) are modestly efficacious in reducing aggression, routine use is not justified. Both drugs are associated with serious adverse cerebrovascular events and extrapyramidal symptoms. Use…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for iron deficiency anemia and the supporting scientific evidence.

What are the effects of nondrug, drug and invasive treatments? What are the effects of ACE inhibitors in persons at high risk of heart failure?

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

Because the etiology of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is unknown, a variety of treatments have been proposed. The best-designed, largest clinical trials have not found the most commonly used therapies (i.e., alpha blockers, quinolone antibiotics, non-steroidal anti…

Patients are not trained to diagnose illnesses across a wide spectrum of diseases and are not familiar with presentations that physicians are trained to detect. However, patients are highly motivated to determine their diagnoses, are more intimately familiar with their own…

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released evidence-based guidelines for the management of endometrial cancer. Endometrial carcinoma is a common gynecologic malignancy that many physicians encounter.

Girls 11 to 12 years of age should be routinely vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), according to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The committee noted that the HPV…

Whooping cough can make you cough for several minutes at a time. After you cough, you might make a “whooping” sound when you breathe in. You might vomit or stop breathing for a few seconds after coughing. Whooping cough also is called pertussis.

If you suddenly stop taking your antidepressant medicine, you may feel like you have the flu. You also might have trouble sleeping, have an upset stomach, have shock-like sensations in the arms and hands, feel dizzy, or feel nervous. This is called antidepressant…