July 15, 2013

Edema is the result of an abnormal expansion in interstitial fluid volume that may produce pitting, tenderness, and skin changes. Patient history, physical examination, and imaging can provide diagnostic clues to the cause of edema, which may include chronic venous…

Many physicians report feeling inadequately prepared to identify and treat patients with substance use disorders. Brief validated screening tools are available that allow for rapid identification of problematic drug use. Brief counseling may be helpful for some patients with…

Treatment focuses on avoiding triggers and includes abortive therapies, prophylaxis during the cluster period, and long-term treatment in patients with chronic cluster headache. Evidence supports the use of supplemental oxygen, sumatriptan, and zolmitriptan for acute treatment…

AAFP Provides Guidance to Congress on Sustainable Growth Rate Formula Overhaul | AMA Study Finds Patients Responsible for Nearly One-Fourth of Their Medical Bills | AAFP to CMS: Transparency Program Should Allow Physicians to Review Payment Reports | Policy Brief Examines Trend…

Patients of primary care physicians should undergo psychosocial screening as part of routine wellness visits and when seeking care for mental health or somatic problems, or behavioral concerns. Physicians should be alert to any indications of bullying and identify relevant…

A number of clinical decision rules have been released recently. The PERC rule is an example of one that works well because it was derived from a large number of patients, and it was internally and externally validated.

What are the effects of treatments for acute asthma in children?

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

This network meta-analysis found that the antibiotics commonly used to treat lower UTI are similar in efficacy, with one exception: amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) is significantly less effective than the others.

Epidural corticosteroid treatment produces a small and not clinically relevant decrease in leg pain and disability in the short term in patients with sciatica; any difference is gone after one year.

The prevalence of borderline personality disorder in the general population is thought to be between 1% and 2%. As family physicians, we often treat these patients for chronic medical conditions. There are multiple obstacles to caring for these patients because of their…

The Endocrine Society recently published evidence-based recommendations on the diagnosis and management of hypertriglyceridemia in adults. Contributing factors include overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol intake, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes…

Adjunctive corticosteroids decrease mortality in patients with HIV infection who have moderate to severe hypoxemia and suspected or confirmed pneumocystis pneumonia. Corticosteroids lead to a higher incidence of herpetic lesions, but not other opportunistic conditions.

A cluster headache is a rare type of headache in which there is very bad pain on one side of the head, often around the eye. The pain lasts from 15 minutes to two hours, but comes back at about the same time each day. The pain may happen up to eight times in a single day.