March 1, 2014

Findings from the history and physical examination typically reveal the cause of dysmenorrhea. Abnormal uterine bleeding, dyspareunia, noncyclic pain, changes in intensity and duration of pain, or abnormal pelvic examination findings suggest secondary dysmenorrhea and require…

Neck masses in children usually fall into one of three categories: developmental, inflammatory/reactive, or neoplastic. Workup for a neck mass may include a complete blood count; purified protein derivative test for tuberculosis; and measurement of titers for Epstein-Barr virus…

A stepwise approach can be used to interpret test results, as well as to help guide further testing and formulate a differential diagnosis. Initial testing can be performed in the office or a pulmonary function laboratory. If the patient's initial test results indicate a…

Up to 50% of children experience sleep problems, and differentiating normal changes in sleep patterns from sleep disorders is important to avoid negative impacts, such as irritability and academic and behavioral problems. Common sleep disorders in children include obstructive…

CMS Modifies Policy on Disclosing Individual Physician Payment Data | PCMH Evaluations Report Positive Results for Metrics Related to Triple Aim | AAFP Urges Review of Misvalued CPT Codes | Graham Center Panel: Telemedicine Can Build Bridge to Expanded Health Care

This campaign has resulted in more than 200 key clinical recommendations to help promote best practices and avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful medical interventions.

Each month, we feature four POEMs in American Family Physician (AFP)—some in print and some online. And now, insightful discussions about these same POEMs are available as a free podcast via iTunes.

Antenatal digital perineal massage in the final month of pregnancy is safe and well tolerated. Women who have not had a previous vaginal delivery and perform digital perineal massage in the final month of pregnancy experience less perineal birth trauma, mostly through fewer…

Do early developmental intervention programs improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants?

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

In a study of health professionals, nut consumption was associated with reduced all-cause mortality. This was primarily because of a reduction in heart disease associated with any nut consumption and a reduction in cancer associated with tree nut consumption.

This review of commonly used weight-loss medications, including orlistat (Xenical), lorcaserin (Belviq), phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia), bupropion (Wellbutrin), metformin (Glucophage), and zonisamide (Zonegran), reported an average weight loss for participants of 2.5 to 8.0 kg…

This intervention, which included primiparous women with and without urinary incontinence at six weeks post-partum, demonstrated that intensive supervised pelvic floor muscle training did not reduce the prevalence of urinary incontinence at six months. These results are…

Although there are guidelines for management of single chronic illnesses, the evidence base for management of multiple comorbidities is lacking. The American Geriatrics Society described a clinical approach to managing patients with multiple comorbidities in 2012.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published a guideline on the management of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in children based on recommendations from the North American and European Societies for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. It is important…