April 1, 2015

The causes of acute abdominal pain range from benign to life-threatening, and imaging is often required for diagnosis and treatment. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria can assist physicians with choosing the most suitable imaging method based on the…

Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, such as preeclampsia, shoulder dystocia, and macrosomia. Asymptomatic women should be screened after 24 weeks of gestation using one of two acceptable oral glucose test approaches. Initial…

Most patients with fibromyalgia have muscle pain and tenderness, cognitive problems, and functional limitations. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed using an updated set of clinical criteria that no longer depend on tender point examination. Laboratory testing may rule out other…

AAFP Joins Unified Effort on Gun Violence, Free Speech Rights for Physicians | IOM Recommends Renaming, Redefining Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Register Now for April 9 ICD-10 Webinar | AAMC Predicts Significant Primary Care Physician Shortage by 2025 | Primary Care, Family…

Catheter-directed thrombolysis for proximal DVT is experimental but may be considered in a patient with phlegmasia and resulting compartment syndrome.

Wouldn't it be nice if every intervention improved a patient's outcome? Obviously, that's not the way it works. It is surprising how seldom some interventions help—for example, lipid-lowering drugs. Hundreds of low-risk patients might need to be treated with statins for years…

Regular exercise for up to seven or more hours per week (including low-intensity and high-intensity aerobics, jogging, cycling, and swimming) is not associated with increased rates of miscarriage in the first to mid-second trimesters. Patients may continue bending and lifting…

Despite efforts to achieve broad transformation of primary care practices into patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), certification rates have lagged in small and solo practices. The challenges these groups face with the transformation and certification processes should be…

A team of family doctors and nurses who offer maternity care helped two parents focus on what matters most to their family after a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Magnesium sulfate does not delay delivery when used in patients with preterm labor. Although magnesium sulfate is not associated with any serious adverse maternal outcomes, it may be associated with an increase in total fetal, neonatal, and infant mortality.

In adults with ADHD, immediate-release methylphenidate improves symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattentiveness compared with placebo. Short-term adverse effects such as weight loss and decreased appetite do not appear to be serious. However, larger studies of…

Clinicians and surrogates can be faced with challenging decisions when a patient loses the capacity to participate in medical decision making. A significant number of hospitalized and critically ill adults lose decision-making capacity during hospital stays and cannot make…

A man with a history of significant acne presented with exophytic growths on his back and extensive scarring on his chest.

In this analysis of 15 observational studies (it would be difficult and unethical to do randomized research on this topic), excision using any method for CIN did not affect fertility, although second trimester miscarriages were more likely. A study published at the same time…

This complex network meta-analysis of eight treatment regimens for acute venous thromboembolism found that a combination of unfractionated heparin and vitamin K antagonists is associated with the least effective strategy with the highest risk of recurrent events.

With the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a chronic disease that can be managed, rather than a deadly infection. The International Antiviral Society—USA Panel has provided recommendations regarding these…

The USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and for adults who are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The USPSTF recommends screening for chlamydia in sexually active women aged 24 years or younger and in older women who are at increased risk for infection.

Studies show vomiting stopped in 1 in 5 patients and diarrhea was a consistent adverse effect. Find out more.