August 1, 2016

Family physicians have a critical role in identifying persons who are at risk of vision loss, which affects nearly 25% of adults older than 80 years in the United States. Regular comprehensive eye examinations may be appropriate for some patients 65 years and older; however…

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy is an often undertreated nerve disorder that affects as many as 25% of patients with diabetes mellitus. It causes a significant decline in quality of life as patients experience burning pain, paresthesias, and numbness that progress from…

Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder consist of psychological and physical symptoms that cause significant impairment during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, but resolve shortly after menstruation. Patient-directed recording of symptoms is helpful…

Medical Groups Urge Changes to Proposed MACRA Rule | CMS Addresses Senate Concerns on Medicare Part B Payment Proposal | Groups Press CMS to Expand Rural Training | HHS Grant Helps Small Practices Move to Value-based Models

Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is a quality-of-care issue; all clinicians have the responsibility to provide the right treatments to their patients while minimizing harm. Effective communication, public commitments, and delayed antibiotic prescriptions are evidence-based…

The reasons for antibiotic overprescribing are multifactorial, so efforts to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing should combine shared decision making, incentives, quality-control measures, and similar interventions designed to improve clinical practice.

Acetaminophen does not significantly reduce pain associated with heel lance, eye examinations, or assisted vaginal births in newborns. Acetaminophen may reduce the total amount of morphine a newborn needs in the first 48 hours following major abdominal or thoracic surgery.

Intranasal capsaicin is safe and effective for reducing symptoms of nonallergic rhinitis (number needed to treat = 4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1 to 22). There is insufficient evidence to compare the effectiveness of capsaicin to other topical or systemic medications.

Exercise programs lasting at least two months moderately increase the ability of patients with dementia to perform ADLs.

A patient presented with spherical, fluctuant elbow swelling without redness or tenderness.

The American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) have provided recommendations regarding eligibility and disqualification of competitive athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities. This summary focuses on cardiomyopathy and myocarditis.

Studies show an NNT of 3 to have at least a 50% reduction of headache frequency compared with routine care. Want to know more?

Nerve pain with diabetes is called neuropathy (new-ROP-uh-thee). It is common in people with uncontrolled diabetes. It usually starts in the feet and may go up the legs. It may cause burning pain or a loss of feeling.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) causes symptoms in the week before your period. You may have physical symptoms (like cramps, bloating, or headache) or mood symptoms (like feeling more tense than usual, having trouble concentrating, or being irritable). You may crave certain foods…

Incorrect Drug Classification/SORT rating. The article “Sexual Dysfunction in Women: A Practical Approach” (August 15, 2015, p. 281) contained an error in Table 2 (p. 283), which incorrectly identified trazodone and venlafaxine as examples of monoamine oxidase inhibitors…