September 15, 2016

Pulse rate, electrocardiography, and longer-term monitoring are standard tests in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. Types of atrial fibrillation vary, and a normal electrocardiographic finding does not rule out all forms. Treatment is aimed at reducing the risk of stroke…

The management of chronic asthma includes long-term treatment with therapeutic agents that aim to prevent symptoms by controlling airway inflammation and hyperreactivity. Selection of medication regimen depends on patient age and symptom severity. Care is typically managed with…

Pulmonary hypertension is a heterogeneous group of disorders classified into five categories and defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of 25 mm Hg or greater. It may present in patients with chronic diseases such as heart failure, obstructive lung disease, or…

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Taking specific steps to make diagnosis more reliable is something we should all consider. We will never be perfect, but we owe it to our patients and our profession to improve. A diagnostic checklist is included.

End-of-life discussions in moments of excellent health may pose as much of a challenge as waiting until illness arrives.

What are the effects of treatments (dexamethasone or humidification) in children with mild and moderate to severe croup?

The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of visual skin examination by a clinician to screen for skin cancer in adults.

A patient presented with persistent and worsening pruritic auricular lesions on the ears.

At 7.5 months pregnant, my patient found herself increasingly uncomfortable at work. Her varicose veins ached from standing on the job, where she was required to work a cash register and walk prescriptions from the pharmacy to the checkout area. I wrote a note to her boss…

Gout is ideally diagnosed through identification of characteristic negatively birefringent crystals under polarized light microscopy in fluid aspirated from end-organ deposits, typically from a joint. However, fewer than 10% of patients with gout see a rheumatologist, and most…

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has released a position paper providing evidence-based recommendations that address reproductive health care.

Ivermectin cream is an effective treatment for moderate to severe pustular rosacea, but it is more expensive than some other available treatments and has not been studied in patients with milder forms of rosacea. Generic metronidazole cream is a less expensive alternative, and…

Atrial fibrillation (fih-brih-LAY-shun) is caused by a problem with your heart's electrical system. It causes the upper chamber of your heart to shake, and not pump blood well. Sometimes a clot can form in this chamber, and if that clot breaks free it can cause a stroke.