March 15, 2017

Physicians should feel confident in their ability to manage symptoms during patients' last weeks and days of life. Effective management of pain, dyspnea, delirium and agitation, nausea and vomiting, constipation, and oropharyngeal secretions can help patients be as comfortable…

Clinical diagnosis of preterm labor is made if there are regular contractions and concomitant cervical change. In women with a single gestation pregnancy and a history of a spontaneous preterm birth, progesterone supplementation is recommended. Once preterm labor is confirmed…

Multiple myeloma is one of a spectrum of plasma cell malignancies. Presenting symptoms are often nonspecific and may also be absent, with the disease process being insidious in its development. Diagnosis may involve measurement of plasma cells, monoclonal protein detection, or…

NCPP Ranks Top Recommendations for Clinical Preventive Services | Study: Patients with Obesity Face Disparities in End-of-Life Care | AAFP Adds Support to Proposed Bills That Would Ease Access for OTC Drugs | Good News for Family Medicine in 2017 Osteopathic Match

In 2011, nearly half a million patients in the United States had a symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection, and 29,000 died within 30 days after diagnosis.1 The clinical spectrum of C. difficile infection stretches from asymptomatic or mild diarrhea to a fulminant, life…

Persons with multimorbidity often have unmet multidimensional needs related to their health. For example, Y.S. may also be experiencing poorly controlled symptoms, financial distress, and increasing anxiety. His family is likely distressed by his decline in health and unsure…

A contractor in Iraq presents with unilateral eye pain and redness a cloud of dust blew into his face while fixing an old generator

Elbasvir/grazoprevir is a safe and effective treatment for HCV genotypes 1 and 4, with or without compensated cirrhosis or HIV-1 coinfection. Patients with renal impairment, including those on hemodialysis, can use the medication.

Semaglutide significantly reduced the composite outcome of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke (number needed to treat [NNT] = 43 over 2.1 years). It was generally well tolerated, and it reduced body weight by approximately 6.4 to 9.5 lb (2.9 to 4.3 kg…

For hospitalized patients with acute delirium and symptoms of distress who are receiving palliative care, the use of risperidone (Risperdal) or haloperidol at conservative oral doses worsens symptoms and may shorten overall survival.

The initial Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study, which compared standard treatment with intensive control, found that despite good intentions, cardiovascular (CV) and overall mortality are significantly higher when blood glucose levels are lower.

A single dose of 12-mg dexamethasone, which has a longer duration of action than prednisone, is almost as effective as five days of 60-mg prednisone for the prevention of relapse in adults with acute asthma treated in an emergency department.

The main strategy for preventing VTE-related mortality is thromboprophylaxis, but guidance regarding its use differs across specialties and organizations. For this reason, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety (NPMS), a group made up of a variety of leaders in women's…

The USPSTF recommends screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in populations at increased risk.

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects blood cells. It causes the body to make too many plasma cells. This can affect other areas of the body, such as the bones, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.