October 15, 2017

Chronic rhinosinusitis is an inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinuses that can significantly decrease quality of life. It is diagnosed based on the presence of characteristic symptoms and objective evidence on physical examination (anterior rhinoscopy or endoscopy) or…

Asymptomatic hematuria is the most common clinical presentation of bladder cancer. Prompt evaluation with cystoscopy, renal function testing, and upper urinary tract imaging should be performed in adults with asymptomatic hematuria who are 35 years and older, and in those with…

The percentage of women who drink or binge drink during pregnancy has increased since 2012. Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders result from intrauterine exposure to alcohol and are the most common nonheritable causes of intellectual disability. They are…

AAFP Delegates Address Violence in Health Care, Homelessness | MedPAC Debates Expansion of Payments for Telehealth Services | HHS Asked to Act on Information Blocking

Alarmingly, the United States is the only developed country with a rising maternal mortality rate; women are more likely to die in or around childbirth now than 20 years ago. Regardless of community, profession, or political affiliation, this should create a sense of urgency…

A healthy 12-year-old boy presents for a school physical and well visit. His family history reveals that his maternal grandfather had a heart attack at 75 years of age and that his 52-year-old father has started taking a medication for elevated cholesterol levels.

Rivaroxaban, along with the other factor Xa inhibitors, is as effective as or better in the short term (three months) than warfarin (Coumadin) for preventing recurrent DVT, nonfatal PE, and fatal PE, with no differences in mortality or bleeding events.

Americans spend more time on Facebook, the world's largest online social network, than any other website. On the surface, social media networks provide an “invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection.” However, rather than enhancing well-being…

Dulaglutide is an easy-to-use, once-weekly injectable therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. It produces a modest decrease in A1C levels with only a small risk of severe hypoglycemia. The small average weight loss it induces may be an advantage for some…

A man presented with a painful rash that began on his left chest and spread to his left back. There are no lesions anywhere else on his body.

Key Points for Practice

This seems like a strange question considering that the goal is to decrease mortality with drug therapy. Nevertheless, this study showed that the new kids on the diabetes block—exenatide (Byetta), dulaglutide (Trulicity), sitagliptin (Januvia), saxagliptin (Onglyza), and others…

In this really large study, tranexamic acid did not decrease the frequency of the primary outcome of death or hysterectomy in women with postpartum hemorrhage. However, there was a very small reduction in the rate of death from bleeding in the women treated with tranexamic acid.

Treatment of patients with a minimally elevated thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level did not result in any improvement in symptoms. If patients present with a thyrotropin level between 4.6 and 10 mIU per L, repeat the test because the levels often normalize (this…

The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen for obesity in children and adolescents 6 years and older, and offer or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions to promote improvements in weight status.

Chronic rhinosinusitis happens when the lining of the sinuses swells because of inflammation. It is also called chronic sinusitis. Sometimes, the swelling is so severe that you get polyps (noncancerous growths) in your nose and sinuses. The sinuses are air-filled spaces in your…