March 1, 2019

Adhesive capsulitis is a painful shoulder condition that limits range of motion. Nonsurgical treatments for adhesive capsulitis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, short-term oral corticosteroids, intra-articular corticosteroid injections, physiotherapy, acupuncture…

Gas, bloating, and belching are most often caused by functional gastrointestinal disorders. Psychological distress often makes the symptoms worse. Exhaustive testing is not necessary for diagnosis. Most patients are classified as having gastric or small bowel bloating, bloating…

Screening for hepatitis B virus is recommended in pregnant women at their first prenatal visit and in adolescents and adults at high risk of chronic infection. Chronic infection can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis; however, morbidity and mortality can be reduced…

Forty-five million Americans live with one or more serious illnesses, many of which are life-limiting and marked by functional decline. Family physicians play a pivotal role in the care of these patients through their deep, longitudinal relationships.

How can we ensure that our seriously ill patients routinely get the right care without relying on individual sacrifice and luck?

Increasing fiber intake is an effective first-line, nonsurgical treatment for hemorrhoids. Rubber band ligation is considered the preferred choice in the office-based treatment of grades I to III internal hemorrhoids because of effectiveness compared with other office-based…

When compared with placebo, smectite decreases the duration of diarrhea by about a day, with a mean difference of 24.4 fewer hours of diarrhea (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.9 to 30.9 hours). Smectite also decreases stool output by 11.4 g per kg (95% CI, 0.8 to 22 g per kg).

Treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD with a shorter course of systemic corticosteroids (seven or fewer days) is likely to be as effective and safe as treating with longer courses (more than seven days).

A 29-year-old man presented with a painless, white area on the roof of his mouth that had been present for three months. He had no difficulty with eating or drinking. He was otherwise healthy with no medical conditions, although he had poor dentition. He had smoked cigarettes…

What are the comparative effectiveness and harms of treatments for uterine fibroids, and what is the risk of finding unexpected leiomyosarcoma in women with fibroids?

An expert consensus group of the European Society of Cardiology, American College of Cardiology Foundation, American Heart Association, and World Heart Federation has provided an updated universal definition of myocardial infarction.

This meta-analysis showed no clear benefit for metformin in reducing the risk of large for gestational age infants. Additionally, there was no difference in important secondary outcomes such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disease in pregnancy, shoulder dystocia, advanced…

There is no pharmacotherapy regimen that improves the overall symptoms of borderline personality disorder. When used for six months or less, antipsychotics can improve paranoia, dissociation, mood lability, anger, and global functioning.

Most people have had excess gas, bloating, or belching. Sometimes these symptoms can cause problems or pain.

The hepatitis B virus infects the liver. You can get hepatitis B from blood and body fluids such as saliva and semen. If a pregnant woman is infected with hepatitis B, her baby may be infected at birth.