November 15, 2019

Articles

Depression in Children and Adolescents: Evaluation and Treatment

Shelley S. Selph, Marian S. McDonagh

The prevalence of major unipolar depression in children and adolescents is increasing in the United States. Children older than 12 years should be screened for depression annually using a validated instrument, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9: Modified for Teens…

The Changing Climate: Managing Health Impacts

Cindy L. Parker, Caroline E. Wellbery, Matthew Mueller

Health impacts from climate change may include increased morbidity and mortality from worsening cardiopulmonary health, worsening allergies, and greater risk of infectious disease and mental illness after extreme weather events. Family physicians should advise patients to…

Specific Learning Disabilities: The Family Physician's Role

Michelle J. Curtin, Deanna R. Willis, Brett Enneking

Academic underachievement, such as failing a class and the threat of grade retention, is common in school-aged children. Family physicians can provide support and guidance for families as they pursue information on and options for their child's unique academic challenges…

Editorials

Climate Change Health Impacts: A Role for the Family Physician

Caroline E. Wellbery

Why is climate change a matter of such importance to us as health care professionals, and why must we act?

Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us

Landis Lum

The sounds of alarm increasingly manifested across multiple sectors around the globe are warranted, and the science shows why.

AFP Clinical Answers

Aspirin for CVD, Scabies, Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Vaccines, Caregiver Burden

Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal's content, written by and for family physicians.

Putting Prevention Into Practice

Screening for HIV Infection and Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection

Howard Tracer, Wilnise Jasmin

This PPIP quiz is based on the recommendations of the USPSTF.

Photo Quiz

Seizure with Brain Lesions

Merima Bucaj, Henna Parmar, Philippe Bierny

A 42-year-old man presented after a seizure that lasted approximately four or five minutes. The patient said he had a “weird feeling” before the seizure and a headache afterward. He had not traveled recently and did not have fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, confusion, neck…

STEPS

Hydrogen Peroxide 40% (Eskata) for Seborrheic Keratosis

Sandy Robertson, John Franko

Hydrogen peroxide 40% topical solution is not particularly effective for removing seborrheic keratosis lesions, and skin reactions are common.

POEMs

Fully Automated Blood Pressure Measurement Is the Way to Go in the Office

Allen F. Shaughnessy

automated measurement aligns better with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the best predictor of cardiovascular events, than manual measurement; manual readings are an average 13.4 to 14.5 mm Hg (systolic) higher than daytime ambulatory or automated readings in patients…

As-Needed Budesonide/Formoterol Similar to Maintenance Budesonide Plus SABA in Patients with Mild Asthma

Mark H. Ebell

In these patients with mild asthma (more than one-half used a short-acting beta-agonist [SABA] such as albuterol two or fewer times per week), as-needed use of a combined budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort) inhaler was as effective at preventing exacerbations as daily maintenance…

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection Not Beneficial for Nonoperative Treatment of Rotator Cuff Disease

David C. Slawson

The review found no evidence that supports any additional benefit of platelet-rich plasma injections compared with various control interventions, including saline placebo, in the non-operative treatment of rotator cuff disease in adults.

Early Cardioversion No Better Than Delayed Cardioversion for Recent-Onset Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation

Nita Shrikant Kulkarni

For patients presenting to the emergency department with recent-onset symptomatic atrial fibrillation, early cardioversion is no better than delayed cardioversion in achieving sinus rhythm within four weeks.

Practice Guidelines

Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia: A Practice Bulletin from ACOG

Lisa Croke

Globally, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are one of the main causes of maternal death. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has released a practice bulletin to outline diagnosis and treatment recommendations for these conditions.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection: Recommendation Statement

The USPSTF recommends that clinicians offer preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with effective antiretroviral therapy to persons who are at high risk of HIV acquisition.

Screening for HIV Infection: Recommendation Statement

The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen for HIV infection in adolescents and adults aged 15 to 65 years. Younger adolescents and older adults who are at increased risk of infection should also be screened.

Letters to the Editor

Potential Drug Interactions in Patients Taking Oral Contraceptive Pills

Carolynn Tsabai

Reply: Mary Carpenter, Holly Berry, Allen L. Pelletier

Electronic Cigarettes: More Questions Than Answers

Michael Baca-Atlas, Anne Mounsey, Adam O. Goldstein

Letter

Information from Your Family Doctor

Depression in Children and Teens

Depression is an illness that can make your child feel sad or hopeless. Children with depression may seem less confident or lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may have trouble focusing or seem grouchy, angry, or worried. They may not want to go to school. Their…

CME Course Information

Evidence-based Medicine Toolkit

Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy

Advertising: Career Opportunities (PDF download)

Disclosures

All editors in a position to control content for this activity, AFP journal, are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships. View disclosures.

Copyright © 2026 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP. See permissions for copyright questions and/or permission requests.