June 2023

The most common causes of acute abdominal pain are gastroenteritis and nonspecific abdominal pain. The location of pain, history, examination findings, and imaging in selected patients help guide the workup.

Growth faltering, previously known as failure to thrive, is usually caused by inadequate caloric intake. It can also be caused by inadequate absorption of nutrients and excessive use of energy. Growth faltering is identified using standardized growth charts and can often be…

Patients with suspected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should have the diagnosis confirmed with spirometry. Disease severity is based on spirometry results and symptoms. Treatment should be approached in stepwise fashion based on symptom severity.

Lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia affect 25% of American men, nearly half of whom have at least moderate symptoms. Evaluation focuses on determining severity of symptoms and stepwise therapy.

Infertility affects between 8% and 12% of couples of reproductive age worldwide. Causes of infertility are characterized as female factor, male factor, and unknown or unexplained. Early identification and referral are recommended.

Diagnostic testing can be performed in the outpatient setting, although extended cardiac monitoring may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Acute management includes vagal maneuvers or synchronized cardioversion and possibly medications. A long-term management plan should be…

This editorial introduces the Revista Médica AFP Podcast and new members of our editing team, highlights the top 20 AFP articles of 2022, provides an update on AFP’s statistics for print circulation and website visits, and thanks our peer reviewers.

In the United States, many couples with infertility have been unable to benefit from improvements in assisted reproductive technologies because of significant racial and socioeconomic disparities.

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

Analysis using national data demonstrates that, in 2020, integrated clinics existed across the United States; however, the areas with highest mental distress had lower integration and access.

Based on a high potential for bias, significant heterogeneity among trials, and limited generalizability, we have assigned a color recommendation of yellow (unclear benefits) to this review.

Antidepressants provide a 50% or greater pain reduction in patients with hip and knee OA compared with placebo. Antidepressants cause more adverse effects compared with placebo.

In patients with radicular low back pain, systemic corticosteroids increase the likelihood of improvement in function at short-term follow‐up. In adults with nonradicular low back pain, the use of systemic corticosteroids does not lead to a discernible effect on pain or function.

No trials have directly compared colonoscopy and sequential FIT. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force estimates that, over a lifetime, using colonoscopy compared with FIT may avert one additional death for every approximately 500 people screened starting at 50 years of age.

The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons. The USPSTF recommends against the use of estrogen alone for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal…

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

A man with well-controlled HIV infection presented with rectal pain preceded by diarrhea and rash. The rash consisted of salmon-colored macule and papules.

A 23-month-old infant presented with fever and lethargy, followed by a rash that began on her lower back, then spread to her arms, legs, and cheeks.

First-person accounts from the front lines of family medicine.

Is it possible to identify patients who are at low risk for severe disease from COVID-19 based on clinical examination alone or supplemented by laboratory testing?

The Guardant Health Shield blood test should not yet be ordered for colorectal cancer screening. More research is needed before comparing this test’s accuracy, benefits, and harms with other colon cancer screening methods used regularly in primary care.

A collaboration between AFP and the Lown Institute promotes a vision of delivering heath care that is based on the evidence, balanced in its approach, and focused on the patient.

Vuity is an effective drug used to treat age-related vision loss. Its easy administration and rare adverse effects may encourage use. However, the high cost of Vuity in comparison to other available treatment options may limit its availability for most patients.

POEMs

POEMs

POEMs

POEMs

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in infants born at more than 35 weeks of gestation.

Letters

Letters

Growth faltering is used to describe children who weigh a lot less or who are growing much more slowly than most others their age. It has also been called failure to thrive.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a lung disease that makes it hard for you to breathe. Over time, your lungs become irritated or damaged. Mucus may block airways. This makes it hard for air to get through. The air sacs in the lungs may become stiff and unable…

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, causes your prostate gland to get bigger. The prostate gland is an organ that is usually the size of a golf ball that makes semen and surrounds the urethra.

Infertility is not being able to get pregnant after 12 months of trying. It may be caused by medical problems in you, your partner, or both. About 25% of couples do not have a clear reason for their infertility. If you are 35 to 40 years old, ask your doctor for an evaluation…

Supraventricular tachycardia (SOO-prah-ven-TRIK-u-lar tak-eh-KAR-dee-ah), or SVT, is a condition that causes your heart to beat faster than it should. Bouts of SVT are often short.