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  • Articles

    End-of-Life Palliative Care: Role of the Family Physician

    Tamara L. McGregor, Jared Morphew, Heather Ann Dalton

    Treatment decisions at the end of life should reflect patient-centered goals and quality of life while considering overall prognosis and limiting adverse effects and treatment burden.

    Vaginitis: Diagnosis and Treatment

    Kamini Geer, Ann Klega

    Vaginitis is a common condition that results in 5 to 10 million office visits annually. The most common infectious causes are bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis. Noninfectious causes include atrophic, irritant, and inflammatory vaginitis.

    Disorders of Puberty: Common Questions and Answers

    Emily E. Brown, Corey D. Fogleman

    When assessing disorders of puberty, physicians should focus on clinical and family history, growth, and pubertal examination. Specialist evaluation by pediatric endocrinology is often indicated when examination results are not consistent with a benign variation of puberty.

    Acute Low Back Pain: Diagnosis and Management

    J. Scott Earwood, Nancy A. Doles, Raedeen S. Russell

    Acute low back pain is a common condition presenting to primary care physicians, with nonspecific back pain accounting for most instances; treatment for these instances is conservative. Patients with red flag symptoms require immediate attention.

    Iron Deficiency Anemia: Evaluation and Management

    Kelly Latimer, Genta Baci, Michael Layne

    Low socioeconomic status, female sex, age younger than 5 years, and chronic inflammation increase risk for iron deficiency anemia. A ferritin level of less than 45 ng/mL is diagnostic in adults without inflammation; a level less than 100 ng/mL is diagnostic in patients with...

    Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

    Alexander R. Kim, Kathleen P. Kim, Carlton J. Covey

    The most significant risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip, the most common joint condition in infants, are breech positioning in the third trimester and family history of hip dysplasia. Diagnosis is based on age-specific physical examination maneuvers and...

    Editorials

    Trauma-Informed Care: Evidence and Pragmatic Approaches

    Viann N. Nguyen-Feng, Kathryn Behrens, Mary Butler

    This editorial summarizes the evidence from the 2025 report Trauma Informed Care: A Systematic Review and propose pragmatic approaches for primary care clinicians.

    Inside AFP

    Coverage of Diabetes in AFP Since 1950

    Dean A. Seehusen, Barry D. Weiss, Aaron Saguil

    For 75 years, American Family Physician has provided readers with updates about innovations in diabetes care.

    Cochrane for Clinicians

    Reducing Early Childhood Caries Through Caregiver-Targeted Interventions

    Marco Cunicelli

    Providing dietary and feeding practice advice to mothers or other primary caregivers reduces the risk of early childhood caries in primary teeth by approximately 15% compared with standard care.

    Is Resistance Training an Effective Treatment for Fatigue in People With Cancer?

    Harrison Eckert, Jacob Ioannis Valvis, Jeffrey C. Leggit

    Studies of up to 12 weeks’ duration show that resistance training during cancer treatment decreases cancer-related fatigue compared with no training. It is unclear if this training improves quality of life, and there is insufficient evidence to determine whether there are...

    Sponsored Content

    Opioid Overdose: What Every Family Physician Needs to Know

    Lee Radosh

    Sponsored Content: Opioid Overdose: What Every Family Physician Needs to Know

    Curbside Consultation

    Digital Dependency: Tips for Diagnosis, Screening, and Management of Gaming Disorders

    Edmund Shi

    Unrestricted gaming and screen time can lead to dependence and unhealthy behaviors. Research endorses a multidisciplinary, integrative approach that focuses on behavior screening and preventing the adverse effects of excessive gaming.

    FPIN's Clinical Inquiries

    Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

    Jason W. Deck, Andrew Young, Emrys Moreau

    Intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections delay total knee arthroscopy (TKA) by up to 299 days, with multiple courses delaying surgery up to 59 months. Approximately 84% of patients receiving these injections do not undergo TKA within 2 years.

    Photo Quiz

    Pruritic Rash Exacerbated by Steroid Cream

    Mike Ballas

    A 58-year-old man presented with a pruritic rash on his forearm that had been present for 3 months.

    Progressive Skin Discoloration

    Mark Luff, Erin Wofford, Ben Stillman

    A 71-year-old man presented with progressive black discoloration on both feet.

    STEPS

    Perfluorohexyloctane Ophthalmic Solution (Miebo) for Dry Eye

    Stefanie C. Nigro, Timothy Lishnak

    Perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution provides rapid symptom relief from dry eye and appears to be well tolerated in clinical studies, but its practical value may be limited. A complicated, four-times-daily dosing schedule and high cost may hinder broader clinical adoption.

    POEMs

    Acute Pain Management in Children: NSAIDs Offer Best Balance of Benefits and Harms

    Henry Barry

    Colonoscopy and FIT Similar at Population Level; Colonoscopy May Be Better at Individual Level

    Mark H. Ebell

    Practice Guideline: Do Not Use Injections or Radiofrequency to Treat Chronic Cervical Spine or Low Back Pain

    Allen F. Shaughnessy

    Amiloride Is Noninferior to Spironolactone for Resistant Hypertension

    David Slawson

    Practice Guidelines

    Management of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: Guidelines From the ACC/AHA

    Michael Arnold

    The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have released guidelines for the management of PAD.

    Acne Management: Guidelines From the American Academy of Dermatology

    Michelle Nelson

    The American Academy of Dermatology released updated guidelines for the management of acne.

    Letters to the Editor

    Antipsychotics for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

    Abbas Alameddine

    Reply: Afi M. Semenya; Prakhya Bhatnagar

    Strengthening Travel Vaccination Guidance

    Ranit Mishori

    Corrections

    Correction

    Incorrect Vitamin D levels. In the article “Routine Vitamin D Testing: Unnecessary and Ineffective” (Lown Right Care: Reducing Overuse and Underuse, September 2024, p. 302), Vitamin D levels were incorrectly stated in the Case Scenario, Clinical Commentary, and Conclusions...



    Disclosure

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


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