Articles
Wheezing in Children
Up to 50% of children experience recurrent episodes of wheezing by age 5 years. The differential diagnosis varies depending on age of onset. Chest radiography is the recommended initial imaging study for those who have recurrent episodes without a clear etiology.
Cervical Cancer Screening
The American Cancer Society and US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) endorse three strategies for cervical cancer screening: cytology alone, cotesting, and primary HPV screening; primary HPV screening is preferred in current guidelines and the USPSTF draft recommendation.
Infective Endocarditis: Diagnosis and Treatment
Endocarditis should be considered in any patient with fever or sepsis of unknown origin. Empiric intravenous antimicrobial therapy, infectious source control, and expert consultation are mainstays of initial treatment.
Evaluation of Neck Masses in Adults
Neck masses in adults are mostly benign, but malignancy must be considered. Accurate and timely diagnosis of malignant masses is based on acuity (ie, acute [eg, infection], subacute [eg, malignancy], and chronic [eg, congenital, thyroid]), history, physical examination, and…
Cardiomyopathy: A Guide for Primary Care
This review focuses on nonischemic cardiomyopathies, covering classification, evaluation, management strategies, and guideline updates. Key topics include hypertrophic, arrhythmogenic, dilated, restrictive, peripartum, and takotsubo cardiomyopathies, with recommendations for…
Impetigo: Rapid Evidence Review
The diagnosis of impetigo is based primarily on clinical examination and should be suspected in patients with erythematous papules that progress to ruptured vesicles or bullae over 4 to 6 days. Topical mupirocin 2% ointment is first-line treatment for mild, nonbullous and…
Editorials
Menopause Management: When Hormone Therapy Is Appropriate
Given the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, clinicians must be familiar with evidence-based treatment options, including hormone therapy in appropriate patients.
Long-Term Use of Obesity Management Medications: Challenges and Discontinuation Strategies
Family physicians play a critical role in guiding patients through the complexities of injectable weight loss medication use and discontinuation.
Medicine by the Numbers
PPIs for Prevention of NSAID-Induced Gastric or Duodenal Ulcers and Dyspepsia
A color recommendation of green (benefits outweigh harms) is assigned for the use of proton pump inhibitors for gastrointestinal protection in patients taking long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
AFP Clinical Answers
Alzheimer Disease, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Pyogenic Granulomas, Depression in Heart Disease, Urinary Tract Infections
Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal’s content, written by and for family physicians.
Cochrane for Clinicians
DASH Diet for the Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases
The DASH diet does not appear to reduce the rates of cardiovascular events (ie, MI, stroke, or all-cause mortality) over 4 to 18 months of follow-up compared with usual care or minimal dietary.
Nonpharmacologic and Nonsurgical Treatment of Low Back Pain in Adults
Patients with nonspecific, acute low back pain lasting less than 6 weeks should be advised to stay active; continued activity improves pain intensity and function more than rest. Spinal manipulation does not improve short-term function compared with placebo. In patients with…
Diary of a Family Physician
Diary of a Family Physician
First-person accounts from the front lines of family medicine.
FPIN's Clinical Inquiries
Target LDL-C Level or Fixed-Dose Treatment for ASCVD
In patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, evidence supports dosing oral cholesterol-lowering medications to achieve a specific low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target, ideally less than 70 mg/dL (1.81 mmol/L), rather than treatment based solely on…
Photo Quiz
Hand Injury in a Pickleball Player
An active 81-year-old woman was evaluated 3 days after injuring her right hand.
Infant With an Asymmetrical Smile
A 4-month-old infant presented with an asymmetrical smile.
POEMs
Practice Guidelines
Management of Tinnitus: Guidelines From the VA/DoD
The US Department of Veterans Affairs and US Department of Defense (VA/DoD) published guidelines on the management of tinnitus in patients with bothersome tinnitus with or without hearing difficulty.
Acute Migraine Treatment: Guidelines From the International Headache Society
The International Headache Society (IHS) published guidelines for acute migraine medical treatment.
Letters to the Editor
Surgery vs Corticosteroid Injections for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Reply: Thomas M. Neubauer, Jason B. Alisangco
Case Report: Acute Infectious Mononucleosis Mimicking Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in an Adult
Letter to the Editor
Information from Your Family Doctor
Self-Collected Samples for Cervical Cancer Screening: What You Need to Know
The cervix is the lowest part of your uterus or womb where it joins the vagina. It allows for bleeding during your period and opens to let the baby out during birth. It is pink and the size of a coin. Cancer can develop in the cervix.
Corrections
Correction
Incorrect drug information. “Mastitis: Rapid Evidence Review” (August 2024, p. 174) incorrectly listed amoxicillin as a treatment for bacterial mastitis in Table 5. The online version of the article has been corrected.