Controlling Hypertension in Patients with Diabetes

SHERRI L. KONZEM, VICTORIA S. DEVORE, DAVID W. BAUER

Patients with diabetes are twice as likely as persons in the general population to have hypertension. Most patients with concomitant diabetes and hypertension require more than one agent to attain adequate blood pressure control to help prevent diabetic complications.

Prevention of Iron Deficiency in Infants and Toddlers

LOUIS A. KAZAL, JR.

Clinicians caring for infants and toddlers should focus on the primary prevention of iron deficiency and be aware of the risk factors and screening techniques for iron deficiency.

Adverse Reactions to Contrast Material: Recognition, Prevention, and Treatment

THOMAS G. MADDOX

Adverse reactions to contrast agents range from itching to life-threatening emergencies. Awareness of the different types of adverse reactions allows for early recognition and prompt treatment.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

SUBHASH C. BHATIA, SHASHI K. BHATIA

Patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, often respond to treatment with antidepressants and lifestyle changes.

Electrosurgery for the Skin

BARRY L. HAINER, RICHARD B. USATINE

The purposes of electrosurgery are to destroy benign and malignant lesions, control bleeding, and cut or excise tissue. Electrosurgery is simple to perform and master.

Vulvar Cancer

TIMOTHY P. CANAVAN, DONNA COHEN

Early detection and biopsy of any abnormal vulvar lesions are imperative to diagnosing vulvar cancer in the early stages and improving morbidity and mortality.

Cancer Screening Article by Thomas J. Gates, M.D., Wins AFP Kemp Award

Janis Wright

Among the top articles published in AFP last year were those nominated for the Kemp Award, which the AAFP has presented each year in recognition of the most outstanding AFP article written by family physicians. Articles are judged on the basis of quality of editorial...

Newsletter

Matthew Neff

Getting HIPAA Deadline Extension Is Easy, but Deadline Is Oct. 15 | Congress to Decide Title VII Budget for Fiscal Year 2003 | Survey Results Demonstrate Need for Response Training to Bioterrorism | HRSA Awards $49.7 Million in Health Profession Grants

Quantum Sufficit

Sarah Evans, Katie Gigax, Heather McNeill

Boring, they're not. But are school-based sex education programs helping teenagers? In a randomized trial of 8,430 adolescents published in BMJ, researchers compared a teacher-delivered sex education program that focused on active learning and skills development with standard...

Hypertension and Diabetes: Family Physicians' Pivotal Role

GEORGE L. BAKRIS

In the United States, diabetes is the most common cause of both blindness and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. Diabetes is responsible for almost one half of the approximately 326,000 persons currently receiving dialysis, with an annual Medicare cost of more than ...

Diary from a Week in Practice

The painful lesion on his foot brought a homeless man to the mobile clinic. After walking 55 miles from Columbus to Dayton one week earlier, the patient naturally developed sore feet. But the pain was now barely tolerable. The skin over the ball of the foot was callused and...

Caregiver Support for Women During Childbirth: Does the Presence of a Labor-Support Person Affect Maternal-Child Outcomes?

JULIE SCOTT TAYLOR

A 23-year-old gravida 1, para 0 woman who is 32 weeks pregnant is being followed for uncomplicated prenatal care. At her next routine visit, you intend to discuss her labor plans, including who will be with her during labor and delivery.

Obesity

DAVID ARTERBURN

What are the effects of drug treatments for obesity in adults?

Red Knuckles

SYLVIA HSU, MARIAN E. NORTHINGTON

A 45-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of erythematous patches on her hands, chest, and upper back. She recently began having difficulty lifting her arms to brush her hair and climbing stairs.

Reliability of Prostate Disease Nutritional Supplements

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Evaluation and Management of Male Infertility

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Intervention Can Improve Baby's Sleep, Mother's Mood

ANNE D. WALLING

Intervention Can Improve Baby's Sleep, Mother's Mood

ANNE D. WALLING

Urinary Incontinence: Try Behavior Therapy First

ANNE D. WALLING

Supportive Care Important with Recurrent Miscarriage

ANNE D. WALLING

Metered-Dose Inhalers vs. Nebulizers in Treating Asthma

KARL E. MILLER

Preventing Risky Sexual Behaviors in Adolescents

KARL E. MILLER

Control of Polycystic Kidney Disease: An Overview

ANNE D. WALLING

Menstrual Cycle Influences Surgery-Related Blood Loss

ANNE D. WALLING

Is Herbal Therapy Safe in Cardiovascular Disease?

KARL E. MILLER

Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Small Bowel Obstruction

ANNE D. WALLING

Hair Apposition: Use of Tissue Glue vs. Standard Sutures

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Women's Regret After Sterilization Procedures

ANNE D. WALLING

Treating Toenail Onychomycosis with Oral Medications

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Anastrozole vs. Tamoxifen for Treating Breast Cancer

ANNE D. WALLING

Evaluating Lower Back Pain: An Imaging Strategy

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Children

Barrett M. Schroeder

A subcommittee for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently developed an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children. This guideline was published in the April 2002 issue of Pediatrics.

Clinical Briefs

Carrie Morantz, Brian Torrey

ACOG Cervical Cancer Guidelines | CDC Update on AIDS | USPSTF Osteoporosis Screening Recommendations

Sexually Transmitted Disease: A Private Matter?

JAYNE D. RIVAS, DANIEL P. SULMASY

One of my patients, a well-respected citizen in our small community, came to see me with a complaint of hematuria. My partner had recently treated him on an urgent basis for prostatitis, but the patient's symptoms had persisted in spite of antibiotic treatment. Now fearful...

An Overlooked Cause of Amenorrhea and Infertility

Doyle Coleman

Breastfeeding Should Be Suppored as the 'Norm'

‘Bad News’ May Predispose Patients’ Attitudes

ROBERT W. MATTHIES

Figure Is Inaccurate Depiction of Procedure

RICHARD D. THRASHER

Self-Referred Screening CT Scans in an Unselected Population

ALLEN L. PELLETIER, ANGELA P. POTTER

How to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Toddlers

Anemia means having fewer or smaller red blood cells than normal. Iron is a key part of hemoglobin, which is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs out to the rest of the body. Children can get iron deficiency anemia when there is not enough iron in...

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

PMDD is a severe form of a common problem called premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. About 75 percent of women of childbearing age have some PMS problems. About 2 to 10 percent of women in this age group have PMDD.

Vulvar Cancer

The vulva is the skin and fatty tissue between the upper thighs of women, from the area of the anus to about an inch below the pubic hairline. Cancer of the vulva most often affects the two skin folds (or lips) around the vagina, known as the labia.

Mental Health: Keeping Your Emotional Health

People with good emotional health are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. They can keep problems in perspective.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is ongoing, excessive worry or fear that is not related to a particular event or situation. It is out of proportion to what you would expect. For instance, a parent who has GAD may constantly worry about a child who is perfectly healthy.

Panic Disorder: Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia

Panic disorder is a common condition in which a person has episodes of intense fear or anxiety that occur suddenly (often without warning). These episodes—called panic attacks—can last from minutes to hours. They may occur only once in a while, or they may occur frequently....