• Articles

    Acute Abdominal Pain in Children

    ALEXANDER K.C. LEUNG, DAVID L. SIGALET

    Although many cases of acute abdominal pain in children are benign, some causes require rapid diagnosis and treatment to minimize morbidity.

    The Basic Z-Plasty

    GOHAR A. SALAM, JANKI P. AMIN

    Z-plasty is a plastic surgery technique used to improve the functional and cosmetic appearance of scars. Keeping the length and angle of each flap precisely the same is key to obtaining proper closure after transposition.

    Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs in Patients with Dementia

    CHARLES D. MOTSINGER, GREGORY A. PERRON, TIMOTHY J. LACY

    Increasingly, atypical antipsychotic drugs are prescribed for elderly patients with symptoms of psychosis and behavioral disturbances. These symptoms often occur in patients with Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, or Parkinson's disease. As the average age of Americans...

    Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: Clinical Utility in the Family Practice Setting

    ROD J. MARCHIANDO, MICHAEL P. ELSTON

    Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may be particularly helpful in patients with borderline hypertension, white coat hypertension, apparent drug resistance, hypotensive symptoms from medications or autonomic dysfunction, and episodic hypertension.

    Inside AFP

    Looking for Certain Patient Information Topics?

    Janis Wright

    For over 10 years now, AFP has published health information for you to photocopy and hand out to your patients. Most of these patient information handouts accompany the clinical review articles of AFP and are written by the same authors. Authors are given guidelines to help...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    Matthew Neff

    Report Shows Americans Support Limits on Medical Malpractice Awards | AAFP Supports Five Medical Reform Bills Currently in the House, Senate | Family Physicians Should Be Recognized as Mental Health Care Providers | AAFP Recommends UpToDate Web Site, Offers Free Trial to...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    Sarah Evans, Heather McNeill

    The developing brain may be more resilient than previously was thought, shows a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study published in JAMA. Follow-up data were obtained on 296 infants born weighing 600 to 1,250 g (1 lb, 5 oz to 2 lb, 12 oz) and evaluated at 36, 54,...

    Editorials

    Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: Technology with a Purpose

    MICHAEL E. ERNST, GEORGE R. BERGUS

    Hypertension and its sequelae are responsible for many visits to family physicians. Office-based measurement of blood pressure using aneroid or mercury sphygmomanometry is central to such visits. In this issue of American Family Physician, Marchiando and Elston1 review a...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    This week, JOH, along with two other physicians and a pediatric nurse practitioner, traveled to Palenque, Mexico, to provide medical care to the people of that area. The trip was sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Stella Niagara, who have a convent in Palenque. The first...

    Cochrane for Clinicians

    Does Long-Term Anticoagulation Improve Function After Stroke?

    DAN BREWER

    There is no evidence that anticoagulation with either heparin or warfarin improves these outcomes. There is clear evidence of increased hemorrhagic complications (both fatal and nonfatal) in patients who receive anticoagulation.

    Clinical Evidence Handbook

    Helicobacter pylori Infection

    BRENDAN C. DELANEY, PAUL MOAYYEDI, DAVID FORMAN

    What are the effects of treatments?

    Photo Quiz

    Generalized Pruritus Without Relief

    RAHUL GUPTA, SEEMA GUPTA

    Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

    POEMs and Tips

    History Can Rule Out Dehydration in Children

    ALLEN SHAUGHNESSY

    Zinc Nasal Gel Reduces Duration of Common Cold

    MARK EBELL

    TCAs vs. Opioids for Postherpetic Neuralgia

    MARK EBELL

    White Blood Cell Count Does Not Predict Meningitis

    ALLEN SHAUGHNESSY

    Treatment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in PAD

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Misconceptions About Cause of Colds and Health Service Use

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Emergency Departments

    BILL ZEPF

    Extra-Fine Aerosolized Beclomethasone in Asthma

    KARL E. MILLER

    Natural History of Late-Onset Idiopathic Scoliosis

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Analysis: Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Stroke Risk

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Sleep Patterns in Infants, Children, and Adolescents

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Does Therapeutic Massage Effectively Relieve Stress?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Who Benefits from Surgery for Carotid Artery Stenosis?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Does Tamoxifen Prevent Breast Cancer?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Effect of nCPAP on Blood Pressure in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    SUMI M. SEXTON

    Ceftriaxone vs. Cefotaxime in Abdominal Surgery

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Practice Guidelines

    AAP Issues Screening Recommendations to Identify Hearing Loss in Children

    Jennifer S. Bush

    The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released screening recommendations for assessing hearing loss in children of all ages. Failure to detect children with congenital or acquired hearing loss may result in lifelong deficits in speech and language acquisition, poor...

    Clinical Briefs

    Clinical Briefs

    Carrie Morantz

    AAP Guidelines on Rickets and Vitamin D Supplementation | AHRQ Report on Neonatal Jaundice | AAP Statement on Radiation Disasters and Children | AHRQ Report on Health Insurance Coverage | FDA Advisory

    Curbside Consultation

    Emergency Response

    ROBERT DACHS

    Family physicians who encounter an unexpected medical emergency face a myriad of ethical, legal, and competency issues.

    Letters to the Editor

    Possible Dangerous Interaction of Oxycontin and Carisoprodol

    ROY R. REEVES, JAMES E. MACK

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Using an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor

    Blood pressure is the force, or pressure, that pushes blood through the blood vessels in your body. In some people, it takes a lot of force. These people have what is called high blood pressure. Another word for it is hypertension.

    Endometrial Cancer

    Cancer of the lining of the uterus (or womb) is called endometrial cancer. The most common sign of endometrial cancer is unusual bleeding from your vagina, especially bleeding after you have already gone through menopause.

    Pap Smears: When Yours Is Slightly Abnormal

    A Pap smear allows your doctor to look at cells from your cervix to see if there are any problems. Your Pap smear has shown one or more of the following changes. Ask your doctor which of these changes you have.

    Ovarian Cyst

    An ovarian cyst (say: sist) is a fluid-filled sac in the ovary. Many cysts are completely normal. These are called functional cysts. They occur as a result of ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). Functional cysts normally shrink over time, usually in about one to...



    Disclosure

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


    Tag Legend

    Legend

    CME Continuing Medical Education Credit
    POC Point-of-Care Resource
    FREE Free Access
    Alg Algorithm
    DDx Differential Diagnosis
    PtEd Patient Education