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.

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

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

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,...

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

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...

Does Long-Term Anticoagulation Improve Function After Stroke?

DAN BREWER

A 70-year-old man with normal sinus rhythm had a thrombotic stroke that resulted in weakness in his non-dominant hand and leg.

Helicobacter pylori Infection

BRENDAN C. DELANEY, PAUL MOAYYEDI, DAVID FORMAN

Helicobacter pylori eradication for healing and preventing recurrence of duodenal ulcer. Systematic reviews and one subsequent randomized controlled trial (RCT) have found that H. pylori eradication versus acid suppression or antisecretory treatment increases the proportion...

Generalized Pruritus Without Relief

RAHUL GUPTA, SEEMA GUPTA

A nine-year-old girl presents with a three-month history of severe persistent itching and skin lesions throughout most of her body. Physical examination revealed numerous 15 to 20 mm papulonodular lesions over all the extremities and trunk with some confluence (see...

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

AAP Issues Screening Recommendations to Identify Hearing Loss in Children

Jennifer S. Bush

Failure to detect children with congenital or acquired hearing loss may result in lifelong deficits in speech and language acquisition, poor academic performance, personal-social maladjustment, and emotional difficulties. Physicians need to be able to recognize children who...

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

Emergency Response

ROBERT DACHS

While driving home from work one evening, I saw the car ahead of me cross the median strip and crash into an oncoming car. Luckily, traffic was light, and I was able to stop safely. Using my cell phone, I immediately dialed 9-1-1 and approached the wreckage. The driver had...

Possible Dangerous Interaction of Oxycontin and Carisoprodol

ROY R. REEVES, JAMES E. MACK

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...