Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

ANTHONY J. VIERA

Effective treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome include wrist splinting, oral corticosteroid therapy, local corticosteroid injection, and carpal tunnel release surgery.

Diagnosis and Management of Syphilis

DAVID L. BROWN, JENNIFER E. FRANK

Diagnostic techniques and treatments depend on the stage of the disease. Neurosyphilis can develop in any stage ofTreponema pallidum infection.

Vaccinations in Pregnancy

DENISE K. SUR, DAVID H. WALLIS, THEODORE X. O'CONNELL

Misconceptions about the safety of current vaccine use during pregnancy often cause physicians to hesitate to administer them and patients to accept them. Despite these misconceptions, family physicians are in a good position to implement appropriate guidelines for...

Necrotizing (Malignant) External Otitis

OPHIR HANDZEL, DORON HALPERIN

Necrotizing external otitis, a relatively rare complication of external otitis, occurs primarily in immunocompromised persons, especially older persons with diabetes mellitus. Treatment includes correction of immunosuppression (when possible), local treatment of the auditory...

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections: A Primary Care Review

ADRIENNE J. HEADLEY

Necrotizing soft tissue infections must be detected and treated rapidly to prevent loss of limb or a fatal outcome. Antibiotic therapy is important, but controlled surgical debridement of necrotic and diseased tissues remains the cornerstone of treatment.

AFP Online: Looking Back and Moving Ahead

Janis Wright

ILLUSTRATION BY FLOYD E. HOSMEROur most recent research shows that half of AFP's readers may not know that they have full access to the journal online. They may not know that it's available at a price that can't be beat—it's still free of charge. AFP online is such a good...

Quantum Sufficit

Sarah Evans, Heather McNeill, Shab Vakil

Toilet training can take longer if a child is not ready. A study published in Pediatricscompared the length of intensive toilet training (directing the child to use the toilet more than three times a day) in 378 children in a suburban private pediatric practice. Parents were...

Newsletter

Matthew Neff

CDC Web Page Provides Up-To-Date Information on Monkeypox | HHS Streamlines FDA Regulations for Generic Drug Approvals | AHRQ Releases Men's Health Brochure for Screening Tests and Staying Healthy | Coalition Announces Agenda for Addressing the Issue of Low Health Literacy |...

JNC 7 Express: New Thinking in Hypertension Treatment

LEE GREEN

In May 2003, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Seventh Joint National Committee on High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) released its recommendations for the most current diagnosis and management of hypertension.1In both its process and its aim, this iteration of the time...

Diary from a Week in Practice

This morning I arrive early to orient two third-year medical students about to start their family medicine clerkship. Today’s students are the kind I like best—nervously eager, attentive, and thoughtful. One is leaning toward pediatrics, and the other, adolescent medicine. “I...

Should We Offer Routine Breast Cancer Screening with Mammography?

SEAN P. DAVID

While there is good evidence that mammography starting at age 50 reduces breast cancer mortality, this meta-analysis does not provide evidence of a mortality benefit for mammography screening in women aged 40 to 49. Controversy exists over whether to include in the analysis...

Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Recommendation and Rationale

This statement summarizes the current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for gestational diabetes and the supporting scientific evidence. It updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, second...

Vitamin D Prevents Fractures

ALLEN SHAUGHNESSY

Not All Types of Fish Prevent Heart Disease

MARK EBELL

Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists vs. Steroids

ALLEN SHAUGHNESSY

Short-Interval Follow-up Mammography Is Low Yield

HENRY BARRY

Depression in Older Women with Urinary Incontinence

ANNE D. WALLING

Update on Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma

ANNE D. WALLING

Risks of Outpatient Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

ANNE D. WALLING

Nebulizers vs. Metered-Dose Inhalers for Wheezing Infants

KARL E. MILLER

GBS Strains Are Increasingly Resistant to Antibiotics

ANNE D. WALLING

Amiodarone for Cardioversion on Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation

KARL E. MILLER

Surgery for the Treatment of Chronic Seizures

CHUCK CARTER

Unnecessary Prescriptions for Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics

CAROLINE WELLBERY

Repetitive Behaviors: a Clue to Early Dementia

CAROLINE WELLBERY

Statins Limit Subclinical Progression of Atherosclerosis

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Diagnosing Chronic Testicular Pain

ANNE D. WALLING

NHLBI Releases New High Blood Pressure Guidelines

Genevieve W. Ressel

New guidelines for the prevention and management of hypertension are available from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). According to the NHLBI, hypertension affects about 50 million persons in the United States.

Clinical Briefs

Carrie Morantz, Brian Torrey

Recommendations on Screening for Chlamydia | Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Shortage Resolved | Toxic Substance Fact Sheets Available Online | Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk in Children

Sexual History Taking Should Be Taught in Medical School

YOLANDA WIMBERLY, SANDRA MOORE

Should Pelvic Examination Be Continued After Hysterectomy?

Diagnostic Testing for HIV Infection

JEFFREY T. KIRCHNER

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve. This is a nerve that goes through your wrist (see the picture below). The median nerve can become pinched at the carpal tunnel, which is a small canal, or space, near the base of the palm of your hand. In this...

Syphilis

Syphilis (say: sif-ih-liss) is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium named Treponema pallidum. (say: Trep-oh-nee-mah pal-lih-dum). If syphilis is not treated, it can cause serious problems. The good news is that syphilis usually can be cured with...

Heart Failure

The term “heart failure” simply means that your heart is not pumping blood as well as it should. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped working or that you are having a heart attack.

Heart Attack: Warning Signs and Tips on Prevention

Heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) is the name we use when part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies because it is not getting enough oxygen. Oxygen is carried to the heart by the arteries (also called blood vessels). Most heart attacks are caused by a...

Heart Attack: Getting Back into Your Life After a Heart Attack

Most people can go back to work and the activities they enjoy within a few months of having a heart attack. Others may have to limit their activity if their heart muscle is too weak. The amount of activity you can do will be based on the condition of your heart. Your doctor...