Cutaneous Melanoma: Update on Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment

ERIKA L. RAGER, EDWARD P. BRIDGEFORD, DAVID W. OLLILA

Survival is influenced strongly by the stage at diagnosis, making selective screeningfor melanoma important, especially in persons with more than one risk factor.The best evidence supports preventing intermittent sunburn in childhood andpracticing sun avoidance. Patients with...

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

DANIEL J. WATTENDORF, MAXIMILIAN MUENKE

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are caused by the effects of maternalalcohol consumption during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a specific,clinically identifiable disorder characterized by a pattern of minor facial anomalies,prenatal and postnatal growth retardation,...

Foreign Body Ingestion in Children

MONTE C. UYEMURA

Physicians must be alert for a variety of symptoms of foreign body ingestion.Many ingested foreign bodies pass spontaneously, but serious complications,such as bowel perforation and obstruction, can occur.

Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

DANIEL L. DEPIETROPAOLO, JOHN H. POWERS, JAMES M. GILL, ANDREW J. FOY

The use of serologic testing in the diagnosis of Lyme disease varies dependingon the stage and the probability of Lyme disease based on endemicity and clinicalfindings.

Timely Information in This Issue

JOYCE A. MERRIMAN

Summer is a good time to remind patients of the dangers of overexposure to the sun. As you know, skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the United States, and many Americans do not take the necessary precautions. Although melanoma is a relatively small subset of all...

Newsletter

CARRIE MORANTZ

AMA, AAFP Act to Protect Patients’ Access to Prescriptions | AHRQ Releases Updated <i>Guide to Clinical Preventive Services</i> | HHS Awards $80.5 Million in Grants to Reduce Infant Mortality Rates | Residents Say Duty-Hour Limit Improves Patient Care, Reduces Errors | CMS...

Quantum Sufficit

AMBER HUNTZINGER, LAURA COUGHLIN

Could asking teens to pledge sexual abstinence do more harm than good? Research shows that teens who pledge abstinence are just as likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as those who don’t. Authors of a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health...

Reducing the Risk of SIDS Through Community Partnerships

DUANE ALEXANDER

Ten years ago, a coalition of public and private organizations initiated a public education campaign to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The “Back to Sleep” campaign encouraged parents and caregivers to place infants on their backs to sleep to reduce...

Physician Workforce: The Special Case of Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps

Federally funded health centers and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) depend on family physicians (FPs) and general practitioners (GPs) to meet the needs of millions of medically underserved people. Policy makers and workforce planners should consider how changes in...

Diary from a Week in Practice

PAUL GROSS

How do medical errors happen? In a crowded emergency department, I quickly tell an intern about a patient: “Miguel is a 45-year-old man with debilitating coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. I sent him here this morning because his wife is leaving him and now...

Hormone Therapy for the Prevention of Chronic Conditions in Postmenopausal Women: Recommendation Statement

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on hormone therapy for the prevention of chronic conditions in post-menopausal women and the supporting scientific evidence and updates the Task Force’s 2002 recommendations on hormone...

Inflammatory Lesions on Every Finger

RAMEY WILSON, ALEX G. TRUESDELL, TODD C. VILLINES

A 25-year-old man presented with aching, swollen, scarlet lesions on the tips of all 10 fingers (Figure 1) following a three-day prodrome of worsening sharp pain in his thumbs, little fingers, and lips. His temperature was 38.2°C (100.8°F), and he was unable to fully extend...

Colesevelam (WelChol) for Reduction of LDL Cholesterol

LEE RADOSH

Colesevelam (WelChol) is a nonabsorbed binder of bile acids in the intestine, and thereby impedes the reabsorption of this source of endogenously produced cholesterol. It can be used alone or in combination with a statin for the reduction of elevated low-density lipoprotein ...

Treating Partners Immediately Reduces Recurrence of STDs

MARK EBELL

Specific Exercises Prevent Sports Injuries in Young Athletes

ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

Bed Rest Is Bad for Back Pain, Ineffective for Sciatica

HENRY BARRY

Chondroitin in Patients with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis

HENRY BARRY

Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs. Pharmacotherapy for Insomnia

KARL E. MILLER

Exercise-Based Treatment for Chronic Dizziness

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Efficacy of Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Mammalian Bites

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Bariatric Surgery Resolves Comorbid Conditions

CAROLINE WELLBERY

CDC Releases Guidelines for Improving Vaccination Rates Among High-Risk Adults

AMBER HUNTZINGER

The Task Force on Community Preventive Services of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an evidence-based review of interventions to improve influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, and hepatitis B vaccination coverage among high-risk adults younger...

AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents

LAURA COUGHLIN, AMBER HUNTZINGER

AAP Releases Report on Excessive Sleepiness in Adolescents

CDC Issues Statistics on Percentage of U.S. Population Lacking Health Insurance

LAURA COUGHLIN, AMBER HUNTZINGER

CDC Issues Statistics on Percentage of U.S. Population Lacking Health Insurance

MRI for Confirmation of Suspected Scaphoid Fracture

Case Report: Drug Interactions Between Statins and Azole Antifungals

Brandon Wills, Trevonne Thompson, Steve Aks

Case Report: Parotid Enlargement as a Presentation of HIV Infection

ROBERT CARDARELLI

Systematic Reviews Provide More Accurate Assessments

KENNETH S. FINK

What to Do If Your Child Swallows Something

Children can swallow small objects in an instant. Usually, the object will pass through the gut without causing any problems. Sometimes things get stuck and cause serious problems.

Lyme Disease: What You Should Know

Lyme disease is an infection caused by bacteria (germs). The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are carried by deer ticks and western blacklegged ticks. The disease can be passed to animals and people through tick bites. These ticks are about the size of a sesame seed.