Hyperthyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment

JERI R. REID, STEPHEN F. WHEELER

The proper treatment of hyperthyroidism depends on recognition of the signs and symptoms of the disease and determination of the etiology. Family physicians should be aware of the major causes of and treatments for hyperthyroidism.

Management of Gallstones

CHARLES F. BELLOWS, DAVID H. BERGER, RICHARD A. CRASS

Pain associated with gallstones typically is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. In most patients, gallstones can be treated expectantly.

Cutaneous Warts: An Evidence-Based Approach to Therapy

ROCKY BACELIERI, SANDRA MARCHESE JOHNSON

Although no single therapy has been shown to achieve complete remission, the two most common treatments for cutaneous warts are patient-applied salicylic acid and physician-administered cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen. A variety of second-line therapies are available.

Using Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin to Treat Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

RAYMOND P. WARD, MARCELO KUGELMAS

Chronic hepatitis C virus is a common blood-borne infection that may be treated with the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

Determining Prognosis for Patients with Terminal Cancer

MARK H. EBELL

What is the prognosis for a patient with terminal cancer?

AFP Welcomes Two Editorial Fellows to the Team

JOYCE A. MERRIMAN

The AFP team is pleased to welcome two editorial fellows for the 2005–2006 year. Lara Johnson, M.D., and Laurie MacDonald Crain, M.D., have accepted the John C. Rose medical editing fellowship. As of July 1, they joined the medical editors based at Georgetown University...

Newsletter

CARRIE MORANTZ

Latest Senate EHR Bill Combines and Replaces Previous Proposals | Agencies Collaborate to Help Patients Recover from Mental Illness | Study: Most Americans Do Not Think Obesity Risks Are Overestimated | NIAAA Issues New Guide for Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much |...

Quantum Sufficit

AMBER HUNTZINGER, LAURA COUGHLIN

Money isn’t the only reason that some older Americans don’t take their prescription drugs. Health Affairs published the results of a prescription drug survey given to 17,685 Medicare recipients. The cost of the drugs was the leading reason that prescriptions were not filled ...

Integrating Risk History Screening and HCV Testing into Clinical and Public Health Settings

MIRIAM J. ALTER

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects an estimated 3 million persons in the United States, most of them younger than 50 years.1 Most of these infections are asymptomatic until advanced liver disease develops. HCV infection is one of the leading causes of chronic...

Screening for HCV Infection: Understanding the USPSTF Recommendation

GURVANEET S. RANDHAWA, NED CALONGE

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a nonfederal, independent panel of scientists with notable experience in primary care and evidence-based medicine, is convened and supported by the Agency for Health-care Research and Quality and charged by Congress to develop...

Osteopathic Physicians and the Family Medicine Workforce

Historically, osteopathic physicians have made an important contribution to the primary care workforce. More than one half of osteopathic physicians are primary care physicians, and most of these are family physicians. However, the proportion of osteopathic students choosing...

From a Week in Practice

KATHY SOCH

My first patient today wanted to talk about his wife’s health rather than his own. “My wife has seen three doctors this year for her arthritis, and not one of them has counseled her about how important it is to her health for her to lose weight,” the patient complained. I...

Screening for Pancreatic Cancer: Recommendation Statement

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for pancreatic cancer and the supporting scientific evidence and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed.1 In 1996,...

Annular Lesions

FRANCIS X. HALL, DAVID W. BRAY

A 57-year-old man presented with a three-week history of a red, ring-like rash on the thighs, hips, and flexor surfaces of his arms (see accompanying figure). The lesions began as pinkish papules and expanded centrifugally. The center of the lesions began clearing and left an...

Olmesartan (Benicar) for Hypertension

KRISTINA E. WARD, ANNE L. HUME

Olmesartan (Benicar) is an angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ARB) labeled for the treatment of hypertension as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. Olmesartan blocks the binding of angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor, to angiotensin type 1(AT1...

Gabapentin Plus Morphine for the Treatment of Neuralgia

MARK EBELL

Vitamin E Supplementation May Increase Risk of Heart Failure

DAVID SLAWSON

Warfarin Increases Mortality in Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

MARK EBELL

Decrease in Aneurysm Deaths in Men with AAA Screening

ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

How Do PPIs Affect Patients with Bleeding Ulcers?

ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

PEG Tubes Worsen Quality of Life in Patients Who Have Had a Stroke

HENRY BARRY

Cost-Related Underuse of Medications

KARL E. MILLER

Do Calcium Antagonists Help Patients with Angina Pectoris?

ANNE D. WALLING

Is There a Better Model for Asthma Care?

KARL E. MILLER

Stress Patterns in Parents of Chronically Ill Children

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Endoscopy for Nonvariceal Upper-GI Bleeding

RICHARD SADOVSKY

Improving Advance Directive Completion Rates

CAROLINE WELLBERY

Patient-Choice Cesarean Delivery

LAWRENCE LEEMAN

A 34-year-old pregnant patient (gravida 2, para 0, at 28 weeks gestation) has asked one of my partners if she can schedule a cesarean delivery rather than go into labor. Because I am the family physician in my group who is privileged for cesarean deliveries, my partner has...

AHRQ Releases Evidence Report on Managing Menopause-Related Symptoms

AMBER HUNTZINGER

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the results of a systematic review on managing menopause-related symptoms. The full report, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 120, “Management of Menopause-Related Symptoms,” is available online at...

CDC Recommendations on Lead Poisoning in Refugee Children

CARRIE A. MORANTZ, LIZ SMITH

CDC Recommendations on Lead Poisoning in Refugee Children

Skin Conditions That Exhibit the Koebner Phenomenon

David L. Smith

Intrauterine Device: Acceptable Contraceptive Option

Alternative to Liquid Nitrogen for Freezing Skin Lesions

M. DEAN HAVRON, JR

Adapter Provides Constant Spray of Liquid Nitrogen

Treating Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism (say: hi-per-THI-royd-iz-um) is when you have an overactive thyroid. The thyroid is a gland in your neck (see the figure). It makes a hormone that helps your body’s metabolism (the way your body uses food and energy). An overactive thyroid can cause weight...

Correction