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  • Articles

    The Homeless in America: Adapting Your Practice

    SUSAN LOUISA MONTAUK

    Patients who are homeless face a variety of obstacles when seeking health care. Educational tools and guidelines are available to help physicians recognize and overcome these obstacles to ensure they offer patient-centered care with few adherence barriers.

    Kawasaki Disease: Summary of the American Heart Association Guidelines

    ALEXANDRA F. FREEMAN, STANFORD T. SHULMAN

    Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children developed countries. Symptoms include fever, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy, and some children develop ischemic heart disease or sudden death.

    Preventive Health Counseling for Adolescents

    MARK B. STEPHENS

    Risk factors for adolescent morbidity and mortality include substance abuse, sexual activity, poor nutrition, and inadequate physical activity. Physicians should target the specific issues that impact this age group by providing age-specific guidance, screening, and...

    A Practical Guide to Crisis Management

    MICHAEL G. KAVAN, THOMAS P. GUCK, EUGENE J. BARONE

    Patients unable to cope with a critical incident can develop affective, behavioral, cognitive, or physical difficulties. Physicians can respond effectively by providing support, assessing the situation, ensuring the patient’s safety, and teaching coping strategies. Medication...

    Inside AFP

    Another Opportunity for Readers to Provide Feedback

    JOYCE A. MERRIMAN

    We look forward to meeting AFP readers each year at the AAFP Annual Scientific Assembly. At the Publications booth we conduct a survey to obtain feedback and suggestions for improving the journal. The survey below was distributed at the booth during the recent Assembly in...

    AAFP News Now: AFP Edition

    Newsletter

    LIZ SMITH

    Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    SHERRI DAMLO

    Broccoli has a cousin that’s “dyeing” to fight breast cancer. A study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture suggests that woad, a dye plant used by the ancient Celts to paint their faces before going to battle, may help fight breast cancer. Woad comes from the...

    Editorials

    Health Care for the Homeless in America

    BECHARA CHOUCAIR

    In this issue of American Family Physician, Montauk1 provides an excellent summary on the obstacles many persons who are homeless face when seeking health care, as well as the guidelines that are available to physicians to help them care for this population. Finding adequate...

    Graham Center Policy One-Pager

    Imperative Integration: Medical Care for Older Patients

    The ecology of medical care changes for older people, with increases in usage of residential and institutional care, emergency departments, and home care. Care integrated across multiple settings, as is proposed for new models of primary care, is essential for the care of...

    Cochrane for Clinicians

    Vaccines for Preventing Influenza in Healthy Children

    STEVEN E. ROSKOS

    Influenza vaccines have good efficacy (i.e., prevention of influenza) in children older than two years, and live, attenuated vaccine is more efficacious than trivalent, inactivated vaccine. Effectiveness (i.e., prevention of influenza-like illness, perhaps a clinically more...

    Cochrane Briefs

    CLARISSA KRIPKE

    Expectant Management vs. Surgical Treatment for Miscarriage

    Cochrane Briefs

    MARK H. EBELL

    Exercises for Mechanical Neck Disorders

    Clinical Evidence Handbook

    Hemorrhoids

    R. JUSTIN DAVIES

    What are the effects of treatments for hemorrhoidal disease?

    Photo Quiz

    Growing Plantar Lesion Following Trauma

    NIKHIL HEMADY

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

    POEMs

    Automated Device Equal to Manual Chest Compression

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Statin Use May Reduce the Risk of Cataracts

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Multidetector CT Accurate for Some Pulmonary Embolisms

    MARK EBELL

    Raloxifene and Tamoxifen Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Pneumonia: Three Days of Treatment Equal to Eight Days

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    Curbside Consultation

    Facilitating Shared Decision Making with Patients

    JAMES W. MOLD

    American society values autonomy and the belief that competent adults have the right to make virtually any decision pertaining to their health care. As health care professionals, we have a responsibility to try to make sure that our patients are mentally capable, well...

    Practice Guidelines

    IDSA Releases Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

    CARRIE ARMSTRONG

    The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has released evidence-based guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of skin and soft tissue infections.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    AMBER HUNTZINGER

    CDC Supports Vigorous Promotion of Child Safety Restraints

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    LIZ SMITH

    CDC Reports on Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Breastfeeding

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    AMBER HUNTZINGER

    ACOG Releases Guideline on Tamoxifen for Postmenopausal Women

    Letters to the Editor

    Clarification of Guidelines for the Proper Use of Child Car Seats

    KEITH NOKES

    Relationship Between Cocaine Use and Cardiovascular Events

    Tips from Other Journals

    Intercourse Does Not Hasten Onset of Labor

    LINDA FRENCH

    Depressed Mood Associated with Perimenopause

    KARL E. MILLER

    Must Sutures Be Kept Dry to Prevent Infection?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Osteoporosis Screening and Treatment Prevents Fractures

    KENNETH W. LIN

    Relief in Children with Exercised-Induced Asthma

    KARL E. MILLER

    Factors Predictive of Quit Rates in Light Smokers

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Does Aspirin Plus Clopidogrel Prevent Cardiovascular Events?

    CHUCK CARTER

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Kawasaki Disease: What You Should Know

    Kawasaki (say: kah-wah-SOCK-ee) disease is an uncommon illness that affects children younger than five years. It can cause these symptoms (see drawing):

    Crisis Management

    A crisis is when you feel you cannot cope with something. You might feel that an event is out of your control or that it is dangerous for your physical or emotional health.

    Colds and the Flu: Tips for Feeling Better

    Colds and the flu cause many of the same symptoms. But colds are usually mild, while the flu tends to be more severe.

    Sore Throat

    Sore throats can be caused by many things. Viruses and bacteria can cause a sore throat, and so can smoking, breathing dirty air, drinking alcohol, and hay fever and other allergies.

    Antibiotics: When They Can and Can’t Help

    Antibiotics are strong medicines that can stop some infections and save lives. But antibiotics can cause more harm than good when they are not used the right way.

    Corrections

    Correction

    The article “Urinalysis: A Comprehensive Review” (March 15, 2005, page 1153) contained two errors. First, in the second paragraph of the right-hand column of page 1158, the time necessary for the dipstick reagent test to change color was incorrectly listed as five minutes...



    Disclosure

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


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