• Articles

    Common Oral Lesions: Part I. Superficial Mucosal Lesions

    WANDA C. GONSALVES, ANGELA C. CHI, BRAD W. NEVILLE

    Common superficial oral mucosal lesions include candidiasis, recurrent herpes labialis, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and erythema migrans. Recognition and diagnosis require a thorough history and oral examination; knowledge of clinical characteristics such as size, location...

    Common Oral Lesions: Part II. Masses and Neoplasia

    WANDA C. GONSALVES, ANGELA C. CHI, BRAD W. NEVILLE

    Neoplastic or cancerous oral lesions may appear as white or erythematous patches, ulcerated lesions, or masses. Differentiating benign from worrisome lesions and providing appropriate counseling about risk factors is central to achieving national oral health goals.

    Treatment of the Common Cold

    MADELINE SIMASEK, DAVID A. BLANDINO

    Treatment of the common cold focuses on symptom relief. The most commonly used treatments include over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, cough suppressants, and expectorants. These treatments are available alone or in combination; however, their effectiveness varies...

    Treatment Options for Atopic Dermatitis

    LUCINDA M. BUYS

    Atopic dermatitis, characterized by periods of remission and flare-ups, is most common in children. Aggressive use of emollient creams is important to prevent and soothe irritated skin, and topical corticosteroids are first-line treatments for flare-ups.

    Inside AFP

    Conflicts of Interest: Trust, but Verify

    KENNY LIN

    At American Family Physician, we believe that readers should be able to clearly distinguish educational content from the advertisements we publish. However, we are hardly alone among medical journals in being vulnerable to biased or even promotional content that may be...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    Health Care Alliance Announces Proposal to Cover Uninsured | Health Coverage, Physician Payment Are Priorities for AAFP Chapters | Supreme Court Refuses to Hear NRMP Antitrust Lawsuit | MedPAC Recommends Updating Hospital Base Payment Rates | State Initiatives Lead Efforts...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    SHERRI DAMLO

    Owners of vicious dogs may be more likely to commit a crime than owners of non-vicious dogs, suggest study results from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. The researchers found that 100 percent of study participants who owned high-risk dogs, regardless of whether the dog...

    Editorials

    Fighting the Silent Epidemic of Poor Oral Health

    LOIS WESSEL, KYU RHEE, SCOTT WOLPIN

    In 2000, Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., called poor oral health in America a “silent epidemic.” He emphasized that oral health is not just about healthy teeth but is integral to general health, and pointed out that safe, effective measures exist for preventing...

    Guidelines for Treating Adults with Acute Cough

    RICHARD S. IRWIN

    Simasek and Blandino review the literature on the treatment of the common cold in this issue of American Family Physician.1 The authors conclude that the ability to make confident and specific treatment recommendations is limited because of flaws in the evidence.

    Point-of-Care Guides

    Predicting the Likelihood of Bacterial Meningitis in Children

    MARK H. EBELL

    Although the incidence of bacterial meningitis has dropped with increased immunization against Haemophilus influenzae, meningitis remains a devastating illness. For every child with meningeal signs and symptoms who is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis after lumbar puncture,...

    Photo Quiz

    A Revealing Stain

    MANINDER PABLA, CHAKSHU GUPTA, JASWINDER SINGH

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

    STEPS

    Ranolazine (Ranexa) for Chronic Angina

    OLGA HILAS

    Ranolazine will provide a small benefit in symptom control in patients with chronic angina and persistent symptoms despite medical therapy. It generally should be used in combination with amlodipine, beta blockers, or long-acting nitrates.

    Tips from Other Journals

    Obstetric Causes of Cerebral Palsy Are Uncommon

    Potential New Treatment for Premature Ejaculation

    Does Gastric Bypass Provide Long-term Benefits?

    Red Streak Predicts Acute Sinusitis in Adults

    Practice Guidelines

    Updated CDC Guidelines for the Treatment of STDs

    LIZ SMITH

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its 2002 guidelines for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Expanded discussions of prevention screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other STDs, new approaches to patient...

    Cough: Diagnosis and Management

    LAURA COUGHLIN

    On a typical day, a family physician will see at least one patient presenting with cough. Information on the diagnosis and management of coughs is available from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CDC Releases Data on HIV-Related Risk Behaviors in U.S. High School Students

    U.S. high school students who use illicit injection drugs or have unprotected sexual intercourse are at higher risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data on HIV-related risk behaviors in these...

    Letters to the Editor

    Determining the Nutritional Cause of Rickets in Children

    Hip Protectors Ineffective at Preventing Hip Fractures

    Editor's Note: Importance of Revealing Any Author Conflicts of Interest

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    The Common Cold: What You Should Know

    A cold is a common illness that can be caused by many viruses. It can be passed easily from one person to another.

    Atopic Dermatitis: What You Should Know

    Atopic dermatitis is a rash that usually starts in childhood. It may start out as dry, itchy skin. The rash may become very red and sore. Common places for the rash are in the elbow creases, behind the knees, on the cheeks, and on the buttocks.



    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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