• Articles

    Evaluating Fever of Unidentifiable Source in Young Children

    DENISE K. SUR, ELISE L. BUKONT

    Most children will be evaluated for a febrile illness by 36 months of age. If there is no evident source of fever, the child may have a serious bacterial infection, which could cause adverse effects if left untreated. Physicians should use a cautious and evidence-based...

    Treatment of Menorrhagia

    BARBARA S. APGAR, AMANDA H. KAUFMAN, UCHE GEORGE-NWOGU, ANNE KITTENDORF

    Women with menorrhagia may have reduced quality of life and describe a loss or reduction of daily activities. Therapies for menorrhagia include oral progestins, a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device, endometrial ablation, and hysterectomy.

    Schizophrenia: A Review

    STEPHEN H. SCHULTZ, STEPHEN W. NORTH, CLEVELAND G. SHIELDS

    Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness that is characterized by positive and negative symptoms. Effective psychosocial and family interventions can improve outcomes, and medication can control symptoms. Physicians should actively manage side effects of drug treatment...

    Therapies for Diabetes: Pramlintide and Exenatide

    MELISSA C. JONES

    Although insulin can effectively control glucose levels, this therapy is not favored by many patients and physicians because of the risk of adverse effects. Pramlintide and exenatide are additional treatment options for patients with diabetes.

    Inside AFP

    AFP Content Reflects Readers' Interests

    JOYCE A. MERRIMAN

    The nearly 200,000 readers of American Family Physician represent a variety of people with an array of interests. One of our goals in selecting content for AFP is to mirror that—by publishing diverse material that will be of interest to many of you. We hope that each of you...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    AAFP Calls on Congress to Compensate Coordination of Care | Drug Manufacturer Warns of Upcoming Vaccine Shortage | Primary Care Collaborative Advocates Focus on Medical Home | Conferees Discuss Ways to Fill Family Medicine Pipeline | AAFP President Reviews Progress of Public-...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    SHERRI DAMLO

    Hindu priests in Bihar, an impoverished state in India, are blessing children with polio vaccine drops instead of holy water to help eradicate polio. Eleven cases of polio, which is also prevalent in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan, were reported in early 2007 in Bihar;...

    Editorials

    Managing Fever Without a Source in Young Children: The Debate Continues

    JO-ANN S. HARRIS

    Since the 1970s, the evaluation of a child younger than three years with a fever without a source has been problematic and controversial for physicians in the office setting. If the child is younger than one month or is toxic appearing, most physicians take an aggressive...

    Close-ups

    Thank You, Doctor

    JO-MARIE REILLY

    The personal side of medicine told from the patient's perspective. The patient's story is followed by commentary from a physician and a list of resources.

    Point-of-Care Guides

    Predicting Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

    MARK H. EBELL

    Pneumonia and respiratory failure are among the most common serious complications following surgery.

    Photo Quiz

    Escharotic Lesion After a “Brown Recluse Spider Bite”

    JASON W. MITCHELL, JEFF DANSKA

    A 63-year-old woman presented with what she thought was a brown recluse spider bite received 10 days earlier. After noticing a small, painless, nonpruritic, red bump on her upper back, she surmised that a spider had bitten her, although she did not see a spider at the time....

    STEPS

    Herpes Zoster Virus Vaccine (Zostavax) for the Prevention of Shingles

    G. ROBERT DeYOUNG, null PharmD, BCPS, PHILIP J. BATY

    Herpes zoster vaccine decreases the incidences of shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. Despite unresolved questions about cost-effectiveness, and pending issues regarding reimbursement, it is an effective vaccine that should be offered to patients who are 60 years or older.

    Tips from Other Journals

    Physician Prompting Improves Asthma Preventive Care

    KARL E. MILLER

    New ACOG Recommendations on Use of SSRIs During Pregnancy

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Patients Commonly Misunderstand Medication Instructions

    KENNETH W. LIN

    ACE Inhibitors vs. ARBs for Myocardial Infarction

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Lifestyle Interventions Reduce Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Stroke Symptoms in Patients Without Previous Stroke or TIA

    KARL E. MILLER

    Pharyngeal Gonorrhea Is Underdiagnosed in MSM

    KENNETH T. MOON

    Does Chorioamnionitis Recur in Subsequent Pregnancies?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Hip Protector Use in Older, Community-Dwelling Persons

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Practice Guidelines

    Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Children

    CARRIE ARMSTRONG

    A growing body of literature points to the significance of premature cardiovascular disease in certain childhood diagnoses and emphasizes the importance of risk reduction by disease stratification.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    LISA GRAHAM

    CDC Releases Report on Prevalence of Adult Obesity

    Ophthalmologic Examinations in Children with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

    LAURA COUGHLIN

    Guidelines on the use and frequency of ophthalmologic examinations in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

    Letters to the Editor

    Assessment of Patients with Sports-Related Concussions

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Heavy Periods (Menorrhagia)

    Menorrhagia (men-or-RAY-jah) is periods that are heavier than normal or periods that last for seven days or more each month. Menorrhagia can cause stress for many women. It can also result in anemia, a condition in which you don't have enough red blood cells. Some women have...

    Helping a Family Member with Schizophrenia

    Schizophrenia (skitz-o-FREN-ee-ah) is a mental illness. People with this disease may:

    Corrections

    Correction

    The Practice Guideline Brief, “AHA diet and Lifestyle Recommendations,” (May 15, 2007, page 1573) contained an error in the fourth paragraph of the second column on page 1573. the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, considered by the American heart Association ...



    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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