• Articles

    Diagnosis and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

    CECILIA GUTIERREZ, DANIEL G. BLANCHARD

    Pulse rate, electrocardiography, and longer-term monitoring are standard tests in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. Types of atrial fibrillation vary, and a normal electrocardiographic finding does not rule out all forms. Treatment is aimed at reducing the risk of stroke,...

    Medications for Chronic Asthma

    NATHAN P. FALK, SCOTT W. HUGHES, BLAKE C. RODGERS

    The management of chronic asthma includes long-term treatment with therapeutic agents that aim to prevent symptoms by controlling airway inflammation and hyperreactivity. Selection of medication regimen depends on patient age and symptom severity. Care is typically managed...

    Pulmonary Hypertension: Diagnosis and Treatment

    BETH DUNLAP, GEORGE WEYER

    Pulmonary hypertension is a heterogeneous group of disorders classified into five categories and defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of 25 mm Hg or greater. It may present in patients with chronic diseases such as heart failure, obstructive lung disease, or...

    AAFP News Now: AFP Edition

    AAFP News: AFP Edition

    Patients Bear Cost of Brand-Name Drugs | CMS Requests AAFP's Help to Fix Issues with Diabetic Testing Supplies | CMS Fields New Pilot Program to Bolster Medicare Advantage | Family Medicine Number 1 Among Students

    Editorials

    Preventing Diagnostic Errors in Primary Care

    JOHN W. ELY, MARK L. GRABER

    Taking specific steps to make diagnosis more reliable is something we should all consider. We will never be perfect, but we owe it to our patients and our profession to improve. A diagnostic checklist is included.

    Close-ups

    Healthy Aging with Intimations of Mortality

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    End-of-life discussions in moments of excellent health may pose as much of a challenge as waiting until illness arrives.

    Clinical Evidence Handbook

    Croup

    DAVID WYATT JOHNSON

    What are the effects of treatments (dexamethasone or humidification) in children with mild and moderate to severe croup?

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Screening for Skin Cancer: Recommendation Statement

    The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of visual skin examination by a clinician to screen for skin cancer in adults.

    Photo Quiz

    Bilateral Pruritic Auricular Papules and Plaques

    ZACHARY ZINN, SARA KURIAN, DAVID BURCH

    A patient presented with persistent and worsening pruritic auricular lesions on the ears.

    Curbside Consultation

    Helping Pregnant Women Keep Their Jobs

    LINDA PRINE, LIZ MORRIS, GABRIELLE deFIEBRE

    At 7.5 months pregnant, my patient found herself increasingly uncomfortable at work. Her varicose veins ached from standing on the job, where she was required to work a cash register and walk prescriptions from the pharmacy to the checkout area. I wrote a note to her boss...

    Point-of-Care Guides

    Clinical Diagnosis of Gout Without Joint Aspirate

    JOSHUA STEINBERG

    Gout is ideally diagnosed through identification of characteristic negatively birefringent crystals under polarized light microscopy in fluid aspirated from end-organ deposits, typically from a joint. However, fewer than 10% of patients with gout see a rheumatologist, and...

    Practice Guidelines

    AAFP Releases Position Paper on Preconception Care

    JENNIFER WILKES

    The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has released a position paper providing evidence-based recommendations that address reproductive health care.

    STEPS

    Ivermectin 1% Cream (Soolantra) for Inflammatory Lesions of Rosacea

    JOHN D. GAZEWOOD, KRISTINA JOHNSON

    Ivermectin cream is an effective treatment for moderate to severe pustular rosacea, but it is more expensive than some other available treatments and has not been studied in patients with milder forms of rosacea. Generic metronidazole cream is a less expensive alternative,...

    Letters to the Editor

    The Preparticipation Sports Evaluation: Losing the Forest for the Trees?

    DAVID A. KLEIN, JAMES J. ARNOLD, JOSEPH R. YANCEY

    Current Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines May Lead to More Deaths from the Disease

    RANDY STEVENS

    Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation Cystitis

    DAN ROSE

    Physicians Making Eye Contact with Patients Is Important

    ROBERT B. TAYLOR

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Atrial Fibrillation

    Atrial fibrillation (fih-brih-LAY-shun) is caused by a problem with your heart's electrical system. It causes the upper chamber of your heart to shake, and not pump blood well. Sometimes a clot can form in this chamber, and if that clot breaks free it can cause a stroke.

    Corrections

    Corrections

    Corrections

    Corrections



    Disclosure

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


    Tag Legend

    Legend

    CME Continuing Medical Education Credit
    POC Point-of-Care Resource
    FREE Free Access
    Alg Algorithm
    DDx Differential Diagnosis
    PtEd Patient Education