Interventional Radiology: Indications and Best Practices

Michael J. Arnold, Jonathan J. Keung, Brent McCarragher

Interventional radiology employs image guidance to perform diagnostic and treatment procedures. Interventional radiology techniques are effective, lower-risk alternatives to surgery for central venous catheter and port placement; for managing many sources of hemorrhage; and...

Clinically Relevant Drug-Drug Interactions in Primary Care

Mary Carpenter, Holly Berry, Allen L. Pelletier

Drug-drug interactions are common, and the identification of these interactions is essential to patient safety. Strategies for reducing the interactions include minimizing the number of drugs prescribed, regularly evaluating drug therapy, consideration of nonpharmacologic...

Top 20 Research Studies of 2018 for Primary Care Physicians

Roland Grad, Mark H. Ebell

The annual installment of this series summarizes the top studies of 2018. These studies were summarized as POEMs (patient-oriented evidence that matters) and were highly rated by Canadian Medical Association members for their clinical relevance and expected health benefits to...

AFP 2019: New Fellow, New Features, Top 20 Articles, and AFP Statistics

Sumi Sexton

After having one year as editor-in-chief under my belt, I can say it has been an exciting challenge and a year of professional and personal growth. The purpose of this editorial is to welcome the first Jay Siwek medical editing fellow, share new journal features, highlight...

Vaginitis, Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension in Children, COPD, Alzheimer Disease

Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal’s content, written by and for family physicians.

Saline Irrigation for Allergic Rhinitis

Karl T. Clebak, Julianna Naccarato, Timothy D. Riley

asal saline irrigation reduces the severity of allergy symptoms for up to eight weeks vs. no treatment. It is uncertain if adding nasal saline to pharmacologic treatment further improves symptoms over pharmacologic treatment alone.

Aromatase Inhibitors Such as Letrozole (Femara) vs. Clomiphene (Clomid) for Subfertile Women with PCOS

Nicholas LeFevre

When treated with letrozole, subfertile women with PCOS who are trying to conceive have increased chances of pregnancy (number needed to treat [NNT] = 11) and live birth (NNT = 10) compared with those treated with clomiphene.

New-Onset Full-Body Rash Following Sore Throat in a Child

Leah Johnson, Cara Drew, Erin Kastl

A five-year-old presented with numerous small erythematous plaques throughout her body but sparing the palms and soles. Treatment with topical antibiotic cream was unsuccessful.

Psychological and Pharmacologic Treatments for Adults with PTSD

Aaron Saguil

What are the benefits and harms of psychotherapies and pharmacologic agents for the treatment of adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Applying a Clinical Decision Rule for CAD in Primary Care to Select a Diagnostic Test and Interpret the Results

Harold C. Sox, Marc Aerts, Jörg Haasenriter

Using the INTERCHEST chest pain decision rule to decide next steps when a patient presents to a primary care physician with chest pain.

Risks of Elective Labor Induction vs. Expectant Management

Dylan Tracy, Carissa van den Berk Clark

Elective labor induction at 39 weeks’ gestation leads to a mean 145-g (5.1-oz) lower birth weight compared with expectant management, but there is conflicting evidence about the effects on rates of cesarean delivery, perinatal mortality, operative vaginal birth, and admission...

Cholesterol Management: ACC/AHA Updates Guideline

Lindsey Hoover

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) task force on clinical practice guidelines has updated its 2013 cholesterol guideline.

Denosumab for Reducing Risk of Fractures in Postmenopausal Women

Peter Song, Shahriar Zehtabchi

Denosumab appears to be effective in reducing the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Treatment with denosumab does not increase the risk of cancer or death but might increase the risk of infection. However, more studies are...