Am Fam Physician. 2025;111(1):15
What are the recommended preventive screenings in patients who have undergone gender-affirming surgery?
Physicians should conduct an anatomic survey or organ inventory with transgender and gender-diverse patients to determine what health screenings are applicable. Health care maintenance should follow accepted guidelines for the body parts that are present.
What is recommended for management of trichotillomania?
Behavior therapy is effective for treatment of trichotillomania, whereas evidence supporting use of pharmacologic therapies is insufficient.
According to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), what is the recommended screening for lipid disorders in children and adolescents?
The USPSTF assigns a Grade I, indicating that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for lipid disorders in children and adolescents 20 years or younger. In the absence of evidence, physicians should consider personal, family, and social history and physical examination findings to determine whether to screen for lipid disorders.
Read more: Screening for Lipid Disorders in Children and Adolescents [USPSTF and Putting Prevention Into Practice]; September 2024
What is the recommended duration of antibiotics to treat acute bacterial prostatitis?
Two weeks of an antibiotic targeting uropathogens is recommended to treat acute bacterial prostatitis.
Read more: Acute and Chronic Prostatitis; July 2024
What class of antibiotics are recommended for chronic bacterial prostatitis?
Fluoroquinolones are first-line treatment for chronic bacterial prostatitis due to their spectrum of activity against uropathogens, high oral bioavailability, and ability to penetrate prostatic tissue. Treatment includes a prolonged course (at least 3 to 6 weeks) of oral antibiotics.
Read more: Acute and Chronic Prostatitis; July 2024
What is recommended for management of mastitis?
Heat application, breast massage, and frequent complete breast emptying are no longer recommended to avoid milk stasis because they worsen the condition by increasing underlying inflammation and decreasing feedback inhibition. Recommendations for treatment of mastitis spectrum disorders are aimed at targeting the underlying inflammatory process and include breast rest, ice application, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Read more: Mastitis: Rapid Evidence Review; August 2024
Do intra-articular steroid injections improve pain and function in patients with adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)?
According to a systematic review and meta-analyses, intra-articular steroid injections inconsistently improve pain and function when used to treat adhesive capsulitis in the short term (less than 12 weeks) and medium term (less than 6 months). One randomized controlled trial found that ultrasound guidance improves accuracy of injection into the glenohumeral joint, but there is no difference in pain at 3, 6, and 12 weeks compared with landmark-guided injection.
Additional Online Only AFP Clinical Answers
Do electronic nicotine-delivery systems increase abstinence in tobacco users?
In a nonblinded, randomized controlled trial, Swiss adult smokers who were given e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to be abstinent at 6 months (number needed to treat = 6 to 8). The study paid for the e-cigarettes; in the real world where patients must purchase their e-cigarettes, results may be less favorable.
Does blood pressure control prevent diabetic retinopathy or slow its progression?
More intensive control targeting a blood pressure of less than 135/75 mm Hg in patients with diabetes and hypertension decreases the incidence of diabetic retinopathy. It does not slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy once it has developed.
Is exercise an effective treatment for patients with symptoms of depression?
According to a meta-analysis, prescribing a specific exercise program, whether aerobic or strength training, produces a clinically meaningful result in patients with depression. The advice cannot be only to exercise more but should be a prescription, as with a medication, specifying the frequency, intensity, duration, and type of exercise.
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A collection of AFP Clinical Answers is available.
Additional Online Only AFP Clinical Answers
Do electronic nicotine-delivery systems increase abstinence in tobacco users?
In a nonblinded, randomized controlled trial, Swiss adult smokers who were given e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to be abstinent at 6 months (number needed to treat = 6 to 8). The study paid for the e-cigarettes; in the real world where patients must purchase their e-cigarettes, results may be less favorable.
Does blood pressure control prevent diabetic retinopathy or slow its progression?
More intensive control targeting a blood pressure of less than 135/75 mm Hg in patients with diabetes and hypertension decreases the incidence of diabetic retinopathy. It does not slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy once it has developed.
Is exercise an effective treatment for patients with symptoms of depression?
According to a meta-analysis, prescribing a specific exercise program, whether aerobic or strength training, produces a clinically meaningful result in patients with depression. The advice cannot be only to exercise more but should be a prescription, as with a medication, specifying the frequency, intensity, duration, and type of exercise.
