• Articles

    Lower Extremity Abnormalities in Children

    CAITLYN M. RERUCHA, CALEB DICKISON, DREW C. BAIRD

    Although childhood leg and foot problems are a common concern for parents, most are normal variants of growth that resolve without treatment. A history and physical examination are often sufficient in the evaluation of lower extremity abnormalities. The musculoskeletal...

    Top POEMs of 2016 Consistent with the Principles of the Choosing Wisely Campaign

    ROLAND GRAD, MARK H. EBELL

    The Choosing Wisely initiative seeks to advance dialogue on avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures. Using results from highly-rated POEMs (patient-oriented evidence that matters) of research studies, physicians and patients can avoid...

    Preventing Falls in Older Persons

    LAINIE VAN VOAST MONCADA, L. GLEN MIRE

    All adults older than 65 years should be screened annually for history of falls, frequency of falls, difficulty with gait and balance, and fear of falling. Multifactorial interventions to prevent falls include exercise, particularly balance, strength, and gait training;...

    AAFP News Now: AFP Edition

    AAFP News: AFP Edition

    AAFP Urges FDA to Revise Plans for Physician Opioid Education | New Research Assesses Progress on Nation's Move to Value-Based Care | AAFP Recommends Health Care Fixes | Study Examines Why Primary Care Physicians Leave Rural Areas

    Editorials

    The CDC's STEADI Initiative: Promoting Older Adult Health and Independence Through Fall Prevention

    ROBIN LEE

    Every second of every day in America, an older adult falls, and every 20 minutes an older adult dies from a fall.1 To put this into perspective, in 2014, there were 29 million falls, 7 million requiring medical treatment.1 This makes falls far more common than many health...

    FPIN's Help Desk Answers

    Health Literacy Tools in the Outpatient Setting

    ANNE MOUNSEY, BRIANNA SEXTON

    Single-question screening tools regarding the need for help with understanding and completing medical forms and reading materials can be effective for detecting inadequate health literacy in the outpatient setting.

    Putting Prevention Into Practice

    Screening for Gynecologic Conditions with Pelvic Examination

    TINA FAN, ADAUGO AMOBI

    A 37-year-old woman presents to your office for her annual wellness visit. She is not due for a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear this year. She is not pregnant, reports no problems, and has no risk factors for sexually transmitted infections. She asks if she should have a pelvic...

    Photo Quiz

    An Annular Plaque on the Back

    HEI SUNG KIM, HYEREE KIM, JEONG DEUK LEE

    A 24-year-old man presented with a mildly pruritic, spreading rash that was preceded by a single plaque on his back.

    STEPS

    Lixisenatide (Adlyxin) for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

    VALERIE NIEDERMIER, GINA AYERS, SYDNEY SPRINGER

    ixisenatide is an easy-to-use, once-daily injectable therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. It is at least as effective as exenatide at reducing A1C and body weight, with similar rates of gastrointestinal adverse effects.

    Close-ups

    Accepting Family Care in Chronic Illness

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    A story of two sisters: one with a chronic illness, the other a family caregiver. They emphasize close listening, the tuned-in give-and-take in response to a loved one's changing needs.

    POEMs

    Pregabalin Does Not Decrease the Pain of Sciatica

    MARK H. EBELL

    Pregabalin does not relieve pain in patients with sciatica.

    Dexamethasone May Reduce Sore Throat Symptoms in Adults at 48 Hours

    BENJAMIN HANSEN

    A single dose of oral dexamethasone is no more effective than placebo in resolving acute sore throat symptoms at 24 hours in adults who do not receive immediate antibiotic therapy. However, among a multitude of exploratory secondary outcomes, the authors found that, compared...

    No Increased Risk of ASD, ADHD, or SGA with First-Trimester Antidepressant Use

    DAVID SLAWSON

    This study found that maternal antidepressant use during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, but not SGA, ASD, or ADHD. Another study in the same issue also reported no increased risk of ASD with in utero exposure to...

    No Added Benefit with Higher Doses of Ketorolac for Treatment of Acute Pain in the Emergency Department

    NITA SHRIKANT KULKARNI

    A 10-mg dose of ketorolac is as effective as higher doses for the short-term treatment of acute pain for patients in the emergency department.

    Practice Guidelines

    Cerumen Impaction: An Updated Guideline from the AAO–HNSF

    LISA HAUK

    Key Points for Practice

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Screening for Gynecologic Conditions with Pelvic Examination: Recommendation Statement

    The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of performing screening pelvic examinations in asymptomatic, non-pregnant adult women.

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Tips for Preventing Falls

    Older adults are at risk of falling. Anyone who has fallen before, has weak leg muscles, or has problems with walking or balance also has a higher risk.



    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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