Leave a Message
Articles

Atrial Fibrillation: Common Questions and Answers About Diagnosis and Treatment

Sarah Holder, Paula Amin

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac dysrhythmia in adults in the primary care setting. Diagnosis is based on history and physical examination findings and should be confirmed with 12-lead electrocardiography. Treatment includes rate and rhythm control; goals of...

Depression: Managing Resistance and Partial Response to Treatment

Heidi L. Gaddey, Brandyn Mason, Amol Naik

Treatment-resistant depression is absence of remission despite trials of two or more antidepressant medications; partial response to treatment is less than 50% reduction in depression-rating scores. Management includes adding psychotherapy, switching antidepressant medication...

Evaluation and Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting in Adults

Tracy Johns, Elizabeth Lawrence

In the absence of alarm symptoms, nausea and vomiting are typically treated symptomatically and without an extensive evaluation. Chronic symptoms require a careful history to narrow the differential diagnosis. When a specific etiology is not identified, a serotonin antagonist...

Substance Misuse in Adults: A Primary Care Approach

Alicia Kowalchuk, Sandra J. Gonzalez, Roger J. Zoorob

The medical approach to substance use has significantly changed over the past decade. New tools for prevention, screening, assessment, and treatment have been adopted, and family physicians are well positioned to provide prevention and management.

Acute Pericarditis: Rapid Evidence Review

Thomas A. Peterson, Sean P. Turner, Katelyn A. Dolezal

This article reviews patient-oriented evidence to guide the diagnosis and management of acute pericarditis.

Falls in Older Adults: Approach and Prevention

Jessica S. Coulter, Jessica Randazzo, Erinn E. Kary, Haroon Samar

Clinicians should screen older adults for fall risk, and if results are abnormal, multicomponent interventions are indicated. These include optimizing care of chronic medical conditions, evaluating home safety, and avoiding polypharmacy and drugs that increase fall risk.

Editorials

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Advances in Cystic Fibrosis: How Family Physicians Can Partner in Care

Melanie Sue Collins, Kenia Mansilla-Rivera

Patients with cystic fibrosis are living longer, healthier lives and are now facing many of the same ongoing health challenges as people without the condition.

Anxiety Screening Is Unlikely to Improve Mental Health Outcomes

Brett D. Thombs, Sarah Markham, Danielle B. Rice, Roy C. Ziegelstein

Adding anxiety screening tests takes time away from critical health care tasks and is not likely to benefit patients compared with good standard care.

AFP Clinical Answers

Esophageal Cancer, Uterine Bleeding, HIV, Bariatric Surgery and Pregnancy, Venous Thromboembolism, Renal Colic

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

Medicine by the Numbers

Hyaluronic Acid Products for Chronic Wound Healing

Melinda W. Ng, Christina Valerio

Because of the significant risk of blinding bias and imprecision in the results as well as inadequate assessment of harms, a color recommendation of yellow (unclear benefits) is assigned for use of hyaluronic acid for chronic wounds.

Cochrane for Clinicians

Saw Palmetto for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Noa C. Hammer, Jill Thiede

Saw palmetto, alone or in combination with other phytotherapeutic agents, does not improve urologic symptoms or quality of life in the short term (3 to 6 months) or long term (12 to 17 months). Also, it does not cause significant adverse events.

Antidepressants to Aid in Smoking Cessation

William D. Nettleton, Jessel Ramdass

Bupropion facilitates tobacco cessation reported at 6 months of follow-up compared with placebo or no pharmacological treatment. More people discontinue using bupropion due to adverse effects than those using placebo or no pharmacological treatment.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Screening for Anxiety Disorders in Adults

The USPSTF recommends screening for anxiety disorders in adults, including pregnant and postpartum persons. The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for anxiety disorders in older adults.

Putting Prevention Into Practice

Screening for Anxiety Disorders in Adults

Iris Mabry-Hernandez, Susan J. Ching

This PPIP quiz is based on the recommendations of the USPSTF.

Implementing AHRQ Effective Health Care Reviews

Pharmacotherapy for Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder

Alyssa Bruehlman, Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar

Effects attributed to medications beyond nonpharmacologic interventions and placebo are reviewed.

FPIN's Clinical Inquiries

Baclofen for Alcohol Use Disorder

Elin Kondrad, Abria Bonner, Stephanie Sandhu, Kathryn Seitz, Stephanie Weldon

Baclofen with psychosocial therapy is modestly effective in helping patients with AUD achieve abstinence, increasing abstinent days by approximately 10%. A total of 40% to 50% of patients can achieve or maintain abstinence at 1 year after treatment initiation.

Photo Quiz

Persistent Pink Nodules and Hyperpigmented Plaques on Trunk and Extremities

Daniela M. Mendez, Shayna C. Rivard

A 68-year-old woman presented with persistent lesions on her trunk and extremities.

Red, Verrucous Plaque on the Forearm

Melinda Jean Gruber, Zachary Britstone, Katherine Schaefer

A 63-year-old man presented with a nonpainful skin lesion on his left forearm.

Diagnostic Tests

Role of sFlt-1/PlGF Ratio in Diagnosing Preeclampsia

Vidya Lala, Samone Franzese

The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio cutoff must be standardized and further validated with additional clinical trials before implementation in the prediction and diagnosis of preeclampsia.

STEPS

Fecal Microbiota Spores, Live-Brpk (Vowst) to Prevent Clostridioides difficile Infection

Andrew Smith, Tuhin Roy

Vowst is simple to administer, well tolerated, and relatively effective for patients with recurrent C. difficile infection. However, it is significantly expensive. It may be considered for patients who have had 3 or more episodes of C. difficile infection within 12 months.

Curbside Consultation

Firearm Injury Prevention: Practical Office Tips

James Bigham, Melissa Stiles, Mario Giacobassi

Framework for how physicians can engage in patient-centered discussions that promote firearm injury prevention.

POEMs

Single Intramuscular Dose of Nirsevimab Reduces Likelihood of Hospitalization Due to RSV in Average-Risk Infants During First Year of Life

Mark H. Ebell

PCI Is Better Than Placebo for Stable Angina in Patients Who Do Not Take Antianginal Medications

Mark H. Ebell

Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer Disease: a Lack of Clinically Meaningful Benefits, Plus Significant Harms

Linda Speer

Delivery of Bad News Via Telephone Is Equal to In-Person Delivery

Allen F. Shaughnessy

Practice Guidelines

Evaluation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adults: Guidelines From the ACEP

Michael J. Arnold

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has published new guidelines for evaluation of mild TBI.

Management of First-Episode Psychosis and Schizophrenia: Guidelines From the VA/DoD

Michael J. Arnold

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense (VA/DoD) published new recommendations for diagnosing and managing schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis.



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