• Articles

    Lightening the Lead Load in Children

    MARK R. ELLIS, KEVIN Y. KANE

    Screening protocols for blood levels should be based on the prevalence of older housing and lead poisoning in a community and the recommendations of the local health department. Management strategies include family education, primary and secondary prevention and, when...

    Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

    DENNIS Y. WEN

    Knee osteoarthritis is a common but often difficult management problem in primary care. Viscosupplementation, a newly available option for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, involves a series of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid.

    Assessing Nicotine Dependence

    TERRY A. RUSTIN

    Several tools, such as the modified CAGE questionnaire for smoking, the “four Cs” test and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, can be used in the family physician's office to quickly assess a patient's smoking behaviors.

    Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Screening

    LECIA M. APANTAKU

    Because early diagnosis drastically improves survival rates in women with breast cancer, family physicians should familiarize themselves with all aspects of diagnosis and screening.

    Appropriate Prescribing of Oral Beta-Lactam Antibiotics

    KEITH B. HOLTEN, EDWARD M. ONUSKO

    Beta-lactam antibiotics are active against many gram-negative, gram-positive and anaerobic organisms. Care must be taken when selecting a specific drug because each beta-lactam group has a somewhat different antimicrobial spectrum.

    AFP 50 Years Ago

    This feature is part of a year-long series of excerpts and special commentaries celebrating AFP's 50th year of publication. Excerpts from the two 1950 volumes of GP, AFP's predecessor, appear along with highlights of 50 years of family medicine.

    Inside AFP

    AFP: Alive and Well on the Web

    Janis Wright

    If you hadn't yet noticed the subtle change on our foot-line, take a quick glance at the bottom of this page: we've added the address of AFP's Web site as a reminder that your favorite journal is always just a couple of keystrokes away on the Internet. Is this site new? Not...

    Policy Center One-Pager

    The Importance of Having a Usual Source of Health Care

    Most people (82 percent) in the United States have and use for much of their health care a usual source of care, and a majority of them name a particular primary care physician as that source. Regardless of self-reported health status, people benefit from having a usual...

    AAFP News Now: AFP Edition

    Newsletter

    Rosemarie Sweeney, Toni Lapp

    Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    Sarah Morgan, Lori Parry

    Now you can have your eggs and eat them too—even runny, sunny-side-up eggs. Pasteurized shell eggs began appearing on major supermarket shelves, in hospital kitchens and in major restaurant and hotel chains along the East Coast this spring. The eggs are processed in several...

    Editorials

    Screening for Breast Cancer

    DAVID R. GARR

    In this issue of American Family Physician, Dr. Apantaku's article, titled “Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Screening,”1 provides a useful overview of issues that pertain to breast cancer. The importance of this topic is confirmed by the emphasis that breast cancer is accorded in...

    Meningococcal Vaccine for College Freshmen

    JAMES C. TURNER

    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has modified its guidelines1 for use of the meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine in the prevention of bacterial meningitis and septicemia. The changes are...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    In the midst of a busy day, it is always helpful to have one or two “simple-to-handle” skin-care problems on the schedule—both for diversity and efficiency. Many times the diagnosis is obvious, and there is no need for confirmatory laboratory tests. This saves time, and it's...

    Photo Quiz

    Evaluation of an Umbilical Lesion

    RIC A. KOLER, MARY K. MATHER

    Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

    Family Practice International

    Family Practice International

    Anne D. Walling

    (Hong Kong—The Hong Kong Practitioner, March 2000, p. 116.) Derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, purified protein derivative (PPD) used with correct Mantoux technique can provide the most accurate and reliable skin test for evidence of exposure to tuberculosis. Worldwide,...

    FDA Perspective

    Protecting Consumers by Safeguarding Animal Health

    STEPHEN F. SUNDLOF

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is best known for protecting public health by ensuring the safety of the national food supply and the safety and effectiveness of human drugs, biologics and medical devices. In addition, however, the agency helps safeguard the...

    Practice Guidelines

    HHS Updates Guidelines for Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Infection

    Sharon Scott Morey

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated guidelines for antiretroviral therapy in adults and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

    Clinical Briefs

    Clinical Briefs

    Monica Preboth

    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the Work-Related Lung Disease (WoRLD) Surveillance Report for 1999.

    Putting Prevention Into Practice

    Screening for Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Children and Adolescents

    MARTIN C. MAHONEY

    Case study: Reflecting on your last office session, you recall several pediatric visits. Among these was a visit from a six-month-old infant who was brought in for a checkup and completion of papers for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. You ordered blood work for...

    Multimedia Review

    Multimedia Review

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Book Review | Also Received

    Letters to the Editor

    Breast-Feeding and Infant Oral Health

    Neuropsychiatric Complications of Malaria Infection

    ADEKOLA ALAO, JENNIFER C. YOLLES, WENDY A. ARMENTA

    Tips from Other Journals

    A Telephone-Based Way to Decrease LDL Cholesterol

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Current Status of Treatment for H. pylori Infection

    JIM NUOVO

    Underlying Illness in Children with Recurrent Pneumonia

    JEFFREY T. KIRCHNER

    Discontinuing PCP Prophylaxis in HIV Infection

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Distinguishing Causes of Pulmonary Nodules in AIDS

    BARBARA APGAR

    Treatment Options for Patients with Chronic Prostatitis

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Nutritional Intake in Nursing Home Residents

    GRACE BROOKE HUFFMAN

    Recurrence of Bipolar Disorder After Discontinuing Lithium

    BARBARA APGAR

    Effect of Homocysteine Levels on Atherosclerosis

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Beta Blockade in Patients with CHF of Mixed Causes

    JIM NUOVO

    Should Estrogen Be Used to Treat Alzheimer's Disease?

    GRACE BROOKE HUFFMAN

    Preventing Side Effects During Emergency Contraception

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Efficacy and Tolerability of Orlistat in Obese Patients

    JIM NUOVO

    The Role of Bacterial Vaginosis in Preterm Labor

    JEFFREY T. KIRCHNER

    Confirming Menorrhagia Following Endometrial Ablation

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Oseltamivir for the Treatment of Acute Influenza

    GRACE BROOKE HUFFMAN

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Preventing and Treating Lead Poisoning in Children

    High lead levels in the body can cause problems with the brain, kidneys, and bone marrow (soft tissue inside bones). Symptoms of high lead levels can include belly pain, headaches, vomiting, confusion, muscle weakness, seizures, hair loss or anemia (low red blood cell count).

    Treating Knee Osteoarthritis with Injections

    Osteoarthritis is a painful knee problem. It is also called degenerative arthritis or wear-and-tear arthritis. Arthritis is what happens when the tissue that protects the bones wears away. This tissue is called cartilage (say: car-till-edge).

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    Screening Yourself for Breast Cancer

    Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Women more than 20 years of age should know the signs of breast cancer and the best ways to find it early.

    Corrections

    Correction



    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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