• Articles

    Normocytic Anemia

    JOHN R. BRILL, DENNIS J. BAUMGARDNER

    Anemia should be considered a sign, not a disease. The goals of evaluation and management are to make an accurate and efficient diagnosis, avoid unnecessary testing, correct underlying treatable causes and ameliorate symptoms when necessary.

    Beta Blocker Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure

    TARIK M. RAMAHI

    Beta blocker therapy can reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure. Appropriate candidates for therapy with beta blockers have left ventricular systolic dysfunction with mild or moderate impairment in functional capacity. They should be...

    Prevention and Early Detection of Malignant Melanoma

    RICHARD L. EDMAN, JONATHAN T. WOLFE

    Anemia should be considered a sign, not a disease. The goals of evaluation and management are to make an accurate and efficient diagnosis, avoid unnecessary testing, correct underlying treatable causes and ameliorate symptoms when necessary.

    Emergency Postcoital Contraception

    RANDY ELLEN WERTHEIMER

    The most readily available form of emergency contraception consists of two doses of either an estrogen-progestin combination oral contraceptive or levonorgestrel, taken 12 hours apart. Emergency contraception should not be considered an alternative form of contraception but...

    Depression in Children and Adolescents

    SUNG E. SON, JEFFREY T. KIRCHNER

    Depression in children and adolescents is an underdiagnosed and growing problem. Prompt diagnosis, treatment and referral may prevent long-term complications and lessen the risk of suicide.

    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

    Celebrating the Year of AFP—and Editor Jay Siwek, M.D.

    Janis Wright

    At the end of last year we received word that the AAFP board had passed a resolution naming 2000 as the year of AFP, just as we prepared to celebrate the 50th year of publication of the journal. As this year and AFP's celebration begin to wind down, I would like to recognize...

    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

    Even though we have come far since movies of frothing dogs, that image still haunts our minds. According to a UCLA study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this ghost has led to an increased use of the rabies vaccine in emergency departments nationwide. In a...

    Editorials

    Informed Consent and Emergency Contraception

    ALAN L. MCGAUGHRAN

    Informed consent is a crucial concept connected with the prescription of any medical therapy. When it comes to the practice of emergency postcoital contraception, discussions about the expected outcomes, the potential side effects and the possible mechanisms of action are...

    Emergency Contraception: Still Not Too Late

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Emergency contraception is an effective, if underused, means of preventing pregnancy when unprotected intercourse has occurred. Why should physicians know about emergency contraception? Unwanted pregnancies exact a high price emotionally and economically.1 Inconsistent use of...

    Acute Venous Thromboembolism: Diagnostic Guidelines

    VICTOR TAPSON

    The diagnostic difficulty associated with acute venous thromboembolism (i.e., deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or both) is underscored by the frequency with which patients die before the diagnosis is made.1 Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs in hundreds of thousands of...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Researchers disagree about whether attempts should be made to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in patients who have nonulcer dyspepsia. WLL has one such patient who has not been helped by conservative therapies. Recently, he told WLL he had found a “cure”: taking a dietary...

    Family Practice International

    Family Practice International

    Anne D. Walling

    (Canada—Canadian Family Physician, May 2000, p. 1081.) Although earache is one of the most common symptoms seen by family physicians throughout the Western world, the accepted optimal treatment strategy for otitis media, the primary cause of earache, varies dramatically from...

    Practice Guidelines

    Guidelines on Migraine: Part 4. General Principles of Preventive Therapy

    SHARON SCOTT MOREY

    The U.S. Headache Consortium guidelines for preventive therapy of migraine identify three goals of preventive therapy: (1) a reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of attacks; (2) an improvement in the patient's responsiveness to treatment of acute attacks; and (3)...

    Clinical Briefs

    Clinical Briefs

    Monica Preboth

    Among persons 65 years and older, injuries related to falls are the main cause of injury deaths and disabilities. The most serious fall injury is hip fracture. In 1996, 340,000 hospitalizations for hip fracture occurred among persons 65 years and older, and 80 percent of...

    Letters to the Editor

    Further Discussion on the Role of Pap Smear Screening

    Tips from Other Journals

    Asymptomatic Contacts of Patients with Scabies

    JIM NUOVO

    Physician Attitudes a Barrier to Pain Management

    KARL E. MILLER

    Concurrent Disease Alters Warfarin Effectiveness

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Extended-Release Niacin and Hyperlipidemia Management

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Operational Thresholds in Neonatal Hypoglycemia

    GRACE BROOKE HUFFMAN

    When Steroids Are Not Enough in Asthma: Benefits of Salmeterol

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Dry Mouth with Oxybutynin Therapy

    ANNE D. WALLING

    PTCR Glycoprotein Receptor Antagonists Unproved

    JEFFREY T. KIRCHNER

    Megestrol Acetate and Weight Gain in Geriatric Patients

    GRACE BROOKE HUFFMAN

    Using Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Prevent Heart Disease

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Appropriate Interval for Assessing H. pylori Eradication

    KARL E. MILLER

    Fluoxetine for Depression in Patients with Diabetes

    JIM NUOVO

    Atomized Lidocaine to Ease Nasogastric Tube Placement

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Using Adhesives for Laceration Repair During Sports Events

    JIM NUOVO

    Options in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Normocytic Anemia

    Normocytic anemia is a blood problem. It means you have normal-sized red blood cells, but you have a low number of them.

    How to Prevent Melanoma

    Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. It is sometimes called malignant melanoma. Melanoma is becoming more common every year. This is a very serious kind of skin cancer that can cause death. If this cancer is caught early, when it is very small, it can be cured. A melanoma can...

    What to Do if You Think Your Child Is Depressed

    Ask your child about his or her thoughts and feelings. It may also be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your child's behavior and your concerns about depression. In most cases, taking your child to your doctor's office is a good idea. A medical problem may be causing...

    Understanding Your Teenager's Emotional Health

    Your child's teenage years can be a difficult time. Teens may feel overwhelmed by the emotional and physical changes they are going through. At the same time, they may be facing a number of pressures from friends to fit in and from parents and other adults to do well in...

    Choosing Healthy, Low-Fat Foods

    Eating healthy foods doesn't mean losing flavor. You can choose and prepare low-fat foods that your family will enjoy. Just follow the advice below.

    Stress: Helping Your Family Cope with Life's Challenges

    Stress is caused by the body's instinct to defend itself. This instinct is good in emergencies, such as getting out of the way of a speeding car, but it can cause physical symptoms if it goes on for too long, such as in response to life's daily challenges and changes.



    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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