• Articles

    New Contraceptive Options

    EMILY J. HERNDON, MIRIAM ZIEMAN

    Almost one half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. To address problems related to the underuse or incorrect use of contraceptives, several new and effective forms of contraception have been introduced in the past five years.

    The Newborn Foot

    ALVIN I. GORE, JEANNE P. SPENCER

    A quick yet thorough examination of a newborn's feet can reveal several potentially correctable deformities.

    A New View of Occult and Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding

    SARA H. MITCHELL, DAVID C. SCHAEFER, SRINIVASAN DUBAGUNTA

    Although many investigative techniques for determining the source of gastrointestinal bleeding are available, each method has drawbacks. Most patients benefit from a thorough examination that visualizes as much of the bowel as possible.

    Poisoning, Envenomation, and Trauma from Marine Creatures

    R. ALLEN PERKINS, SHANNON S. MORGAN

    More family physicians across the country are seeing patients with injuries or illnesses caused by sea creatures. Possible scenarios include everything from toxic poisoning to violent trauma.

    Regional Anesthesia for Office Procedures: Part II. Extremity and Inguinal Area Surgeries

    GOHAR A. SALAM

    Familiarity with anatomic landmarks is key to successfully blocking nerves in surgical procedures of the extremities and perineum.

    Inside AFP

    AFP's Planner: Things to Come

    Janis Wright

    AFP keeps in contact with readers throughout the year to monitor how well we are doing in meeting their needs. We conduct focus groups, we administer written mail surveys, and we ask readers to respond to surveys when we exhibit at meetings, to answer online surveys and send...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    Matthew Neff

    AAFP Annual Assembly to Be Held in Conjunction with Wonca Conference | IOM Report Advocates Universal Health Care Coverage by 2010 | Survey Reveals People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Medical Services | Organizations Endorse Protocol to Prevent Surgical Errors | Early...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    Sarah Evans, Heather McNeill

    Even so-called “good” air quality affects some children with asthma. A study published in JAMA showed that ozone levels below the current standard of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (120 parts per billion [ppb], one-hour average; 80 ppb, eight-hour average) are...

    Editorials

    New Contraceptive Options: Patient Adherence and Satisfaction

    LAURA B. HANSEN, JOSEPH J. SASEEN

    More than 10 million women in the United States use oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) to prevent pregnancy.1 However, OCPs have a 6 percent failure rate within the first year.1 Data1–4 have shown that unintended pregnancy with this method of contraception often is related to...

    Physical Activity Goals for Sedentary Patients

    LORI MOSCA, RONALD MCKECHNIE

    Fewer active persons develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who are sedentary, and the beneficial effects of exercise on risk factors for CHD are well documented.1 Despite this, inactive lifestyles and overeating remain the norm for most Americans, as illustrated by...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    “I am so glad I had a chance to talk with you,” exclaimed the young woman. “I was frightened when I saw her this morning—I thought she looked awful attached to all of those machines.” KS had just seen this woman's mother in the intensive care unit. The 68-year-old woman had...

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Counseling to Prevent Skin Cancer: Recommendations and Rationale

    This statement summarizes the current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on counseling to prevent skin cancer and the supporting scientific evidence, and updates the 1996 recommendation contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, second...

    FPIN's Clinical Inquiries

    Does Lidocaine-Prilocaine Cream (EMLA) Decrease the Pain of Neonatal Circumcision?

    HARRY TAYLOR

    EMLA cream reduces the pain experienced by newborns during circumcision compared with placebo.

    STEPS

    Eplerenone (Inspra) for Hypertension

    CHARLES T. TAYLOR

    Compared with other commonly used antihypertensive medications, eplerenone is effective in lowering blood pressure when used alone or as add-on therapy. However, mortality benefits related to antihypertensive treatment have not yet been shown, so it should not be considered a...

    Photo Quiz

    An Unusual Case of Chest Pain

    COLIN C. EDGERTON

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

    POEMs

    First-Trimester Screening Protocol for Trisomies 18 and 21

    MARK EBELL

    Antidepressants Reduce Mortality After a Stroke

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Ultrasound Alone Does Not Diagnose PCOS

    LINDA FRENCH

    Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs. Relaxation Therapy for IBS

    MARK EBELL

    Practice Guidelines

    AAP Releases Policy Statement on the Prevention of RSV Infections

    Genevieve W. Ressel

    The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a policy statement on the revised indications for the use of palivizumab and respiratory syncytial virus immune globulin intravenous (RSV-IGIV) for the prevention of RSV infections.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    ACOG Releases Recommendations on Sterilization

    Brian Torrey, Genevieve W. Ressel

    The Committee on Practice Bulletins-Gynecology of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a practice bulletin on sterilization. The bulletin lists methods of surgical sterilization, including laparoscopy, minilaparotomy, and transcervical...

    Clinical Briefs

    Clinical Briefs

    Carrie Morantz, Brian Torrey

    Strategies to Prevent Juvenile Violence | Scientific Exhibit Deadline for AAFP Assembly | Immunotherapy in Patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome | AAP Policy on Soft Drinks in Schools | Call for Papers of Family Medicine Research Presentations | IOM Report on Cancer...

    Letters to the Editor

    Paraphimosis in a Middle-Aged Adult After Intercourse

    DAVID R. BERK, RICHARD LEE

    Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm vs. Exercise-Induced Asthma

    Tips from Other Journals

    Management of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Do NSAIDs Protect Patients Against Alzheimer's Disease?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Islet Transplantation and Insulin Independence

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Progesterone (Again) to Prevent Preterm Delivery

    BILL ZEPF

    Pharmacologic Options for Management of Obesity

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Heart Failure After Doxorubicin Chemotherapy

    BILL ZEPF

    Converting Patients with Type 2 Diabetes to Insulin

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Integrating PET and CT for Lung Cancer Staging

    BILL ZEPF

    Ottawa Knee Rule Is Valid in Children with Knee Injuries

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    WBC Does Not Identify Bacteremia in Febrile Infants

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Management of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Inhaled Triamcinolone and Adrenal Suppression

    KARL E. MILLER

    Decreasing Coronary Events in Metabolic Syndrome

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Defibrillation Response Intervals and Survival Rates

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Carvedilol vs. Metoprolol

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Plantar Fascia Stretching Program for Chronic Heel Pain

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Co-treatment of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infections

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Plain Ophthalmic Tetracaine vs. Buffered Preparation

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Lower Systolic Blood Pressure Delays Kidney Disease Progression

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Hormone Therapy

    KARL E. MILLER

    Update on Rabies Vaccination in World Travelers

    BILL ZEPF

    Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease in Women

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Best Way to Identify Patients with Insulin Resistance

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Managing Steroid-Dependent Crohn's Disease

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Are Proton Pump Inhibitors Useful in Infants with Reflux?

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Identification of Depression with Atypical Features

    KARL E. MILLER

    Gastric Bypass Improves Diabetes and Hypertension

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Management of Gestational Hypertension-Preeclampsia

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Changing Levels of Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls

    KARL E. MILLER

    Carvedilol or Metoprolol for Chronic Heart Failure?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Parental Status and Risk of Completed Suicide

    KARL E. MILLER

    Managing Cancer Cachexia

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Sea Creature Injuries and Fish Poisoning

    Take off any visible tentacles. Use gloves or a towel so that you do not get more stings. Jellyfish tentacles keep stinging even if they are not attached to the jellyfish and even if the jellyfish is dead. The tentacles are the long stringy parts that hang down under the...

    Nutrition: Tips for Improving Your Health

    Good nutrition is one of the keys to good health. Good nutrition means eating foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, and foods that are not high in fat. For most people, foods that are high in fiber are a good choice, and almost everyone should eat five...

    Nutrition: Choosing Healthy, Low-Fat Foods

    Eating healthy foods does not mean losing flavor. You can choose and prepare low-fat foods that your family will enjoy. Just follow the advice below and be aware that a “serving” might be smaller than you think.

    Fiber: How to Increase Fiber in Your Diet

    Eating foods that are high in fiber can help relieve some problems with constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Dietary fiber may help lower your cholesterol levels. It also may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer.

    Obesity and Children: Helping Your Child Keep a Healthy Weight

    Your doctor will use a chart to find out if your child is too heavy. Your child is overweight if he or she is heavier than 85 percent of other children who are the same age and height.

    Obesity and Children: Helping Your Child Lose Weight

    Not all heavy children grow up to have weight problems as adults. However, as children get older, their risk for staying overweight goes up. The risk is even higher if one or both parents also are overweight. It is important to catch weight problems early.

    Cholesterol: Tips for Children With High Cholesterol

    High cholesterol is an unhealthy amount of cholesterol in the blood. A high level of cholesterol can cause heart problems when your child gets older. High cholesterol can be lowered with weight loss, exercise, and changes in what your child eats.



    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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