• Articles

    Care of Cancer Survivors

    ANNETTE Y. SUNGA, MARGARET M. EBERL, KEVIN C. OEFFINGER, MELISSA M. HUDSON, MARTIN C. MAHONEY

    Cancer survivors are susceptible to recurrence of the disease, as well as medical, developmental, and psychologic problems that can be caused by cancer treatments. Family physicians should continue to follow these patients and provide preventive medicine, including...

    Management of Cluster Headache

    ELLEN BECK, WILLIAM J. SIEBER, RAÚL TREJO

    Although there are effective treatments for cluster headache, such as oxygen, sumatriptan, and verapamil, they are not being used enough because these headachesare difficult to diagnose.

    Treatment of Panic Disorder

    PETER HAM, DAVID B. WATERS, M. NORMAN OLIVER

    Evidence-based reviews have shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants are equally effective in the treatment of panic disorder.Cognitive behavior therapy also is effective, especially when used in combinationwith antidepressants....

    Diagnostic Approach to Palpitations

    ALLAN V. ABBOTT

    Patients with palpitations often present to their family physician with concerns about irregular or rapid beating of the heart. The family physician plays an importantrole in determining the etiology of the palpitations, monitoring the heart for abnormal rhythms, initiating...

    Inside AFP

    AFP Receives Award for Outstanding Performance in 2004

    JANIS WRIGHT

    AFP has received a distinctive award recognizing its top performance in the medical journal industry. We received this bit of good news at the end of last year: Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) named AFP the winner in its award category “Medium of the Year,” which...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    GENEVIEVE RESSEL

    AAFP Launches Online Quality Improvement Program | NIH Issues New Guidelines for Managing Asthma During Pregnancy | ABFM Extends Deadline for 2004 Self-Assessment Module | CMS Provides Web Site Describing Initial Preventive Physical Examination | HHS Releases New Edition of...

    Editorials

    Death Certificates: Let’s Get It Right

    GEOFFREY R. SWAIN, GLORIA K. WARD, PAUL P. HARTLAUB

    It would be difficult to overstate the importance of death certificates—especially in an era of increasing reliance on evidence-based medicine (EBM)—yet physicians receive inadequate training in this important area, and their performance on this task remains less than ideal.1–3

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    AMBER HUNTZINGER, LAURA COUGHLIN

    More lives are lost to racial disparity in medical care than are saved by medical technological advances, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study estimates that while 176,633 lives were saved between 1991 and 2000 as a...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary

    KATHY SOCH

    “Let’s send the poor man back to the nursing home before anything else can go wrong,” KS advised the second-year resident. Needless to say, she was only half kidding. This frail 85-year-old man had been transferred to the hospital two days earlier because of an exacerbation...

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Screening for Ovarian Cancer: Recommendation Statement

    This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for ovarian cancer and the supporting scientific evidence, and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed.

    Point-of-Care Guides

    Evidence-Based Initiation of Warfarin (Coumadin)

    MARK H. EBELL

    Many physicians continue to use clinical judgment alone as the basis for initiating and adjusting warfarin dosages in patients who require oral anticoagulation. A number of studies have validated approaches to initiation of anticoagulation that provide more rapid...

    Photo Quiz

    A Painless Red Nodule

    AMOR KHACHEMOUNE, ERIC EHRSAM, CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, MOR TZADIK

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

    POEMs

    Optimal Oral Antiplatelet Therapy for Vascular Disease

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Early Mobilization Better for Acute Limb Injuries

    MARK EBELL

    Lamivudine for Hepatitis B with Advanced Fibrosis

    MARK EBELL

    Blood Transfusion in Acute Coronary Syndrome

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Carotid Stent an Option for High-Risk Patients

    MARK EBELL

    IV Immunoglobulin Delays Onset of Multiple Sclerosis

    HENRY BARRY

    Progression to Dysplasia in Barrett’s Esophagus

    MARK EBELL

    Salmeterol-Fluticasone vs. Fluticasone Alone for Asthma

    HENRY BARRY

    Practice Guidelines

    ACS/ADA/AHA Issue Core Recommendations for Preventing Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, and Diabetes

    KAREN HELLEKSON

    The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the American Heart Association (AHA) have issued core recommendations for the prevention and early detection of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    Pain and Anxiety Treatment in Children During Emergencies

    Letters to the Editor

    Resources for Management of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

    JOSHUA D. HARTZELL, NAOMI ARONSON

    Patients’ “Wants” Should Not Determine Decision-Making

    Tips from Other Journals

    Chronic Hepatitis C with Normal Liver Enzyme Tests

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Do COX-2 Inhibitors Increase Congestive Heart Failure?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Value of School-Based Asthma Management Program

    KARL E. MILLER

    d-Dimer Assays for Prediction of Venous Thromboembolism

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Impact of Intense Exercise on Early Osteopenia in Women

    KARL E. MILLER

    Stepped Collaborative Care for Survivors of Acute Trauma

    KARL E. MILLER

    Sexual Function After Hysterectomy

    KARL E. MILLER

    Echinacea for Prevention and Treatment of Colds

    BILL ZEPF

    Pain Management After Cesarean Delivery

    KARL E. MILLER

    Screening Asymptomatic Patients for Type 2 Diabetes

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Adverse Effects of Cannabis Use: Cause or Association?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Health Care After Cancer Treatment

    There are many ways to keep track of your health after successful cancer treatment. This kind of care is called follow-up. Each person is different, so follow-up care also will be different. Here are guidelines for some common cancers.

    Cluster Headaches

    A cluster headache is a rare kind of headache. It happens in a cluster or bunch that can last for weeks or months. During a cluster, the headaches happen every day. In between clusters, there usually are no headaches. A few people have the headaches all the time.

    Panic Attacks

    A panic attack is an anxiety reaction. When a panic attack happens, the person suddenly feels very afraid or very nervous. Panic attacks can last from a few minutes to several hours. Many things can cause panic attacks, such as being in a crowded place. Sometimes these...

    Heart Palpitations

    Heartbeats that are hard and fast are called palpitations (say pal-pit-ay-shuns). Your heart is like a pump. Each time it beats, it pumps blood through your body. When you exercise, it is normal to hear or feel your heart “pounding” as it beats faster. But if you have...

    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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