• Articles

    Diagnosing Common Benign Skin Tumors

    Joy Shen-Wagner, Joel Amidon, Stephen Carek

    Patients commonly present to family physicians with skin findings, and distinguishing common benign skin tumors from potentially malignant tumors is important. Benign skin tumors can often be diagnosed by their history, distribution, and characteristic morphology.

    Melanoma: Diagnosis and Treatment

    Rebecca Lauters, Ashley Dianne Brown, Kari-Claudia Allen Harrington

    Risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma include increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning and sun exposure and genetic susceptibility. Clinical tools, such as mnemonics and the ugly duckling sign, and dermoscopy aid in the diagnosis. All suspicious...

    Management of Late-Term and Postterm Pregnancy

    Breanna Gawrys, Diana Trang, Whay Cheng

    Postterm pregnancy starts at 42 weeks' gestation and late-term pregnancy is between 41 weeks' and 0 days' and 41 weeks' and 6 days' gestation. Accurate first-trimester dating is essential for determining or verifying gestational age. Ideal management of late-term and postterm...

    Diagnosis and Management of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Primary Care Setting

    Afi M. Semenya, Prakhya Bhatnagar

    Early recognition and proper diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder can improve outcomes. First-line treatment includes exposure and response therapy, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or both.

    Injections of the Hand and Wrist: Part I. Trigger Finger, First Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis, and Palmar Fibromatosis

    George G. A. Pujalte, Rock Vomer, Neil Shah

    Family physicians are well-positioned to provide injections to help alleviate pain from hand and finger conditions, especially when conservative treatments are ineffective. Techniques vary, and ultrasound guidance can be helpful.

    Injections of the Hand and Wrist: Part II. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ganglion Cyst, Intersection Syndrome, Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury, and de Quervain Tenosynovitis

    George G. A. Pujalte, Rock Vomer, Neil Shah

    Several common wrist pathologies are suitable for therapeutic injection, and family physicians are well-positioned to provide these injections, especially when conservative treatments are ineffective. Techniques vary, and ultrasound guidance can be helpful.

    Editorials

    Practice Alert: CDC Guidelines on Doxycycline for STI Postexposure Prophylaxis

    Doug Campos-Outcalt

    The CDC recently released guidelines on the use of doxycycline for postexposure prophylaxis of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.

    Prescribing GLP-1 Agonists for Weight Loss: Wrestling With Our Philosophical Angst

    Madhuri Rao, Allen Shaughnessy, Randi Sokol

    Although patients will likely continue to request GLP-1 agonists and other weight-loss remedies, we do not have to embrace a weight-centric approach.

    AFP Clinical Answers

    RSV, Testosterone Therapy, Prenatal Medication Risk, Obstructive Sialadenitis, Conjunctivitis, Gout

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

    Cochrane for Clinicians

    Adding a LABA or LAMA to Current ICS Therapy for Uncontrolled Asthma

    Kyle Jordan Fletke, Nel Trasybule

    Adding a LABA to a medium- or high-dose ICS likely reduces the frequency of moderate to severe asthma exacerbations compared with continuing a medium-dose ICS alone.

    Disulfiram for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

    Madhavi Singh, Gretchen Maurer, Sophia Smithbauer

    Disulfiram appears to increase point abstinence (i.e., the number of abstinent participants at completion of treatment) compared with placebo.

    Graham Center Policy One-Pager

    Understanding the Health Care Needs of the Deaf Community Through Medical Interpreters

    Chandra A. Char, Michael McKee

    For approximately 500,000 Deaf people in the United States who use American Sign Language (ASL), accessing quality health care is challenging. Deaf people are more likely to have been admitted to a hospital in the past 12 months and have a history of chronic illness (e.g.,...

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Interventions for High Body Mass Index in Children and Adolescents

    The USPSTF recommends that clinicians provide or refer children and adolescents 6 years or older with a high body mass index (BMI) (≥95th percentile for age and sex) to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions.

    Medicine by the Numbers

    Psychological Therapy for Older Adults in Long-Term Care Who Have Depression

    Russell S. Blackwelder, Victoria A. Sullivan

    A color recommendation of yellow (more data are needed) has been assigned for psychological therapies in long-term care residents with depression.

    Photo Quiz

    Lung Lesions Discovered Incidentally in an Older Patient

    Takahiko Nagamine

    Chest radiography revealed a shadow in the upper lung field of an 82-year-old man.

    Rash in a School-Aged Child

    Ramona Sharma

    A 10-year-old boy presented with a rash on his lower extremities.

    FPIN's Clinical Inquiries

    Arthroscopic Surgery vs. Physical Therapy for Degenerative Meniscal Tears

    Jason W. Deck, Lamont Cavanagh, William Dudney, Joshua Hansen, Thomas Kern, Emrys Moreau

    Arthroscopic surgery, PT, and exercise can be offered to patients with degenerative meniscal tears; none of these is considered superior. Compared with PT, arthroscopic surgery does not result in any clinically significant differences in pain, symptoms, function, activities...

    FPIN's Help Desk Answers

    Pet Therapy as a Treatment for Anxiety

    Mark Zawisa, Urchit Bhatiya, Ian Andrew

    Pet therapy is used to treat anxiety because it notably reduces self-reported anxiety across multiple age groups. Most pet therapy studies involve dogs, but cats and horses also have been studied. In patients with dementia, animal-assisted therapy reduces behavioral and...

    Diagnostic Tests

    High-Sensitivity Troponin in the Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome

    Michael T. Partin, Nathan J. Hemerly, Karl T. Clebak

    Compared with conventional assays, hs-cTn assays have a lower limit of detection and a good overall negative predictive value at certain levels in diagnosing acute MI in patients presenting with cardiac symptoms.

    Curbside Consultation

    Patient-Centered Contraceptive Counseling: A Reproductive Justice–Informed Shift to Shared Decision-Making

    David A. Klein, Ryan L. Williamson, Emily A. Yocom

    Implicit or explicit biases, subtle pressures, or even coercion on the part of the clinician can profoundly influence contraception counseling sessions. Clinicians are sometimes unaware of power dynamics that influence the visit and may inadvertently evoke patient perceptions...

    POEMs

    Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Most Oral Treatments Are Similarly Effective

    Allen F. Shaughnessy

    For Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department, Mortality Is 7.9% for COVID-19 (Omicron), 6.0% for RSV, and 2.5% for Influenza

    Mark H. Ebell

    Benzyl Benzoate 25% Is More Effective Than Permethrin 5% for the Treatment of Scabies

    Mark H. Ebell

    89% of Umbilical Hernias Spontaneously Close by 5 Years of Age

    Henry C. Barry

    Diary of a Family Physician

    Diary of a Family Physician

    Megan Bradley

    First-person accounts from the front lines of family medicine.

    Practice Guidelines

    Concussion in Sport: Recommendations From the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport

    Kyle Lau

    The Concussion in Sport Group created the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport consensus statement to provide updated recommendations on concussion care for athletes at any level of sport.

    Atopic Dermatitis: Updated Guidelines From the AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters

    Winfred Frazier, Lynda Schneider, Derek K. Chu

    The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters updated guidelines for managing atopic dermatitis (eczema).

    Letters to the Editor

    Examining Gender Disparities in Medicine

    Francis X. Brickfield

    Reply: Grace Walter, Anam Siddiqi, Alison Huffstetler

    Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis During Breastfeeding

    Bryce Ringwald



    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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