Search

School-aged children (five to 12 years) are establishing patterns of behavior that may last a lifetime; therefore, during health maintenance visits, it is important to counsel families on healthy lifestyle practices. Children should eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, beans, fish, and lean meats, while limiting sugar, fast food, and highly processed foods. Children should engage in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. A Family Media Use Plan should be used to individualize screen time limits and content for children. Nine to 12 hours of sleep per night is recommended for school-aged children. Inadequate sleep is associated with behavioral issues, difficulty concentrating at school, high blood pressure, and obesity. Children should brush their teeth twice per day with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing fluoride. Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in this age group in the United States, and families should be counseled on vehicle, water, sports, firearm, home, environmental, and social safety. Because high-risk behaviors may start in early adolescence, many experts recommend discussing tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, including prescription drugs, beginning at 11 years of age. Sexually active adolescents should be counseled about the risk of sexually transmitted infections, and they should be screened for these infections if indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediculosis and scabies are caused by ectoparasites. Pruritus is the most common presenting symptom. Head and pubic lice infestations are diagnosed with visualization of live lice. Nits (lice eggs or egg casings) alone are not sufficient to diagnose a current infestation. A "no-nit" policy for return to school is not recommended because nits can remain even after successful treatment. First-line pharmacologic treatment for pediculosis is permethrin 1% lotion or shampoo. Newer treatments are available but costly, and resistance patterns are generally unknown. Noninsecticidal agents, including dimethicone and isopropyl myristate, show promise in the treatment of pediculosis. Extensive environmental decontamination is not necessary after pediculosis is diagnosed. In adults, the presence of pubic lice should prompt an evaluation for sexually transmitted infections. Body lice infestation should be suspected in patients with pruritus who live in crowded conditions or have poor hygiene. Scabies in adults presents as a pruritic, papular rash in a typical distribution pattern. In infants, the rash can also be vesicular, pustular, or nodular. First-line treatment for scabies is permethrin 5% cream. Clothing and bedding of persons with scabies should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer. Counseling regarding appropriate diagnosis and correct use of effective therapies is key to reducing the burden of lice and scabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diagnoses made by family physicians. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, and vascular and heart disease. Screening patients before signs and symptoms develop leads to earlier diagnosis and treatment, but may not reduce rates of end-organ damage. Randomized trials show that screening for type 2 diabetes does not reduce mortality after 10 years, although some data suggest mortality benefits after 23 to 30 years. Lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions decrease progression to diabetes in patients with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Screening for type 1 diabetes is not recommended. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for abnormal blood glucose and type 2 diabetes in adults 40 to 70 years of age who are overweight or obese, and repeating testing every three years if results are normal. Individuals at higher risk should be considered for earlier and more frequent screening. The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for type 2 diabetes annually in patients 45 years and older, or in patients younger than 45 years with major risk factors. The diagnosis can be made with a fasting plasma glucose level of 126 mg per dL or greater; an A1C level of 6.5% or greater; a random plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater; or a 75-g two-hour oral glucose tolerance test with a plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater. Results should be confirmed with repeat testing on a subsequent day; however, a single random plasma glucose level of 200 mg per dL or greater with typical signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia likely indicates diabetes. Additional testing to determine the etiology of diabetes is not routinely recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to assess student, preceptor, and patient satisfaction with a phased pilot project to introduce interprofessional education teams into a clinical setting. METHODS: Focus groups with students and preceptors were used to evaluate acceptability with interprofessional education teams. We assessed pairings of second-year physician assistant students (PAS2) with both first- and second-year medical students (MS1, MS2) for three to eight clinic sessions in a university-based primary care clinic, over a period of 2 years. RESULTS: Twenty students and seven preceptors participated in paired clinical placement. All students agreed that the pairing was helpful for their learning. MS felt that they benefitted from the clinical experience of the PAS, whereas PAS felt that MS brought depth of information from their didactic learning. All students wished that the clinic sessions could have been more frequent. Preceptors did not feel precepting two students was more burdensome than precepting one student but did feel it was important to choose appropriate students who were interested in working together and teaching each other. Preceptors felt that the MS2/PAS2 pairing was optimal. CONCLUSIONS: Students and preceptors were all satisfied with interprofessional teams in the clinical setting. This model provides one solution to the dilemma of multiple learners requiring training in a limited number of clinical placement sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediculosis and scabies are caused by ectoparasites. Pruritus is the most common presenting symptom. Head and pubic lice infestations are diagnosed by visualization of live lice. Finding nits (louse egg shells) alone indicates a historical infestation. A "no nit" policy for schools and day care centers no longer is recommended because nits can persist after successful treatment with no risk of transmission. First-line pharmacologic treatment of pediculosis is permethrin 1% lotion or shampoo. Multiple novel treatments have shown limited evidence of effectiveness superior to permethrin. Wet combing is an effective nonpharmacologic treatment option. Finding pubic lice should prompt an evaluation for other sexually transmitted infections. Body lice infestation should be suspected when a patient with poor hygiene presents with pruritus. Washing affected clothing and bedding is essential if lice infestation is found, but no other environmental decontamination is necessary. Scabies in adults is recognized as a pruritic, papular rash with excoriations in a typical distribution pattern. In infants, children, and immunocompromised adults, the rash also can be vesicular, pustular, or nodular. First-line treatment of scabies is topical permethrin 5% cream. Clothing and bedding of persons with scabies should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediculosis and scabies are caused by ectoparasites. Pruritus is the most common presenting symptom. Head and pubic lice infestations are diagnosed by visualization of live lice. Finding nits (louse egg shells) alone indicates a historical infestation. A "no nit" policy for schools and day care centers no longer is recommended because nits can persist after successful treatment with no risk of transmission. First-line pharmacologic treatment of pediculosis is permethrin 1% lotion or shampoo. Multiple novel treatments have shown limited evidence of effectiveness superior to permethrin. Wet combing is an effective nonpharmacologic treatment option. Finding pubic lice should prompt an evaluation for other sexually transmitted infections. Body lice infestation should be suspected when a patient with poor hygiene presents with pruritus. Washing affected clothing and bedding is essential if lice infestation is found, but no other environmental decontamination is necessary. Scabies in adults is recognized as a pruritic, papular rash with excoriations in a typical distribution pattern. In infants, children, and immunocompromised adults, the rash also can be vesicular, pustular, or nodular. First-line treatment of scabies is topical permethrin 5% cream. Clothing and bedding of persons with scabies should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 29-year-old woman who was presented to the clinic at about five weeks' gestation with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. Results of ultrasonographic imaging showed a viable intrauterine pregnancy and an ectopic pregnancy in the right adnexa. She underwent laparoscopy and open laparotomy because of a large hemoperitoneum. She was discharged two days after surgery.

The article incorrectly stated: "Elevations of both fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) lead to hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia because of decreased urinary excretion of phosphorus." In fact, FGF23 normally acts to lower blood phosphate levels. Furthermore, an elevated phosphorus level causes an increase in serum calcium levels and not hypocalcemia. This information has been corrected in the online version of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the lack of evidence, some providers are still prescribing native vitamin D for their patients with chronic kidney disease for reasons unrelated to parathyroid hormone suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response from the authors of the article "Intrauterine Devices: An Update" in the March 15, 2014 issue is presented.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Pediculosis and Scabies: A Treatment Update" on the September 15, 2012 issue.

Objective: "Pain interference" and "headache impact" refer to negative consequences that pain and headache have on one's life. This study investigated determinants of these negative impacts in a large patient cohort who have chronic migraine with medication overuse. Methods: Six hundred and eleven adults were enrolled from 34 headache, neurology, and primary care clinics. Negative consequences of chronic migraine with medication overuse were determined using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference 6b questionnaire and the Headache Impact Test 6. Relationships between PROMIS-6b and Headache Impact Test 6 scores with demographics, headache characteristics, medication use, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms were assessed with linear regression. Elastic Net regression was used to develop a multiple regression model. Results: PROMIS-6b T-Scores averaged 65.2 (SD 5.4) and Headache Impact Test 6 scores averaged 65.0 (SD 5.3), indicating severe negative consequences of chronic migraine with medication overuse. Chronic migraine with medication overuse interfered with enjoyment of life, concentration, daily activities, doing tasks away from home, and socializing. Depression symptom severity had the strongest relationship with pain interference and headache impact. Moderate-to-severe headache frequency, headache intensity, and anxiety symptoms were also associated with pain interference and headache impact. Conclusions: Chronic migraine with medication overuse is associated with substantial negative consequences, the extent of which is most strongly related to depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumococcal vaccination rates among high-risk patients (eg, diabetes, asthma, smoking) seen in 2 family medicine clinics are unknown., Objectives: To assess differences in pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination rates and reasons for nonvaccination among patients with diabetes and asthma and patients who smoke., Methods: A chart review at 2 family medicine residency training clinics showed 425 patients with a medical indication for PPSV23 were seen between April 1, 2015, and April 30, 2015. One reviewer searched the electronic health records to assess reasons for nonvaccination., Results: Rates of nonvaccination were 29.8% in patients with diabetes, 58.7% in patients with asthma, and 62.5% in patients who smoke cigarettes. Patients were classified into 3 groups based on the reasons for nonvaccination: documented patient refusal, not being addressed by a provider, and being documented as low risk despite the presence of a medical indication., Conclusion: The 3 reasons for nonvaccination were vaccination not being addressed, misclassification of high-risk patients as low-risk patients for infection, and documented patient refusal. Providers overlooked vaccination more often in patients with asthma and cigarette use than in patients with diabetes. Patients seeing pharmacists were most likely to be vaccinated, whereas patients seeing physician assistants were least likely to be vaccinated. Pharmacists see patients to provide medication management and preventive care, whereas other providers treat more urgent conditions. Because indications are often overlooked and not addressed, pharmacists can play a larger role in identifying and vaccinating high-risk patients.