Family Medicine News
The Management of Test Results in Primary Care: Does an Electronic Medical Record Make a Difference?
It is unknown whether an electronic medical record (EMR) improves the management of test results in primary care offices. This article documented five results management steps (right place in chart, signature, interpretation, patient notification, and abnormal result follow-up) for laboratory and imaging test results from 25 patient charts in each office. It was noted the type of records used (EMR or paper) and how many management steps had standardized results management processes in place. It was found that there was greater documentation of results managed by an EMR, but all offices fall short in notifying patients and in documenting interpretation and follow-up of abnormal test results.
Cardiac Causes More Persistently Tied to Dizziness in Elderly Patients
Although dizzy patients are predominantly seen in primary care, most diagnostic studies on dizziness have been performed among patients in secondary or tertiary care. An article in the Annals of Family Medicine sought to describe subtypes of dizziness in elderly patients in primary care and to assess contributory causes of dizziness. It found that contrary to most previous studies, cardiovascular disease was found to be the most common major cause of dizziness in elderly patients in primary care. In one-quarter of all patients an adverse drug effect was considered to be a contributory cause of dizziness, which is much higher than reported in previous studies.
Gender differences in COPD expression identified
Results from a study conducted in Latin America show significant gender differences in perception of dyspnea and health status among individuals with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Writing in the European Respiratory Journal, María Victorina López Varela (Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay) and team explain: “There is increasing evidence in selected COPD populations supporting gender differences in the clinical expression of COPD.”
Microalbuminuria Harmful for People With High Blood Pressure
Healthy people with hypertension who excrete a slight excess of protein in the urine raise their risk of developing kidney and heart complications, according to a study published early online and appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
The results suggest that more attention should focus on the potential health effects of urinary protein excretion in individuals with hypertension.
Restless Legs Syndrome: A Case-Based Review
An elderly woman has a history of a terribly uncomfortable sensation in her arms and legs at night. Does she have restless legs syndrome?
To increase awareness of the real-world challenges associated with the diagnosis and management of restless legs syndrome (RLS), Sleep University CME invited clinicians to submit a case study discussing one of their most clinically challenging patients with suspected or confirmed RLS. This case study submission and faculty response highlight several key aspects in the evaluation and management of RLS.
Available as a newsletter and audio recording, this case study is intended for all clinicians who treat patients (pediatric, adult, and elderly) with sleep disorders. This includes all primary care specialties, pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, pain specialists, obstetricians-gynecologists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
Treating patients with type 2 diabetes: What is after lifestyle management and metformin? A focus on the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists
This article from the Journal of Family Practice explores the options of treating Type 2 DM.
57 Million Americans Sickened by H1N1 Flu: CDC
With the H1N1 swine flu pandemic apparently winding down, federal health officials said Friday that about 57 million Americans have suffered through the illness since last April, and the total could range as high as 84 million. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 378,000 people were hospitalized due to H1N1 flu and up to 17,160 Americans may have died from the virus.
Single Ultrasound for DVT May Suffice
For patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis, the risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolism after a single, negative whole-leg compression ultrasound examination is low, a meta-analysis showed. Pooled results from seven studies showed the risk to be just 0.57% (95% CI 0.25% to 0.89%) through three months of follow-up in patients who were not given anticoagulants, Scott Stevens, MD, of Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, and colleagues reported in the Feb. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Why Light Hurts During Migraines
Researchers believe they know why light exacerbates the already debilitating pain of migraines, even in some blind people. A report published online Jan. 10 in Nature Neuroscience reveals how visual and pain pathways in the brain converge to produce this phenomenon.
Swine Flu May Be Rewriting the Flu-Season Script
The month of December typically marks the start of the seasonal flu season. But since the emergence of the H1N1 swine flu back in April, nothing has been typical about influenza, one of the most common infectious diseases. And in the topsy-turvy world that is flu research right now, some experts are speculating that seasonal flu -- the garden variety influenza -- may not be much of a factor in the weeks and months to come, once it's "crowded out" by swine flu.
