Family Medicine

Psoriasis, plaguing patients with its seemingly incurable symptoms, may have met its match. Skylit Medical, a startup in San Diego, is developing a phototherapy device to use as treatment for psoriasis as well as eczema and vitiligo.

Many guidelines recommend the use of acetaminophen (called paracetamol in Europe) and/or NSAIDs for the treatment of acute low back pain. The reason for this is acetaminophen and NSAIDs are relatively safe and effective with regard to managing musculoskeletal pain. This study determined the efficacy of acetaminophen alone vs. placebo for acute low back pain.

Having seen firsthand the damage done by the Ebola virus outbreak, US Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, said that while a lot of work had been put in to help those in need, there was still a lot more work to be done.

Patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk for developing major health complications but up until now there had been no reliable way to determine which complications a patient might develop or how severe they might be.

The end of September will mark the deadline set for hospitals across the country to reach Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use program for the year and that means the clock is ticking for health care professionals around the country to meet the goals set for them.

New research suggests that oral immunotherapy may trigger anaphylaxis in an unusually high percentage of asthmatic teenagers with high-risk food allergies who failed to adhere to their management plan.

This study was designed to determine the dose-response relation between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.

Taking a closer look at the relationship between running and cardiovascular mortality

This is a cohort study of over 300,000 children from 2004 through 2008 to determine the relationship between childhood vaccinations and the occurrence of seizures in the first two years of life. This population study came from across the US and was evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with a variety of managed care organizations.

While opioids represent an important tool in treating pain, it would be foolish to not acknowledge that opioids and opioid prescribing are fraught with potential hazards. However, through the development of a strong risk mitigation platform, primary care physicians can minimize the risks to their patients, as well as to their own practices.

Based upon data from the past 17 years of conferences of the International Anti-Viral Society (formerly AIDS Society), the USA HIV Preventions Recommendations Panel issued new preventive care guidelines.

A 61 year old male is seen by you for a 3 day history of progressive burning and tingling in the right mid-back area. He reports this morning his wife reports the development of a rash in the area of his symptoms. Examination reveals several grouped pustulovesicular lesions in a right T10 distribution. He denies ever having chickenpox as a child.

This 70-year-old woman was referred for this waxing and waning erythematous facial rash of two years duration. She has tried topical metronidazole and clindamycin without improvement. Her past medical history is significant for hypertension and hypothyroidism, otherwise she is in good health and a review of systems is negative except for the itching facial rash.

This is a 60-year-old male with a 30-year history of bone pain. He had bilateral hip replacements 2 and 3 years earlier with no complications, but he has continued to have severe back pain.

A 3-year study of a product meant to help patients dealing with a wide range of conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and weight loss showed positive results according to manufacturer EnteroMedics, Inc.

As national and international health agencies and other groups shift their focus during the current outbreak of the Ebola virus from treatment of those patients with the virus to preventing further large scale events, a team of researchers has reported some success in looking at how Ebola compromises an infected person's immune system.

For many patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, medication adherence is often one of the most challenging aspects of the treatment process, especially when the medications prescribed by their health care professional are prohibitively expensive. A study from Manchester University recently showed that many patients with rheumatoid arthritis are not taking some of their most critical medicines due to rising drug costs.

On June 7, 2014, the state of Missouri passed State Bill 716, a piece of legislation creating a new category of health care provider in the state, known as the, "Assistant Physician."

Men who are socially well-integrated show more than a 2-fold reduced risk of suicide, according to a longitudinal study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

As the practice of telecare continues to gain momentum, a group of researchers conducted a study to test how effective that course of treatment is in patients with chronic illnesses.

The European Commission (EU) has granted Bristol-Myers Squibb's Daklinza (daclatasvir) approval for an all-oral drug regimen for the treatment of four genotypes of chronic hepatitis C infection.

A new multi-step skin testing protocol effectively determines the presence of isosulfan blue allergy, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia.

A common treatment for opioid addiction significantly reduces testosterone levels in many male patients; researchers suggest that supplementary testosterone might improve outcomes.

As the life expectancy of patients continues to grow, healthcare professionals are seeing a rise in cases of osteoarthritis in their case files and are charged with discovering the best treatment possible for them.

While the US Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend screening for hepatitis B virus infection in asymptomatic persons in the general population, a recent update focuses on identifying those who are high risk and should be screened.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues to expand and around the world researchers are striving to learn more about the disease and how to stop it to ensure that any future outbreaks of the virus are not nearly as severe.

When a patient arrives at a hospital or other urgent care center, there are seemingly endless tests that can be undertaken to appropriately diagnose the patient. A recent study reviewed the necessity of some tests, particularly in regard to acute, nonspecific lower back pain.

Analysis of fatal cases of anaphylaxis in Canada uncovers several trends that point to a need for more effective monitoring and treatment strategies in high-risk patients.

GlaxoSmithKline's Arnuity approved for patients over the age of 12 as part of treatment options

Among married couples who smoke marijuana, there is an inverse relationship between frequency of marijuana use and likelihood of a domestic violence occurrence.