Family Medicine

Patients treated with oromucosal nabiximols spray experienced up to 30% reduction in spasticity, as measured by a numerical rating scale, after 12 months of treatment.

Clinicians can use the MSPT, an iPad-based neurological performance test that simulates and extends the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, to measure motor and visual function in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Acid reduction from PPI treatment may alter bacterial flora in the digestive system, which may increase an individual's susceptibility to infection.

Study finds men with HIV and chronic HCV infection are more likely to receive treatment than women. The same study also indicates Caucasians with HIV and HCV co-infection are more likely to receive treatment than their African-American counterparts.

The 2010 pertussis outbreak in California may have been related to parents' refusal to vaccinate their school-aged children, according to a new study published in Pediatrics.

Although pen devices are perceived to be more costly than vialed insulin, new study results indicate that elderly diabetic patients are more likely to accept pen devices and adhere to therapy, which decreases long-term complications and associated healthcare costs.

As Editor-in-Chief of Family Practice Recertification (FPR), it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the launch of the online version of what is, for many of you, an "old friend."

This 44-year-old man presented to a clinic with multiple dark lesions on his lower extremities. When the lesions first appeared eight months ago, they were slightly raised, pink in color, and intensely itchy, but after repeated excoriation, they have become increasingly dark. The patient reports that a biopsy was inconclusive and creams and an oral medication have not helped his condition. In addition to his leg lesions, there is some involvement of the thigh, buttocks, and penis. He denies any past medical history or other medications. What condition does this man have?

Does consumption of omega-3 (n−3) fatty acids reduce cardiovascular outcomes in patients without myocardial infarction who have multiple cardiac risk factors?

Examining the right foot of a 54-year-old male reveals a red, swollen, warm, and exquisitely tender right first toe joint. What is the differential diagnosis?

An analysis on the complication rates associated with IUD placement aimed to determine whether the contraceptive method is appropriate for teenagers.

At what age should solid foods be introduced to infants in order to alter their risk of atopic disorders?

A systematic review of 14 randomized controlled trials found a probiotic Lactobacillus strain taken daily lowers the risk of acute upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) without increasing the risk of adverse events.

Does arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for symptomatic patients with a meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis results in better functional outcomes than physical therapy?

Though one annual report suggests that a vast majority of healthcare providers will incorporate smartphones and mobile tablets in their practices by 2014, another projects the opposite scenario.

Though the Association of American Medical College (AAMC) has projected that the US will face a shortage of 65,800 primary care providers (PCPs) and family practitioners by 2025, the anticipated growth in the implementation of health information technology (HIT) over the next 18 years may offset the demand for those physicians.

A diagnostic radiologist misinterprets a month-old infant's anterior-posterior (AP) chest radiograph and AP and lateral skull radiographs as being "positive" for bilateral parietal bone fractures.

Examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Exam Survey tells physicians a great deal about childhood obesity and risk factors for high blood pressure.

In light of the recent national push to promote breastfeeding, a new study provides guidance for mothers who extend their breastfeeding duration by frequently sharing a bed with their infants, yet also put their babies at greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation death.

Following the American Medical Association's formal recognition of obesity as a disease, Boston University researchers attempted to identify better ways to determine health status in obese patients.

Alcohol use with maraviroc administration increases blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) by 12 percent, but a lower BAC was found in patients taking ritonavir and efavirenz.

Researchers have studied the effects of hormone therapy on the lipid profiles of postmenopausal women.

New research findings underscore the need for improved medical and psychiatric care coordination for HIV patients.

The lifestyle medicine discipline offers the potential to strengthen patients' capacities to make healthier choices and foster good health.

Steven P. Levine, MD, reminds prescribers to satisfy the voices in their heads by acknowledging that any medicine may be poisonous to patients.

Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, FASPE, shows healthcare professionals how to apply an equianalgesic opioid dosing chart to 12 complicated patient cases requiring an opioid switch.

Fifteen posters presented at PAINWeek 2013 demonstrate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a novel controlled-release combination oxycodone-acetaminophen analgesic in acute pain patients.

Post-hoc analysis of phase III clinical study results finds lubiprostone doesn't interfere with the analgesic effect of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain patients with opioid-induced constipation.

Although clinical psychiatrist Michael E. Schatman, PhD, CPE, formerly "beat the hell out of the opioid industry," he spent an hour on the PAINWeek stage supporting his new belief that "maybe it's time to stop fighting."

Two literature reviews of single-arm open-label (OL), open-label extension (OLE), and epidemiologic studies with a duration of six months or more provide evidence that long-term opioid therapy improves pain scores in chronic non-cancer pain patients.