Articles related to Family Medicine/General Practice

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is taking issue with the US Senate’s recently passed legislation that will make daylight saving time (DST) permanent starting in 2023. AASM cautions that this permanent change would lead to health risks that include adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes. The group advocates for establishing permanent standard time instead.

This quiz tests your knowledge on the appropriate screening follow-up from a 23-year-old woman who was treated for gonococcal arthritis. After a physical exam that showed a complete resolution of symptoms, which screening test is the next course of action? A CD4 lymphocyte subset? Serum IgA level? Total hemolytic complement (CH50) level? Is any additional testing even needed?

Published in its entirety in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and available here from Guideline Central, the AGS Beers Criteria® also includes a host of resources— from mobile apps to a pocket reference card. The five lists included describe particular medications with evidence suggesting they should be avoided, used in caution, or dosed differently.

At the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting, Carina Venter, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, provided the latest data on the role that maternal diet during pregnancy may have on the infant microbiome and the subsequent development of allergies and asthma. The findings are that eating plenty of vegetables and limited fried, low-fiber, and sugary foods may prevent asthma and allergies in unborn children.

Improvements in brain imaging and a deeper understanding of the natural history of acute cerebral ischemia are erasing the concept of “transient ischemic attack” (TIA). The better imaging is revealing that symptomatic ischemic attacks – even those with quite transient signs and symptoms – leave residual damage to the brain.

The British Medical Journal reports that people who survive COVID-19 are at increased risk of an array of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and opioid use disorder, cognitive decline, sleep disorders, and more. The authors recommend close monitoring of patients following infection and up-prioritizing managing their mental health disorders.