Articles related to Family Medicine/General Practice

Although the 2020 numbers will likely look MUCH different, the Merritt Hawkins survey from 2019 showed increased gains from previous years. Of the 62 responses representing 93 hospitals, cardiovascular surgery drove the most revenue. Still, the outlook remains bleak post-pandemic.

A dermatologist describes alopecic and aseptic nodules (AANS) of the scalp, a new clinical entity that has likely escaped many diagnoses. Here is a primer on the condition and how you can ensure a proper diagnosis to alleviate patients’ anxiety, as most have a good prognosis with straightforward therapeutic maneuvers.

Dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath are common symptoms of COVID-19. As a dermatologist, you should also know that the coronavirus can also affect your patients’ skin and toes and may, in fact, be the only symptom. Here is what to look for — complete with images — in patients that test positive for COVID-19 and how you can best treat.

The Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (GINA) has published its annual report on asthma management and prevention. Key recommendations include that adults with asthma should receive combination therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist on an as-needed basis. The recommended option is low-dose budesonide-formoterol, or beclomethasone-formoterol as an alternative treatment. Short-acting inhaled beta agonists as rescue medication is discouraged.

A 59-year-old man is hospitalized with a five-day history of nonproductive cough and fever. The patient reports that he recreationally breeds carrier pigeons and reports no travel outside of the United States. After a physical exam and chest radiograph, what is the most likely cause of this patient’s symptoms?

There are currently no effective antiviral agents available for the treatment of COVID-19 in the outpatient setting. However, ciclesonide, an inhaled steroid agent used to treat asthma, has been found to lessen the antiviral effects by acting on the nonstructural proteins of COVID-19.