Articles related to Family Medicine/General Practice

The American Journal of Gastroenterology published the ACG clinical guideline on the management of IBS in January 2021. Lead author gastroenterologist Brian E. Lacy, MD, PhD, says that to diagnose IBS, clinicians should take a careful history, perform a careful physical exam, use Rome IV criteria, and perform limited diagnostic testing (complete blood count, C-reactive protein, and possibly celiac serologies and fecal calprotectin, depending on symptoms). Regardless of whether a patient has constipation-predominant symptoms, diarrhea-predominant symptoms, or a combination of constipation and diarrhea, the first step is to classify the patient into a mild, moderate, or severe IBS category.

One of the main explanations for an improvement in the financial standing of medical practices is the expansion of supplementary services. Ancillary services give doctors alternatives to increase revenues and create more money. However, they also help patients by making life more convenient, saving time, and enhancing treatment and results. Here is a list of the extra services offered by internal medicine and family medicine clinics in the previous calendar year.

This 62-year-old man had a lung transplant 3 years previously for IPF and is on tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisone. Which therapy is most appropriate for their zoster outbreak? IV acyclovir Oral famciclovir Oral valacyclovir Herpes zoster vaccine

Use of Carnett sign, greater trochanter palpation, and a simple extension to typical joint examination can reduce imaging and orthopedic referrals by primary care physicians and bring faster effective treatment to the patient.

A layered approach to care is described with lifestyle interventions being a key feature of the updated recommendations. The recommendations now include therapies proven to improve cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in patients with diabetes and CKD.

The US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) this week. The NDSUH offers a window into Americans’ experiences with mental health disorders, substance use, and their pursuit of treatment during the second year of the COVID epidemic through chosen estimates by race, ethnicity, and age group. Enough said—the outcomes aren’t appealing.