Asthma

A 43-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a 4-day history of worsening erythema, swelling, and pruritus that developed on the face and progressed to the abdomen, back, and lower legs. In the past 2 to 3 days, fluid-filled blisters had arisen, followed by skin sloughing; the patient also reported subjective fevers. Another physician had prescribed naproxen for back pain 6 days earlier. The patient had a history of asthma, with rare inhaler use, and depression, for which she had taken citalopram for 2 years.

Several new drugs are being introduced-and more are on thehorizon.

A 48-year-old woman with a historyof hypertension and mildasthma has been transferred to themedical service because of an abnormalpostoperative ECG. She hadbeen admitted 2 weeks earlier to thegynecology-oncology service for localrecurrence of a previously resecteduterine sarcoma and underwent laparotomyfor debulking of the pelvicmass and resection of the rectosigmoidcolon. She did well until postoperativeday 14, when sudden chestpain and dyspnea developed.

Because bariatric surgery has traditionally been associated with a high incidence of complications, it has been used primarily for superobese patients. A large body of evidence suggests that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is a much safer procedure that is also very effective. This procedure offers an additional option to patients who might benefit from bariatric surgery when diet, exercise, and pharmacologic approaches have failed. Here we address questions primary care physicians often ask about the procedure.

Most sport-diving problems are mild and self-limited; however, serious or life-threatening situations can arise. In a previous article (CONSULTANT, June 2004, page 961), we addressed fitness and safety issues. In this article, we review the principal medical problems associated with sport diving.

Recreational diving continues to increase in popularity; as many as 15 million Americans are certified scuba divers. Although a few serious and possibly life-threatening conditions require recompression treatment, most diving injuries are uncomplicated and can be managed by the primary care physician. In this article, we address the questions most often asked about fitness and safety issues. In a future article, we will review the principal medical problems associated with sport diving.

ABSTRACT: Consider prophylactic therapy for patients with frequent (5 or more per month), severe migraine attacks; commonly used agents include β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants, and antiepileptic agents. Daily or alternate-day use of aspirin or an NSAID may also be helpful, and limited data suggest angiotensin II receptor blockers may provide effective migraine prophylaxis. For treatment of acute migraine attacks, triptans have emerged as the most effective agents. Controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that all the triptans have similar efficacy. The optimal strategy for an acute migraine attack is to initially administer a therapeutic agent at a dose sufficient to relieve symptoms. Intervention during the early, mild stages of an attack is more likely to alleviate pain than intervention after moderate to severe symptoms occur.

ABSTRACT: Signs and symptoms of a full-blown ocular allergic reaction include deep red vessels in the conjunctiva, itching, and swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids. Ocular allergy can resemble nonallergic conditions, including drug-induced conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and viral or bacterial infection. A history of itching confirms a diagnosis of allergy. To distinguish allergic conjunctivitis from more serious allergic ocular diseases, inspect the lids and cornea for papillae on the upper tarsal surface, which occur in giant papillary conjunctivitis and vernal or atopic keratoconjunctivitis. Local treatment of allergic conjunctivitis consists of over-the-counter and prescription antihistamines, with or without vasoconstrictors or mast cell stabilizers. Combination mast cell stabilizer/ antihistamine topical ophthalmic agents-the newest class of medication-are considered the most effective treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Oral antihistamines are not indicated unless a patient has an allergic condition, such as rhinitis, dermatitis, or asthma.

The diagnosis and treatment of migraine as its own entity is a complicated and delicate balance between identification and management. The situation is more complex, however, when the patient with migraine presents with comorbid conditions (eg, mood, neurologic, or musculoskeletal pain disorders). These comorbid conditions have important clinical implications. In fact, the risk of these and other comorbid disorders is much higher for migraineurs than for persons without a history of migraine. Comorbid conditions can also complicate treatment in some patients because of the potential for drug interactions or exacerbation of one condition by therapy for the other. The onus is on the physician to consider migraine treatment regimens that include the potential to manage underlying comorbidities and, conversely, to consider treatment regimens when migraine itself may be secondary to other primary symptoms.

Millions of Americans suffer from anxiety disorders. Many with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and/or generalized anxiety disorder present initially to their primary care clinician. Effective treatment is possible in a busy primary care setting; therapy involves patient education and pharmacotherapy. Once other potential causes of symptoms of an anxiety disorder have been ruled out, the first step is to reassure the patient that he or she has a psychological condition-a very common one-and that symptoms are not the result of an undiagnosed disease or "going crazy" or "losing control." Educate and inform patients that complete clinical remission is achievable, often with medication alone. Begin treatment on day 1 with a long-acting benzodiazepine-such as alprazolam XR or clonazepam-or with the anxiolytic agent buspirone; at the same time, start a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The anxiolytic agent allays acute somatic symptoms until the full effects of the SSRI are manifest (often 4 to 6 weeks). The anxiolytic can then be gradually tapered. Referral to a psychiatrist for psychotherapy may be indicated when a patient refuses or cannot tolerate drug therapy, or when response to therapy is inadequate.

A52-year-old white man presented with a pruritic eruption on the neck of 3 months’ duration. The rash had not responded to a potent topical corticosteroid prescribed by another practitioner for the presumed diagnosis of eczema. The patient reported no current health problems. His history included a pubic louse infestation and several episodes of uncomplicated urethral gonorrhea. He readily admitted to having unprotected sexual intercourse with prostitutes.

Bronchodilators, preferably inhaled, are recommended for all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ipratropium, with a 6- to 8-hour duration of action, is effective maintenance therapy. Tiotropium is currently being reviewed by the FDA for release in the United States; its once-daily dosing schedule may facilitate adherence. Criteria for long-term oxygen therapy are severe hypoxemia (PaO2, 55 mm Hg or lower) or a PaO2 of 60 mm Hg or lower with signs of cor pulmonale or secondary polycythemia (hematocrit higher than 55%). When symptoms are disabling despite optimal medical management, referral for pulmonary rehabilitation is the next step. Patients with upper lobe-predominant emphysema and low exercise capacity may benefit most from lung volume reduction surgery. Consider transplantation if the patient has severe lung disease that is refractory to medical therapy and survival is expected to be less than 2 to 3 years.

A 40-year-old woman who said she had asthma was admitted to the hospital with worsening dyspnea and cough. A β-adrenergic agent was her only medication. The patient denied cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Except for an appendectomy 20 years earlier, her medical history was unremarkable. The patient was afebrile.

ABSTRACT: A cough is considered chronic when it persists for 3 or more weeks. Typically, chronic cough is a lingering manifestation of a viral upper respiratory tract infection; other, more serious causes-such as asthma, sinusitis, or gastro- esophageal reflux-must also be considered. Look to the history for diagnostic clues and order a chest film, which may point to pneumonia, hyperinflation, atelectasis, or cardiac or pulmonary abnormality. Diagnostic test methods will depend, in part, on the child's age; for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against imaging of the sinuses in children 6 years or younger. Pulmonary function tests can be useful in diagnosing asthma if the child is able to cooperate. Consider ordering a barium swallow for a very young child whose cough may be the result of a vascular anomaly. A pH probe study can help you determine whether cough is secondary to gastroesophageal reflux. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause.

In general, asthma-related morbidity and mortality are greatest among members of ethnic minority groups who live in the inner cities; about 5000 deaths occur in these populations each year in the United States.

What is the optimal means of preventing exercise-inducedbronchospasm in children with asthma?

A 78-year-old man with a history of asthma, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and recently diagnosed prostate cancer was admitted to the medical ICU with exacerbation of COPD. The obtunded patient was unable to provide a history. A 4 × 6-cm firm nodule of unknown duration was noted over the right upper quadrant of the patient’s abdomen. There were no other cutaneous lesions.

ABSTRACT: Once you have excluded a cardiac origin of chest pain, focus the evaluation on esophageal, psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and pulmonary causes. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and esophageal motility disorders are the most common causes of unexplained chest pain (UCP). If you suspect an esophageal disorder, empiric antisecretory therapy is the most cost-effective initial approach. If the patient remains symptomatic, order a 24-hour esophageal pH study with symptom analysis while the patient receives maximal acid suppression. Once GERD is excluded, the patient may be treated for visceral hyperalgesia with low-dose tricyclic antidepressants or standard doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Panic disorder-the most common psychiatric disorder in patients with UCP-is often associated with atypical symptoms, such as palpitations and paresthesias, and other psychiatric disorders. If you suspect panic disorder, one approach is to give the patient a short-term, nonrefillable prescription for a benzodiazepine and refer him or her for psychiatric evaluation.

An examination the most recent data on the pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of 5 commonly used herbs: echinacea, St John's wort, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and black cohosh.

If your bedroom or other rooms in your home look a lot like this one,you may be living in an asthma "nightmare"-an environment full ofpotential causes of asthma attacks.

ABSTRACT: Many patients with presumed mild intermittent asthma have unrecognized persistent symptoms; these can be elicited with specific questioning about coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, nighttime awakenings, and exercise intolerance. Asthma severity may vary with the season. For asthmatic patients with predictable seasonal allergies, prescribe inhaled corticosteroids for a few weeks or months beginning 2 to 3 weeks before usual symptom onset. Successful long-term management requires identification and control of asthma triggers, such as cigarette smoke, house dust mites, cockroaches, molds, and animal dander. Removing triggers or minimizing the patient's exposure to them may allow improved asthma control with lower dosages of corticosteroids.

ABSTRACT: Bronchodilators are central to COPD symptom management; current options include the anticholinergic ipratropium, short- and long-acting ß2-agonists, and theophylline. Tiotropium, which is not yet available in the United States, may become a useful addition to the armamentarium. Novel phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors with both anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory effects, including roflumilast, piclamilast, and cilomilast, are being investigated. Combination therapy with bronchodilators that have different mechanisms and durations of action may prove key in achieving the greatest symptom control with the fewest side effects. For example, prescribing a first-generation ß2-adrenergic agonist, such as albuterol, together with an antimuscarinic agent is reasonable from the standpoints of both efficacy and safety.

A 63-year-old woman presents withdiffuse hyperkeratosis of the solesand palms. She also has onycholysis-separation of the nail plate fromthe nail bed-and salmon-coloredplaques behind her ears. Biopsy ofone of the plaques confirms the suspecteddiagnosis of psoriasis.

A middle-aged man with"jock itch" that has failed torespond to antifungal creams.An older woman who has diffusehyperkeratosis of predominantlyweight-bearing surfaces.A young man with mildlypruritic, small, salmon pinkpapules and thick white scaleon his trunk and arms.

A 30-year-old man presents with scalingand erythema of the scalp that extendspast the anterior hairline. Thepatient has a family history of psoriasis.For the past 5 years, he has experiencedwintertime flares of the diseasethat affect his scalp and the extensorsurfaces of the extremities.

A 46-year-old man complains that his"jock itch" failed to respond to antifungalcreams. The patient has hadpsoriasis on his elbows and knees formany years.

A 72-year-old man presents with skinlesions and nail abnormalities. Erythematous,sharply defined, demarcatedpapules and rounded plaquescovered by silvery micaceous scaleare noted on the elbows, knees, andscalp. Involved areas appear to be bilaterallysymmetric. Localized psoriasisvulgaris is diagnosed.

4A:Small, slightly pruritic, salmonpink papules with thick white scalehave arisen over the past 5 days onthe trunk and arms of a 24-year-oldman. The patient has a history ofvery mild psoriasis vulgaris of the elbows,knees, and scalp; he deniesstreptococcal pharyngitis or other recentinfections. Guttate psoriasis isdiagnosed.

Focal, painless discoloration of theleft thumbnail (A) developed severalyears earlier in this 46-year-old man.Oral antifungal therapy had no effecton the lesion.

A 35-year-old man presents with extensiveplaques over much of thetrunk and extremities. This severeflare of psoriasis developed after astressful emotional experience.