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Despite major advances in contraception that occurred during the 20th century, about 49% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. More than half of these pregnancies end in abortion.

A 16-year-old football player complains of increasing pain in the ring finger of his right hand. It began 2 days earlier, when he tried to tackle a running back by grabbing the player's jersey; he felt immediate pain and was unable to continue holding on to the jersey.

The most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States is caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), an RNA virus transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. In this article, we identify risk factors for HCV infection and discuss which patients should be tested and treated.

My patient complains of chronic fatigue. Her complete blood cell count and thyroid-stimulating hormone level are normal. Would it be worthwhile to measure her dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) level?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects 1% ofadults during their most productiveyears and can result in significant disability.The goals of therapy are to reducepain, limit joint destruction, andpreserve function.

A34-year-old woman presents to the emergency department(ED) with rapidly progressive dyspnea.The patient has a history of metastatic vaginal clearcell adenocarcinoma secondary to diethylstilbestrol exposurein utero. Following her diagnosis in 1990, she wastreated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Shehad done well for years until a recurrence of the cancer tothe left lung was found last year. She completed a courseof chemotherapy with doxorubicin hydrochloride andcisplatin 1 month ago.

Patients who are told how to breatheinto a peak flow meter often try formaximum volume rather than flow.

To facilitate insertion of an anoscopeor sigmoidoscope in a tense and anxiouspatient, ask him or her to beardown, simulating defecation.

I suspect that my patient has hereditary angioedema (HAE). During her lastpregnancy 2 years earlier, she had severe preeclampsia.

An 83-year-old man complains of weakness, easy fatigability, and poor appetitethat began 4 to 6 weeks ago. He becomes short of breath on his daily walksand has lost about 20 pounds over the last 3 months. He denies nocturia,paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, exertional chest pain, fever, cough, melena,and hematochezia. His only GI symptom is occasional crampy abdominal painwith bowel movements.

Many of the approximately 12.4 million Americans whohave cardiovascular disease are not being treated with themost up-to-date risk-reduction therapies.1 Strong evidencefrom recent studies, such as the National Heart, Lung, andBlood Institute’s Adult Treatment Panel III report2 and theHeart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) trial,3demonstrate the need for more aggressive use of appropriatemedical and lifestyle therapies for these patients.

Seizures are among the most common neurologic conditionsencountered in the primary care setting. However, they havereceived scant attention in standard textbooks and in themedical literature generally-perhaps because the topic cutsacross so many specialties. Here, an international team ofexperts fills this void with a comprehensive discussion of thecauses and management of seizures associated with a widevariety of medical problems-including organ failure,organ transplantation, electrolyte imbalance, endocrine disorders,cardiorespiratory disorders, cancer, fever and systemicinfection, medication, alcohol, illicit drug use, andenvironmental toxins. Chapters cover the various types ofseizures and their pathophysiology, how to distinguishseizure from syncope, seizures in the ICU, and the use ofanticonvulsants.

You routinely order laboratory screeningpanels, including serum liver enzymemeasurements, for nearly everypatient who has a complete physicalexamination or who is seen for any ofa host of other complaints. If you findabnormal liver enzyme levels, your familiaritywith the common causes andthe settings in which they occur mayenable you to avoid costly diagnosticstudies or biopsy.

A 26-year-old woman complained of flatus and fecal incontinence of solid stool.One year earlier, she was delivered of a 3.86-kg (8.5-lb) infant; a severe perinealtear was repaired after the birth.

Many patients who experience anepisode of severe low back pain willhave a recurrence at some time in theirlife. Therefore, it is usually prudent toprescribe a long-term exercise programto minimize the pain and frequency ofrecurrences. Such a program should include3 types of activities:

Low back pain affects up to 80% ofAmericans at some point in their lives.1This common ailment can be mentallyand physically debilitating.

Q:What is the best and most efficient method ofevaluating pulmonary function in primary careoffice practice?

Liperoti R, Pedone C, Lapane KL, et al, UniversitaCattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome,and other centers. Venous thromboembolismamong elderly patients treated withatypical and conventional antipsychoticagents. Arch Intern Med. Dec 12/26, 2005;165:2677-2682.