JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants articles from April 2008

JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants archives from April 2008

Department of Labor clarifies PA status under FMLA.(FROM THE AAPA)(Physicians' assistants)(Family and Medical Leave Act)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Citing comments submitted a year ago by AAPA on confusing language and forms regarding the role of PAs in certifying health conditions through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the US Department of Labor has issued regulations that...

PAs bring their collective voice to Capitol Hill.(FROM THE AAPA)(Physician Assistants)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Nearly 200 PAs and PA students descended on Washington, DC, to make sure the collective voice of the profession continues to be heard by their representatives in Congress. Over the course of 2 days, PAs both received an education in the art of...

AAPA part of White House campaign against prescription drug abuse.(FROM THE AAPA)(American Academy of Physician Assistants )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... AAPA is part of a major public health campaign against prescription drug abuse launched in late January by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Partnership for a Drug-free America. The National Youth Anti-drug Media...

Giving bad news to patients: how to do it better.(EDITORIAL)
April 1, 2008... His 6 ft, 2 in height easily collapsed into the chair he had set by the patient's bedside. He crossed his long legs, rested his hands on his knees, and waited expectantly, as if he had all the time in the world. In fact, he was already half an...

Product: Veregen.(New Drug Information)(Doak and Kenwood introduces Veregen for treatment of genital and perianal warts )(Drug overview)
April 1, 2008... PRODUCT: Veregen COMPANY: Doak and Kenwood PHARMACOLOGIC CLASS: Botanical ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Sinecatechins 15%; oint. INDICATION: External genital and perianal warts (Condylomata acuminata) in immunocompetent patients...

Is this lesion a cause for concern?(Dermatology Digest)(Case study)
April 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] CASE The patient was a 27-year-old woman with a lesion on her ear first noticed by her mother. The mother suggested that the patient have the lesion evaluated by a dermatology specialist. The patient's sister had a...

A day in the life.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I take care of skin for a living. Working in a dermatology practice for the past 7 years, I've grown to appreciate the prevalence of skin cancer, the intractability of an itch that can't be scratched enough, and the...

Easing vasomotor symptoms: besides HRT, what works? Now that many menopausal women prefer to avoid taking hormone replacement therapy, what are the best alternative treatments when hot flashes are a problem?(CME)(hormone replacement therapy)
April 1, 2008... Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menstruation and is generally agreed to have occurred after amenorrhea has persisted for 12 months. Laboratory tests can corroborate the diagnosis but usually are not necessary (see Table 1,...

Fever, nausea, and vomiting in a student from Thailand: a detailed history, with an emphasis on any recent travel, is especially important when you are evaluating a patient who presents with a fever without a clear cause.(CASE REPORT)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... CASE The patient is a 20-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department complaining of nausea and vomiting for the past 5 days. The patient reported a decrease ha appetite, loose bowel movements, and mild generalized abdominal...

Cross-cultural perspectives on intimate partner violence: addressing intimate partner violence through an ecological model and viewing it as a matter of public health can improve identification, treatment, and prevention.(Report)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The personal and societal consequences of intimate partner violence CIPV) are staggering. More than $5 billion is spent annually in medical, legal, and other related costs, (1) and this does not count the massive...

A review of the unique injuries sustained by musicians: musculoskeletal injuries in musicians range from common repetitive stress injuries to unusual, sometimes career-ending disorders. Here's how to help the patient return to making music.(Cover story)
April 1, 2008... "... in addition to being an art, playing a musical instrument is a sport in the sense that musicians often begin younger than athletes, training in the expert use of muscles from childhood to adulthood."--David Rivinus, violin maker (1) ...

Meningitis: distinguishing the benign from the serious: aseptic meningitis has a self-limited course, but bacterial meningitis can be lethal. An expeditious diagnostic approach helps to differentiate between the two.(CME)(Disease/Disorder overview)
April 1, 2008... Aseptic meningitis, commonly referred to as viral meningitis, is responsible for 75,000 cases of meningitis and approximately 26,000 to 42,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States. (1,2) Aseptic meningitis has a benign, self-limited...

CME posttest: expiration date: April 2009.
April 1, 2008... The CME scoring service is provided at no charge to current Fellow members of AAPA. Others must submit a $20 scoring fee for each posttest using AAPA's secure server. payment may be made using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. To submit...

Marking 40 years of change in the PA profession.(Research Corner)(Physicians' assistants)
April 1, 2008... Recently, the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) celebrated the 40th anniversary of PA education with a special commemorative issue of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education. This issue contains a generous collection of...

Pedometer-based programs result in modest weight loss.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Clinical question Do pedometers facilitate weight loss? Bottom line Using pedometers to guide physical activity, even when not accompanied by dietary interventions, promotes modest weight loss among sedentary and obese or overweight...

Digital mammography for all is too costly.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
April 1, 2008... Clinical question Is digital mammography cost-effective? Bottom line In the current US health care system, switching to digital mammography for all women dramatically increases costs while also increasing death rates from breast cancer....

Vitamin K improves the stability of anticoaqulation.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Clinical question Can vitamin K supplementation help achieve stable control of anticoagulation in adults taking warfarin? Bottom line Vitamin K supplementation can help achieve control of anticoagulation in adults with unexplained...

AAP practice guideline: delaying feeding does not prevent atopy.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(American Academy of Pediatrics)
April 1, 2008... Clinical question Should solid food be delayed in infants beyond 4 months to 6 months? Do specialized formulas prevent atopy in high-risk newborns? Bottom line This "guidance for the clinician" from the American Academy of Pediatrics...

Beneficence versus maleficence: can this PA participate in an execution?(PA QUANDARIES)(Case study)
April 1, 2008... CASE Mr. Y is a 32-year-old male who has been in fairly good health since his arrival at the state penitentiary 16 years ago. He has been on death row since his conviction for killing a 16-year-old friend. When Mr. Y was 28 years old, he...

Appendicitis: what helps to make the diagnosis?(Diagnostic Imaging Review)(Case study)
April 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] CASE A 73-year-old female presented to the emergency department with nontraumatic abdominal pain in the fight lower quadrant (RLQ). She stated that the pain began several hours earlier and had been almost...

Specialty update: focus on PA specialty organizations.(physicians assistant)(Website overview)
April 1, 2008... PAs in endocrinology, as well as other specialties, from time to time may want to find a new job. AAPA is the perfect place to begin the job search. The first stop is The PA Job Link, the premier national job-posting service for PAs. To look up...

Case of the month.(Case study)
April 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] CASE The patient is a 47-year-old white male who presented to our clinic for medication refills. His medical history was significant for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic back and joint pain....