JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants articles from January 2006

JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants archives from January 2006

Share your opinions with Congress, the President.(American Academy of Physician Assistants)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... AAPA encourages all PAs and PA students to be part of the national dialogue on health care reform by becoming involved with the Citizens' Health Care Working Group (CHCWG). The working group was authorized by Congress to engage the American...

First PA Foundation grant from hurricane relief fund.(physician assistants' foundation gives to Coastal Family Health Center)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Coastal Family Health Center in southern Mississippi is the first recipient of funds from the PA Foundation's hurricane relief fund. The Foundation plans to make additional donations in the coming months to other clinics in the affected region....

Register now! Adventures in lobbying--a day on capitol hill.
January 1, 2006... Join forces with your colleagues on February 6-7 in Washington, DC, to learn how to increase your skills as a grassroots lobbyist. Put those skills to immediate use by visiting your members of Congress to talk about important health care...

2006 Annual PA Conference update.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)
January 1, 2006... Advance registration and housing are now open! AAPA's Annual PA Conference continues to provide great value for your CME dollars. The fellow member rate is less than $8 per credit hour offered--far lower than the national average for CME...

APAP changes its name to Physician Assistant Education Association.(Association of Physician Assistant Programs)(Author abstract)
January 1, 2006... The membership of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (APAP), the organization representing the 136 accredited PA programs across the country, has voted to change the Association's name to the Physician Assistant Education...

The great divide: more thoughts on an old problem.(Hurricane Katrina casualties, poor affected worst)(Column)
January 1, 2006... Beginning with the Boxing Day Asian tsunami of 2004, the planet has endured the worst year of natural disasters and consequent suffering that I can remember. It may seem that the biggest take-away message from 2005 was our nation's...

2005 victories for PAs.(AAPA VOICE: One unified voice for the PA profession)(American Academy of Physician Assistants)
January 1, 2006... Ensuring your ability to practice * In 2005, PAs and PA students from more than 26 states participated in the AAPA Congressional Visit Program with targeted visits to 86 House and Senate offices. The visits are designed to promote the PA...

Vaccines, thimerosal, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
January 1, 2006... Considerable debate has occurred over the use of thimerosai in vaccines, especially whether a potential link exists between thimerosal and disabling neurodevelopmental childhood diseases such as autism. Publications and organizations as varied...

Noncardiac chest pain: a rational approach to a common complaint: identifying noncardiac chest pain early and treating it effectively can relieve some of the enormous burden this complaint places on the health care system and the patient alike.(Medical condition overview)
January 1, 2006... Chest pain is significant not only because of the health problem it might indicate but also because of how much it costs the health care system and how greatly it affects the lives of patients. Most persons who are evaluated in a primary care...

Nonsurgical management of osteoarthritis of the knee: activity modification ... acetaminophen ... NSAIDs ... glucosamine and chondroitin ... injectable corticosteroids ... viscosupplementation. Which approach is best for your patient with knee OA?(Disease/Disorder overview)(Cover story)
January 1, 2006... Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. It is associated with a breakdown of cartilage in the joints and can occur in almost any joint in the body. The fingers, hips, spine, and knees are particularly vulnerable. Although some...

CME post-test.
January 1, 2006... EXPIRATION DATE JANUARY 2007 AAPA members: Please take this CME post-test online at www.aapa.org. Watson GS. Noncardiac chest pain: A rational approach to a common complaint: JAAPA. 2006;19(1):20-25. Kelley MT. Nonsurgical...

Are older patients satisfied with physician assistants and nurse practitioners?(Survey)
January 1, 2006... ABSTRACT Objective: To determine how satisfied older American consumers are with physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) care. Design: Cross-sectional national survey. Setting: Noninstitutional, representative, random...

A percutaneous pinning misadventure.
January 1, 2006... A 28-year-old, right-hand-dominant white female sustained a right distal radius fracture, intra-articular with dorsal comminution and angulation, following a fall onto an outstretched arm. Open reduction and internal fixation was the...

A 43-year-old woman with curious freckling of the lips.(Peutz-Jeghers syndrome)(Medical condition overview)
January 1, 2006... A 43-year-old woman presents to dermatology for "removal" of asymptomatic lesions that have been on her lips since she was 10 years old. She was told many years ago that she had inherited these lesions, but she did not recall anything else...

Which diet is better--low-fat or low-carb?(childhood obesity)
January 1, 2006... In the United States, 65% of adults and 16% of children 6 to 19 years old are overweight or obese, increasing their risks for many chronic health conditions. (1) Diets aimed at helping them to lose weight are emerging constantly, but scientific...

Which diet is best--low-fat or low-carb?(PATIENT INFORMATION: From your physician assistant)
January 1, 2006... More people are looking for ways to help them lose weight. They want to look better and to keep from having a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes (sugar), or other health problems. So this is a very important question. But it is...

Silver nitrate relieves pain of aphthous stomatitis.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
January 1, 2006... Clinical question Is silver nitrate a safe, effective way to relieve the pain of aphthous stomatitis? Bottom line This study supports the traditional clinical practice of a brief application of silver nitrate to painful, small aphthous...

Light therapy for SAD is effective over the short term.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(seasonal affective disorder )
January 1, 2006... Clinical question In patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or other types of depression, is light therapy effective as sole therapy or as an adjunct therapy? Bottom line The available published research literature provides very...

Helical CT aids management of ED patients with nonspecific abdominal pain (GAPEDS).(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
January 1, 2006... Clinical question What diagnostic strategy best identifies patients with nonspecific abdominal pain who will require urgent intervention? Bottom line A structured clinical evaluation combined with laboratory analysis, x-ray, and...

Digital mammography more sensitive for younger women.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
January 1, 2006... Clinical question Is digital mammography more accurate than traditional film mammography? Bottom line Digital mammography is more sensitive than film mammography for women younger than 50 years, premenopausal and perimenopausal women, and...

Antibiotics with atypical bacteria coverage unnecessary for CAP.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(community-acquired pneumonia)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Clinical question In adults admitted for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, is an antibiotic that covers atypical organisms more effective than beta-lactam-only treatment? Bottom line Treating community-acquired pneumonia with...

Acellular pertussis vaccine 63% to 92% effective.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
January 1, 2006... Clinical question Is an acellular pertussis vaccine safe and effective for adults? Bottom line An acellular pertussis vaccine reduces the risk of pertussis in adults and is well tolerated. (Level of evidence = 1b) Synopsis Pertussis in...

CME calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... ALABAMA February 24-25 ASPA Annual CME Conference. Where: Birmingham. Provider: Alabama Society of PAs. Information: www. alabamapasociety.org. ARIZONA March 29--April 1 Spring Primary Care Conference. Where: Sedona....

The US Census Bureau.(SPECIALTY UPDATE: Focus on PA specialty organizations)
January 1, 2006... The US Census Bureau estimates that the adult female population in the United States will increase by more than 50% between 2000 and 2050. PAs in obstetrics and gynecology will play an ever increasing role in delivering medical care to this...

PAs in occupational medicine.(SPECIALTY UPDATE: Focus on PA specialty organizations)
January 1, 2006... PAs in occupational medicine deliver employee health services in diverse settings--corporate medical offices, private physicians' offices, hospital employee health departments, remote pipeline locations, military bases, and even the White...

Case of the month: diagnostic challenges from your case files.
January 1, 2006... Erin O'Branski, MHS, PA-C CASE The patient is a 30-year-old Hispanic woman who presented to our clinic for evaluation of a chest wall mass. The mass was noted when she was hospitalized 1 month earlier for a cesarean section. At that...