JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants articles from July 2005

JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants archives from July 2005

State-of-the-Art lectures from the 2005 annual conference now available online.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)(American Academy of Physicians Assistants)(Brief article)
July 1, 2005... This year's State-of-the-Art lecture series during AAPA's annual conference offered a broad look at topics of clinical interest to PAs in all specialties. The sessions were developed as part of AAPA's Knowledge PArtner Program and were...

US Virgin Islands passes PA licensing bill.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)
July 1, 2005... On May 5, the Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands passed Legislative Bill 26-002, the Physician Assistant Licensing Act of 2005, by unanimous vote, and Virgin Islands Gov. Charles Turnbull (D) has signed the bill into law. The...

Medicare drug benefit program posters now available.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)(American Academy of Physicians Assistants)(Brief article)
July 1, 2005... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)Web site has a new feature to help PAs educate their patients about the Medicare drug benefit plan. PAs can now order free posters for display in their offices. These posters direct Medicare...

Eugene A. Stead, Jr, MD: October 6, 1908-June 12, 2005.(In Memoriam)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
July 1, 2005... On June 12, Eugene A. Stead, Jr, MD, a founder of the PA profession, died in his sleep at his lake home in Bullock, North Carolina. Stead served as Dean of the School of Medicine at Emory University in 1946 but left I year later to become...

Charting a course to competency.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(physician's assistants)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... With the passage of resolution 2005-B-24 in May 2005, the AAPA House of Delegates adopted a position paper entitled "Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession" (reprinted in this issue of JAAPA on page 16). This action was in response...

Competencies for the physician assistant profession.(SPECIAL ARTICLE)
July 1, 2005... A new beginning In 1995, AAPA initiated the first of three studies to identify the "core competencies" of the PA profession. These studies, together with the work done by other medical professions, laid the foundation for the consensus now...

The second time around.(IN RETROSPECT: Reflective essays from PAs)(Personal account)
July 1, 2005... Monday morning, 08:45 I arrive at the office, hang up my coat, stow my briefcase beside my desk, drape my stethoscope across my shoulders, and proceed to sort through the phone messages that have accumulated on the desktop, prioritizing them in...

Enhancing contraception: a comprehensive review: this review covers familiar and emerging contraceptive methods, comparing the risks and benefits of each. These basics will help you connect patients with the most acceptable form of contraception for them.(Recertification Refresher)
July 1, 2005... Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended (1)--a fact that is both astounding and unacceptable in an era of rapid advances in medical technology and pharmacology. The problem is not the result of too few contraceptive...

Injury-related causes of acute knee pain: this detailed overview covers the anatomy, function, and examination of the knee and describes the phases of treatment for acute knee pain secondary to injury.(Medical condition overview)
July 1, 2005... Knee pain affects 20% of people in the United States and is the fifth most common health complaint, accounting for 12.5 million doctor visits in 2000. (1,2) Acute knee pain leads to more than one million emergency department and 1.9 million...

CME post-test.
July 1, 2005... EXPIRATION DATE JULY 2006 AAPA members: Please take this CME post-test online at www.aapa.org. Himmerick KA. Enhancing contraception: A comprehensive review. JAAPA. 2005; 18(7):26-33. Dascota JS, Ward K. Injury-related causes of...

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma: classic KS usually appears between ages 50 and 70 years and has a relatively benign, indolent course for 15 years or longer. Treatment usually controls the disease quite well.(Case report)(Disease/Disorder overview)
July 1, 2005... The patient was a 58-year-old white Jewish man. Ten years previously, he dropped a can of paint onto his right foot proximal to the toes and subsequently noted the development of ecchymosis in that area. The ecchymotic area did not heal....

Leishmaniasis: early diagnosis is key: a patient presents with nasal congestion, a history of nosebleed, and painful lesions on his body and in his mouth. What questions should you ask to ensure that you make an accurate diagnosis?(Disease/Disorder overview)(Cover story)
July 1, 2005... Leishmaniasis is a complex disease distinguished by a variable set of clinical signs and symptoms. It can manifest in a self-limited, cutaneous form or as a life-threatening systemic infection. Historically difficult and painful to treat, this...

An "infection" that antibiotics won't cure.(DERMATOLOGY DIGEST: A derm photo quiz)(Case study)
July 1, 2005... A 29-year-old woman presented to the dermatology clinic with what she called an "infection" on her anterior thigh (see Figure 1). It had been present for 10 days and had not responded to oral and topical antibiotics. The patient reported that...

Long-acting injectable naltrexone reduces heavy drinking.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question Is a long-acting injectable formulation of naltrexone effective in the management of alcohol dependence? Bottom line Long-acting injectable naltrexone reduces heavy drinking days in the treatment of alcohol dependence but...

Intermittent = continuous therapy for mild persistent asthma.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question Does continuous therapy with anti-inflammatory drugs improve outcomes for patients with mild persistent asthma? Bottom line Intermittent therapy, as measured by the outcomes that matter, is as effective as continuous...

Gabapentin + morphine marginally better than either alone for neuralgia.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question Is the combination of gabapentin (Neurontin) and morphine more effective for neuropathic pain than either drug alone? Bottom line The combination of gabapentin and morphine provides a small but clinically unimportant...

Diuretics the first choice in hypertensive blacks and nonblacks.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question What class of drugs are the best initial agents for the treatment of hypertension in black and nonblack patients? Bottom line Thiazide-type diuretics are the best initial agents for the treatment of hypertension for most...

Diagnosis unaffected by giving kids narcotics for abdominal pain.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question Does giving a narcotic to children with abdominal pain obscure the surgical diagnosis? Bottom line Giving analgesics to children with abdominal pain does not obscure the surgical diagnosis. We don't need to make kids...

ASA prevents stroke, not MI, in women.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(acetylsalicylcic acid)(myocardial infarction)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... Clinical question Does aspirin prevent cardiovascular disease in women? Bottom line Aspirin reduces the risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack in women but does not reduce the risk of MI or cardiovascular (CV) death. The reduction in...

CME calendar.(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... ARKANSAS September 30-October 1 Fifth Annual Fall CME Conference. Where: Rogers. Provider: Arkansas Academy of PAs. Information: (479) 631-2100, ext. 5970; hsams@roge.mercy.net. CALIFORNIA September 21-24 15th Annual...

Case of the month: diagnosis challenges from your case files.(Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis)(Clinical report)
July 1, 2005... CASE The patient is a 17-year-old male with a right neck mass. There were no complaints of fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Physical examination revealed a 2-cm mass that was mobile, tender, and firm. The cardiovascular and respiratory...