JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants articles from March 2007

JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants archives from March 2007

States gear up for legislative session.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... As the New Year dawned, state legislatures across the country assembled to begin their 2007 sessions. All 50 states hold legislative sessions this year; more than one fourth will consider legislation with direct impact on PA practice. ...

2007 AAPA Census on the Web.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)
March 1, 2007... In response to those who have expressed a preference to participate in the AAPA Census online, AAPA is offering an online version of the survey again this year. You will find instructions on how to login and complete the survey on the AAPA Web...

PAEA Annual Report shows trends continuing.(FROM THE AAPA: News of current interest)
March 1, 2007... The latest Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Annual Report contains few surprises, as the latest data showed trends established in recent years continuing. Students continue to be younger and to have less health care experience,...

An invitation to do the write thing.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... I am pleased to invite you to JAAPA's CME workshop--"Writing for Publication: What are the Secrets to Success?"--to be held at the upcoming annual PA conference in Philadelphia. Given by members of the editorial board and staff of JAAPA, this...

The HPV vaccine: a major public health breakthrough.(CLINICAL WATCH)
March 1, 2007... from CSAC, the clinical and scientific affairs council of the AAPA Who should read this? Any physician assistant who provides care to females 9 to 26 years old. What's new? In early June 2006, the FDA licensed Merck's quadrivalent...

Factors to consider before referring patients for major cancer surgery; hospital and surgical volumes are correlated with better outcomes for patients undergoing complex surgical procedures. Staffing of ICUs and a high nurse-to-patient ratio also influence the quality of hospital care.
March 1, 2007... Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. (1) The American Cancer Society (ACS) has estimated that in 2006 there were 1,399,790 new cancer cases diagnosed and 564,830 deaths attributable to cancer....

The nonoperative management of shoulder instability: here are techniques for making an accurate diagnosis, managing patients conservatively without surgery, and safely returning them to their premorbid level of activity.(Cover story)
March 1, 2007... The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body because of the articulation of the humeral head in a relatively shallow glenoid fossa. This articulation allows the shoulder to rotate up to 180 degrees in three different planes. However,...

An unusual rash in an elderly man: this disease is presumed to be transmitted between humans most commonly by droplet nuclei, as the nasal mucosa is frequently involved. It has also been documented in wild armadillos and might be transmitted from armadillo to human.(CASE REPORT)(Disease/Disorder overview)
March 1, 2007... CASE An 84-year-old white male was referred to a teaching hospital dermatology clinic in the southern United States for evaluation of a diffuse erythematous eruption that had been present for 2 years. The eruption was resistant to topical...

Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents: screening, diagnosis, and management; once thought to primarily affect adults, type 2 diabetes is on the rise among the young. The increased prevalence is largely associated with increased obesity rates among children and adolescents.
March 1, 2007... Type 2 diabetes is a growing health concern in the United States, with 20.8 million people suffering from the disease, or 7% of the population. (1) It is estimated that more than 6 million of these people have not received a diagnosis of...

CME posttest.
March 1, 2007... EXPIRATION DATE MAR 2008 AAPA members: Please take this CME posttest online at www.aapa.org. Dang V. The nonoperative management of shoulder instability. JAAPA. 2007;20(3):32-38. Yon KV, Hewett ML. Type 2 diabetes in children and...

Circumferential electrical contact burn of a finger.(THE SURGICAL PATIENT: In and around the OR)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Circumferential electrical contact burns of the finger are relatively rare. A few isolated case reports can be found in the literature and predominantly involve young males. These burns occur primarily in young working people whose metal...

A remembrance of things passed.(IN RETROSPECT: Reflective essays from PAs)
March 1, 2007... Hemingway once remarked that every man's life is a novel if written down truly. In my experience as a health care practitioner, every patient has a short story to tell. Here is one of my own. The dull ache in my right lower back is all...

EULAR develops guidelines for managing patients with RA.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Disease/Disorder overview)
March 1, 2007... Clinical question How should patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) be managed? Bottom line These guidelines, from the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommend early diagnosis and rapid initiation of treatment...

Reasoning training slows age-related functional decline.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
March 1, 2007... Clinical question Can cognitive training for older adults slow functional decline resulting in less difficulty with activities of daily living? Bottom line Reasoning training (in this study, practicing strategies for finding patterns in...

Early switch to PO is effective for severe pneumonia.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Clinical question Can patients with severe pneumonia be switched to oral therapy after 3 days if clinically stable? Bottom line Patients with severe pneumonia who are oxygenating well, have defervesce, and who can take oral medications can...

Annual mammography starting at age 40 years doesn't lower bCA mortality.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(breast cancer)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Clinical question Does starting annual mammography at age 40 years decrease breast cancer (bCA) mortality? Bottom line This study found that 10 years of annual mammography starting at age 40 years produced no statistically significant...

ABCD rule predicts 7- and 30-day stroke risk in patients with TIA.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Age, BP, Clinical factors, and Duration, transient ischemic attacks)
March 1, 2007... Clinical question Do clinical factors reliably predict which patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) will experience a stroke in the next 30 days? Bottom line The ABCD score, determined by using clinical factors previously tested...

Pelvic pain, vaginal spotting, and a right adnexal mass.(etopic pregnancy)(Medical condition overview)
March 1, 2007... Case A 36-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with complaints of lower abdominal and pelvic cramps that began the previous day. She denies nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. She reports vaginal spotting and states that...

A mysterious patch of white hair on a young boy's scalp.(poliosis)(Medical condition overview)
March 1, 2007... A 5-year-old boy is referred to the dermatology department of our clinic for evaluation of a patch of white hair on his right parietal scalp that has been present almost since birth. His parents say that he is otherwise healthy. There is no...

Case of the month: diagnostic challenges from your case files.(septic arthritis with myonecrosis)(Disease/Disorder overview)
March 1, 2007... CASE The patient is a 45-year-old Hispanic man with type 2 diabetes who presents to the emergency department (ED) complaining of severe pain, swelling, and erythema in both knees. The pain has become unbearable to the point where he cannot...