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

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

AAPA joins national effort to seek affordable health care.(FROM THE AAPA)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Divided We Fail is a nonpartisan movement committed to amplifying the voices of those who believe that health care and long-term financial security are the most pressing issues facing the nation. In January, AAPA became a supporter of file...

Veterans Affairs' PA bill gets favorable hearing.(FROM THE AAPA)
March 1, 2008... A bill to establish a full-time director of PA services in the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Central Office, a change for which AAPA has long advocated, was the subject of a hearing conducted January 17 by the US House of Representatives...

Webcasts approved for Category I CME credit.(FROM THE AAPA)
March 1, 2008... Six Webcasts from AAPA's 35th Annual PA Conference have been converted to Category I CME credit. They will be available for viewing through June 30. CME credit is provided at no charge to AAPA fellow members. The Webcast topics include allergic...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
March 1, 2008... "PAs report seeing more patients and receiving various fringe benefits" in From the AAPA, January 2008, page 12, gave incorrect figures for the concentration of PAs in Alaska, South Dakota, and Maine. The correct concentrations per I million...

Doctoral degrees for PAs: what happens next?(EDITORIAL)
March 1, 2008... The prospect of doctoral degrees for PAs is a controversial issue that invokes strong responses and passionate views. Most PAs are at best ambivalent and at worst downright contemptuous of the notion of doctoral degrees, particularly for...

New drug information.(Drug overview)
March 1, 2008... FROM THE EDITORS OF THE PAPR PRODUCT: Ixempra COMPANY: Bristol-Myers Squibb PHARMACOLOGIC CLASS: Antineoplastic (epothilone microtubule inhibitor) ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Ixabepilone 15mg/vial, 45mg/vial; pwd; for IV infusion...

What caused the rash on this elbow?(Dermatology Digest)
March 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] * CASE A 4-year-old girl was referred to dermatology by her pediatrician for evaluation of a slightly itchy rash on her arms, legs, and buttocks that had been present for 2 weeks. The child had had a recent upper...

An update on screening.(COLON CANCER)
March 1, 2008... WHO SHOULD READ THIS? Any PA who provides care for people older than 50 years or for those younger than 50 who are at increased risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) because they have one of the factors fisted in "Who should be screened?" ...

How biological abnormalities separate CFS from depression: chronic fatigue syndrome and depression share symptoms and may coexist--but thanks to new efforts spearheaded by the CDC, skilled clinicians can more easily tell them apart.(CME)
March 1, 2008... Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), is a multisystem illness characterized by a complex constellation of symptoms. CFS has long been controversial among health care providers and...

Brain abscess as a sign of hereditary disease.(The Surgical Patient)
March 1, 2008... CASE A 38-year-old white male presented to the emergency department (ED) with a 3-day history of persistent headache. The headache was located in the left temporoparietal area and had improved temporarily with the use of acetaminophen...

A serum sickness-like reaction to a commonly used acne drug: patients with acne often take oral antibiotics to control the condition. This 39-year-old patient experienced a rare, serious adverse effect that resolved only after hospitalization.(CASE REPORT)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2008... CASE A dermatologist prescribed minocycline for a 39-year-old female with ache to help her better control her persistent problems with the condition. The patient began taking the medication on the day it was prescribed, and approximately...

A fresh look at continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion: first introduced in the 1960s, insulin pumps were big, bulky, and cumbersome to use. Today's models are smaller, lighter, and considerably more patient-friendly.(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... Advances in technology have allowed persons with diabetes to choose an insulin-delivery method. (1) Insulin pump therapy, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), has become a preferred insulin-delivery method among...

New diagnostic tools for managing the febrile infant: the latest advances in diagnosing the cause of fever in infants younger than 90 days old include viral immunoassays, enhanced urinalysis, and biochemical markers.(CME)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2008... Every day, a large number of infants 90 days old or younger are taken to emergency departments (EDs) and other health care settings exhibiting only a fever. Physicians and PAs are faced with the challenge of determining the cause of the fever...

CME posttest: expiration date: March 2009.
March 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...

Talking the talk, or what it's like on the other side of the stethoscope.(IN RETROSPECT)
March 1, 2008... I've been practicing as a PA for the past 30 years in internal medicine, family medicine, and urgent care, and like most of us, I've told hundreds--even thousands--of patients that they need to get this exam done and have that test. "Mr. Jones,...

Helping to ensure safer transitions in hospitals.(Special Article: FROM THE AAPA QUALITY CARE COMMITTEE)
March 1, 2008... A Patient receives Pamelor (nortriptyline) in the hospital instead of the Panlor (acetaminophen, caffeine, dihydrocodeine) he takes at home. A patient is transferred from an extended-care unit to a medical unit, and her medication...

When the patient asks.
March 1, 2008... Q: What types of birth control are available? Over the past several years, the hormonal contraceptive market has become quite diverse. The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) was introduced in 1960, and today the market has expanded to include...

Patient information.
March 1, 2008... Q: What types of birth control are available? * WHAT TYPES OF HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL CAN I CHOOSE FROM? The most common type of hormonal birth control is "the Pill" Several other types of birth control are also available. These other...

Single dose of honey is effective for cough suppression in kids.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
March 1, 2008... Clinical question Is honey effective for cough suppression in children? Bottom line A single dose of honey is effective at decreasing cough severity and sleep disruption in children with cough due to uncomplicated upper respiratory...

Chlamydia Rapid Test is as accurate as conventional testing.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Clinical question Can a point-of-care test for Chlamydia trachomatis using vaginal swabs be used as an accurate screening test? Bottom line The Chlamydia Rapid Test, a point-of-care test that can be read in approximately 30 minutes, has a...

Surgery or casting is effective with early motion for Achilles rupture.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Clinical question Does surgery for Achilles tendon rupture improve outcomes compared with nonoperative therapy if controlled early motion is used as part of rehabilitation? Bottom line In this study, adults with Achilles tendon ruptures...

Antibiotics and nasal steroids provide little or no benefit in acute sinusitis.(Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2008... Clinical question Are antibiotics or nasal steroids truly beneficial in the treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis? Bottom line In this study, the largest published nonpharmaceutically funded randomized controlled trial, antibiotics and...

A 50-year-old man with a serious pain in the neck.
March 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] * CASE A 50-year-old male presented with neck pain, which he described as beginning at the base of the skull and radiating downward. Three weeks previously, he had had a four-wheeler accident but never sought medical...

Case of the month.
March 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] * CASE The patient is a 62-year-old white female who presented to our clinic with chest pain, indigestion, and diarrhea. She was not physically active, and she resided in an adult home for the mentally impaired. ...