JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants articles from November 2003

JAAPA-Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants archives from November 2003

PA residency accreditation: why we need it now.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... We are a young profession, and the list of issues that are important to our future is by nature long. On this list at any given time might be issues that currently do not appear urgent, but in fact are. One issue on our profession's current "to...

Inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease (the health, aging, and body composition [Health ABC] study).(Cardiology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cesari M, Penninx BW, Newman AB, et al. Am J Cardiol. 2003; 92:522-528. The researchers sought to identify cytokines that may play an important role in identifying patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and as possible targets...

Reduction in antibiotic use among US children, 1996-2000. Infectious Disease.(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Finkelstein JA, Stille C, Nordin J, et al. Pediatrics. 2003;112:620-627. Data from approximately 225,000 children enrolled in nine health care plans revealed that antibiotic prescribing decreased between 16% and 24% depending on ages, with...

Costs of health care administration in the United States and Canada. Medical Economics.(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Woolhandler S, Campbell T, Himmelstein DU. N Engl J Med. 2003; 349:768-75. Harvard researchers compared the administrative costs associated with health care in the United States and Canada in 1999 by calculating the overhead costs of...

Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on risk of Alzheimer's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.(Neurology)(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Etminan M, Gill S, Samii A. BMJ. 2003;327:128-131. Small observational studies have suggested that the anti-inflammatory properties of NSAIDs exert a preventive effect against the development of Alzheimer's disease. This Canadian...

Efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder: two randomized controlled trials.(Psychiatry)(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Wagner KD, Ambrosini P, Rynn M. et al. JAMA. 2003;290:1033-1041. The prevalence of major depressive disorder is 3% in children and 8% in adolescents and is a serious public health problem that is often underdiagnosed and inadequately...

Good enough? Or good enough to increase the odds of an MI in the next ten years?(myocardial infarction risk)
November 1, 2003... The data are clear: concurrently, even mild-to-moderate elevations of blood pressure and cholesterol can mean an increased risk of cardiovascular events. (1-3) Studies such as the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT), an...

Conjugate pneumococcal vaccine doesn't prevent recurrent OM in toddlers.(POEMS: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(otitis media )(Author Abstract)
November 1, 2003... Clinical question Does conjugate pneumococcal vaccine prevent recurrent acute otitis media (OM) in older children? Bottom line Pneumococcal vaccinations don't prevent ear infections in older children with a history of frequent ear...

Bed and pillow covers ineffective for asthma and allergic rhinitis.(POEMS: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)
November 1, 2003... Clinical question Do impermeable bed and pillow covers reduce asthma symptoms in mite-sensitive patients? Bottom line Impermeable bed, pillow, and quilt covers do not improve symptoms or reduce medication use in adult asthmatics. Other...

Current therapies for pulmonary artery hypertension: symptoms such as dyspnea on exertion and fatigue appear gradually and progress insidiously, leading to increasing disability. Medical therapies focus on lowering pulmonary arterial pressures and managing ventricular failure.(Cardiovascular Disorders)
November 1, 2003... Case report A 31-year-old white woman whose medical and family histories are unremarkable presents with a 3-month history of dyspnea on exertion. Physical exam reveals only a loud, split [S.sub.2]. A trial of albuterol inihalers provides...

Acute viral hemorrhagic cystitis: alarming symptoms with a benign cause: hematuria in a child is worrisome, but sometimes one clue from the medical history can direct the workup to reveal a viral cause.(Case Report)
November 1, 2003... Acute viral hemorrhagic cystitis (AVHC), a subset of acute hemorrhagic cystitis (AHC), is one of the few urinary tract infections that does not have a bacterial etiology. Little has been written about this entity since it was first described in...

Reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes: most patients with diabetes die from the complications of macrovascular disease, and clinicians are urged to adopt aggressive, evidence-based strategies to lessen the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.(Diabetes Update)
November 1, 2003... The major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes is diabetes itself. The risk of CVD is greater in people with diabetes than in those without, and CVD is the leading cause of death in this population. CVD...

The AAAAI adherence guidelines: taking control of asthma therapy: has treatment failed in your symptomatic asthma patient, or is failure to adhere to treatment the problem? Before you change the drug regimen, determine whether the patient has followed it--and if not, why.(Asthma)(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology )
November 1, 2003... An estimated 6.9% of adults and 8.7% of children in the United States have asthma, (1) and despite advances in pharmacologic therapy and recently updated guidelines for diagnosis and management, the disease remains a significant public...

Diagnosing and managing first carpometacarpal joint arthritis: although CMC arthritis may require referral to an orthopedic surgeon, many patients respond to conservative treatment by their primary care practitioner.(Osteoarthritis)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... Approximately 40% of the entire adult population is afflicted by osteoarthritis (OA) in one form or another. (1) OA develops primarily in response to aging, major injuries, and the microtrauma of daily stress. Use of the thumb is constant,...

CME post-test.(continuing medical education)
November 1, 2003... Acute viral hemorrhagic cystitis 1. Most cases of acute viral hemorrhagic cystitis (AVHC) are caused by a. Respiratory syncytial virus b. Cytomegalovirus c. Epstein-Barr virus d. Adenovirus 2. What is the most common...

Varicella in an adult.(Dermatology Digest)
November 1, 2003... A 45-year-old Asian man was referred to the dermatology clinic for evaluation of a pruritic rash. Five days earlier, he had visited his primary care provider with complaints of fever, malaise, and muscle aches. A temperature of 101.2[degrees]F...

PAs excel at caring for the underserved.(PA watch: brief reports on items from the medical literature relevant to PAs)(physicians' assistants)
November 1, 2003... Grumbach K, Hart LG, Mertz E, et al. Who is caring for the underserved? A comparison of primary care physicians and nonphysician clinicians in California and Washington. Ann Fam Med. July/August 2003;1:97-104. * Little is known about...

The growth of nurse-midwifery.(PA watch: brief reports on items from the medical literature relevant to PAs)
November 1, 2003... Dawley K. Origins of nurse-midwifery in the United States and its expansion in the 1940s. J Midwifery Wornens Health. March-April 2003;48:86-95. * This article reviews the origins of nurse-midwifery in the United States during the early...

Physician trends over the past 20 years.(PA watch: brief reports on items from the medical literature relevant to PAs)
November 1, 2003... Salsberg ES, Forte GJ. Trends in the physician workforce, 1980-2000. Health Aff. 2002;21(5);185-173. * Over the past 25 years, the nation has struggled with a series of physician workforce issues: determining the appropriate number of...

CME calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... JAMAICA, WEST INDIES December 10-13 12th Annual Topics in the Tropics. Provider: The Veterans' Caucus of AAPA. Location: Montego Bay. Information: www.veteranscausus.com. 2004 CALIFORNIA February 11-15 13th Annual Physician...