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

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

Three PA programs receive provisional accreditation.(FROM THE AAPA)(physician's assistant)(Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... At its September meting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) granted provisional accreditation to PA programs at the South College in Knoxville, Tennessee; the Mercer University College of...

2008 PAragon and Stead Awards--now accepting applications.(FROM THE AAPA)(American Academy of Physician Assistants)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Their actions have touched the lives of thousands of patients. Their devotion to the men, women, and children they serve is inspiring to those with whom they work and the people in their communities. Each year, AAPA honors the best of the PA...

Adventures in Lobbying 2008.(FROM THE AAPA)(Adventures in Lobbying: A Day on Capitol Hill (February 25-26, 2008))(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Join your PA colleagues at Adventures in Lobbying: A Day on Capitol Hill, February 25-26, 2008. Hear National Public Radio's Mara Liasson talk about the outlook for health care reform and get the latest news on Medicare, federal support for PA...

A 20-year perspective on PAs and publishing.(EDITORIAL)(physicians' assistants)
November 1, 2007... From 1991 to 1995, I served as a member of this journal's editorial board under the leadership of founding editor Leslie Kole, PA-C. At our board meetings, we worked very hard to shape a journal that would stand the test of time. Instead of the...

Product: Selzentry.(New Drug Information)
November 1, 2007... FROM THE EDITORS OF THE PAPR PRODUCT: Selzentry COMPANY: Pfizer PHARMACOLOGIC CLASS: Antiretroviral (CCR5 co-receptor antagonist) ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Maraviroc 150mg, 300mg; tabs. INDICATION: HIV-1, infection in...

Simply a pimple, or is it worse?(Dermatology Digest)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ** CASE An 8-year-old girl was brought to the clinic by her mother for evaluation of a lesion that had been on her face for more than a year. The lesion grew to its current size and had stabilized at that size a...

Screening in women 40 to 49 years old.(MAMMOGRAPHY)
November 1, 2007... Who should read this? Physician assistants providing medical care for women in their fifth decade of life. Why is this important? The optimal age to begin breast cancer screening with mammography is controversial. Over the past 20...

Herpes zoster in 2007: treatment and prevention: early, aggressive treatment of shingles and appropriate use of the shingles vaccine are essential to the effective management of this painful condition.(CME)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Cover story)
November 1, 2007... Herpes zoster--also called shingles--is a painful rash arising from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV; human herpesvirus 3) in the dorsal nerve root ganglia. The risk for shingles increases with age, reflecting an age-related...

Pentalogy of cantrell: a rare congenital abnormality.(The Surgical Patient)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] CASE During fetal life, the patient in this case was found to have a two-vessel cord and evidence of a congenital cardiac defect during routine fetal ultrasonography. Fetal echocardiography...

Hemangioblastoma without von Hippel-Lindau disease: tumors account for only 1% of cases in which the patient presents with dizziness. This patient turned out to be a member of that rare group.(CASE REPORT)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... CASE The patient is a 44-year-old man who presented to a primary care office for follow-up after a previously diagnosed middle ear infection with benign positional vertigo. Four weeks earlier, he had experienced occasional episodes of...

Common skin pathology in LE prosthesis users: the nature of state-of-the-art skin-prosthesis interface puts amputees who use prostheses at increased risk for these common dermatologic conditions.(lower extremity)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... In the United States, 7% of all outpatient ambulatory visits are for dermatologic complaints. (1) Lower extremity (LE)prosthesis users experience a higher incidence of such problems because of the skin-prosthesis interface. Plastic, silicone,...

Improving care of the dying: what do the experts say? This article reviews nine key points that experts at an NIH conference said characterize the challenges associated with improving end-of-life care.(Conference news)
November 1, 2007... But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep --Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" A desperate 30-year-old man with end-stage cancer decides to pursue aggressive treatment even against expert...

Fournier's gangrene: be alert for this medical emergency: intense pain and tenderness in the genitalia are hallmarks of this infection. Early diagnosis, prompt antibiotic administration, and surgical debridement are essential.(CME)(Disease/Disorder overview)
November 1, 2007... Fournier's gangrene is an aggressive and rapidly spreading infection of soft tissue, or necrotizing fasciitis, that involves the deep and superficial fascia of the perineum. (1) The rate of fascial necrosis in Fournier's gangrene is reported to...

CME Posttest: expiration date: November 2008.(continuing medical education)
November 1, 2007... AAPA members: Please take this CME posttest online at www.aapa.org. HERPES ZOSTER 1. The rarest manifestation of the prodrome of herpes zoster is a. Headache b. Malaise c. Fever d. Photophobia 2. The rash associated with...

Cardiac surgery: 1987 and 2007.(Then and Now)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ** A SYMPHONY OF EFFORT PAs have always espoused the team approach to medicine, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is more dependent on a team than almost any other specialty operation. How fitting...

Q: What can I do about insomnia?(When the Patient Asks)(Disease/Disorder overview)
November 1, 2007... Insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or not feeling rested after sleep. (1) Up to 30% of the general population reports experiencing sleep disturbances. (2) In clinical settings, up to 50% of patients complain of...

Q: What can I do about insomnia?(Patient Information)(Disease/Disorder overview)
November 1, 2007... WHAT IS INSOMNIA? If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you have insomnia. Insomnia also is when you do not feel well-rested when you wake up. Insomnia is a very common problem. Many people have insomnia at some time in...

PAs can effectively serve as leader of an RRT.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(physicians' assistants)(rapid response team)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Clinical question Does a rapid response team (RRT) led by a PA reduce the rates of in-hospital cardiac arrest, unplanned transfers to the intensive care unit, and in-hospital mortality? Bottom line A RRT led by a trained PA in a community...

Warfarin is better than aspirin in preventing strokes in older patients.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Clinical question In patients older than 75 years with atrial fibrillation, is warfarin more effective than aspirin at preventing strokes? Bottom line This study confirms that warfarin titrated to a target international normalized ratio...

Apolipoprotein levels are useful for evaluating CHD risk.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(coronary heart disease)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Clinical question Are apolipoprotein levels and ratios useful in predicting the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)? Bottom line Measurement of the apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I ratio is comparable with, but does not offer any...

Clinical rule diagnoses PCOS more accurately.(POEMs: Patient-oriented evidence that matters)(polycystic ovarian syndrome)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Clinical question What are the key signs and symptoms for the diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)? Bottom line A simple questionnaire completed by patients before they see the physician can assist in the diagnosis of PCOS. It is...

Pregnancy outcomes are similar after medical and surgical abortions.(POEMs)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Clinical question What are the long-term health consequences of medical abortion? Bottom line Subsequent pregnancy outcomes after medical abortion using prostaglandins are similar to the outcomes after surgical abortion. (Level of evidence...

Shortness of breath in a 27-year-old man.(Diagnostic Imaging Review)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] * CASE A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department with complaints of shortness of breath that had worsened over several weeks and a dry cough that was sometimes severe. His symptoms increased when lying...

Case of the month.(pulmonary hamartoma)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] ** CASE A 56-year-old white male was referred to our clinic for further evaluation of right-sided lymphadenopathy and a suspicious finding on a chest radiograph. Approximately 6 months ago, the patient had an upper...