Dizziness: Approach to Evaluation and Management.

Dizziness is a common yet imprecise symptom. It was traditionally divided into four categories based on the patient's history: vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, and light-headedness. However, the distinction between these symptoms is of limited clinical usefulness.

Louisiana and Mississippi Family Physicians' Contraception Counseling for Adolescents with a Focus on Intrauterine Contraception.

Study Objective: The adolescent pregnancy rate in Louisiana (LA) and Mississippi (MS) is one of the highest in the United States. One approach to decrease that rate is to increase contraceptive use. We sought to characterize LA and MS family physicians' (FPs) contraception counseling for adolescents with a focus on the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD).

Rosacea: Diagnosis and Treatment.

Rosacea is a chronic facial skin condition of unknown cause. It is characterized by marked involvement of the central face with transient or persistent erythema, telangiectasia, inflammatory papules and pustules, or hyperplasia of the connective tissue. Transient erythema, or flushing, is often accompanied by a feeling of warmth.

Hip fracture: diagnosis, treatment, and secondary prevention.

Hip fractures cause significant morbidity and are associated with increased mortality. Women experience 80% of hip fractures, and the average age of persons who have a hip fracture is 80 years. Most hip fractures are associated with a fall, although other risk factors include decreased bone mineral density, reduced level of activity, and chronic medication use.

Outpatient management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Approximately 2% to 9% of patients seen in a family physician's office have alcohol dependence. These patients are at risk of developing alcohol withdrawal syndrome if they abruptly abstain from alcohol use. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome begins six to 24 hours after the last intake of alcohol, and the signs and symptoms include tremors, agitation, nausea, sweating, vomiting, hallucinations, insomnia, tachycardia, hypertension, delirium, and seizures.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in children.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an RNA virus that causes respiratory tract infections in children. In the North- ern Hemisphere, the peak infection season is November through April. By two years of age, most children will have had an RSV infection.

Alpha and beta thalassemia.

The thalassemias are a group of inherited hematologic disorders caused by defects in the synthesis of one or more of the hemoglobin chains. Alpha thalassemia is caused by reduced or absent synthesis of alpha globin chains, and beta thalassemia is caused by reduced or absent synthesis of beta globin chains. Imbalances of globin chains cause hemolysis and impair erythropoiesis.