Examination and treatment of a patient with hypermobility syndrome.
(57/1307)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this case report is to present the patient examination, evaluation/diagnosis/prognosis, intervention, and outcome of a patient with hypermobility syndrome (HMS). Hypermobility syndrome has been widely recognized in the rheumatology literature, but it has seldom been discussed in the orthopedic literature and has only recently been described in the physical therapy literature. The signs and symptoms of HMS are common among patients seen in orthopedic physical therapy clinics; however, the underlying HMS may be overlooked while treating individual joints or tissues causing pain. CSE DESCRIPTION: The patient was a 28-year-old woman with complaints of chronic, multiple-joint pain. After years without a diagnosis, a rheumatologist had recently diagnosed underlying HMS. OUTCOMES: Following intervention that emphasized patient education and activity modification, the patient's complaints decreased. DISCUSSION: Recognition of HMS underlying common orthopedic problems may facilitate appropriate patient education and management. (+info)
Office evaluation of the patient with an overactive urinary bladder.
(58/1307)
Urinary incontinence affects between 13 and 17 million men and women in the United States, with an annual cost exceeding $26 billion. Overactive urinary bladder can be both neurologic (hyperreflexia) and nonneurologic (detrusor instability). The spontaneous involuntary detrusor contractions that occur with the overactive bladder often lead to urinary incontinence. Symptoms vary from patient to patient, with urgency, increased frequency, and urinary urge incontinence being the most bothersome complaints. Multiple components and interactions of the nervous system are required for appropriate storage and evacuation function of the bladder to occur normally. Thorough history taking and physical examination along with appropriate urodynamic testing are necessary for obtaining an accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. The quality of life for many patients with overactive bladder and the resulting incontinence can be dismal. Fortunately, most of these patients can be treated successfully. (+info)
Influence of clinical information on the detection of wrist fractures in children.
(59/1307)
The purpose of this investigation is to assess the importance of clinical information for the detection of non-displaced wrist fractures in children. Twenty non-displaced fractures of the distal radius in children younger than 15 years of age and twenty age-matched controls were evaluated by five blinded observers before and after giving clinical data, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using a continuous rating scale with a line-marking method was performed. The detection of the fractures was significantly improved with clinical information, and the main reason for this was an increase in true positive fraction. Availability of adequate clinical data should be emphasized for interpreting radiography. (+info)
Can helicobacter pylori serology still be applied as a surrogate marker to identify peptic ulcer disease in dyspepsia?
(60/1307)
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection and associated peptic ulcer disease (PUD) has become less common in some countries. AIM: To determine if H. pylori serology alone or combined with a history of ingestion of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and an age threshold can be used as an indirect ulcer test. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-two consecutive Australian patients (121 males, mean age 52 years) referred for endoscopy were enrolled. Blood was tested by a validated ELISA. At endoscopy, eight biopsies were taken for CLO-testing, culture and histology. NSAID use over the prior 3 months was recorded. RESULTS: One hundred and six (42%) patients were seropositive for H. pylori, 48 (19%) patients had PUD and 30 (12%) used NSAIDs. Serology alone had a sensitivity of 52% and a specificity of 60% for identifying PUD; the sensitivity and specificity were 60% and 55%, respectively, when combined with a history of NSAID use. Serology, regardless of NSAID use, would have saved 23% in endoscopy workload but would have missed 17% of PUD cases if an age threshold of < 45 years was chosen for omitting endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Serology was a poor ulcer test despite an excellent performance for detecting H. pylori. A strategy combining serology and an age threshold with a history of NSAID use to reduce endoscopy workloads may not always be appropriate. (+info)
The evaluation of common breast problems.
(61/1307)
The most common breast problems for which women consult a physician are breast pain, nipple discharge and a palpable mass. Most women with these complaints have benign breast disease. Breast pain alone is rarely a presenting symptom of cancer, and imaging studies should be reserved for use in women who fall within usual screening guidelines. A nipple discharge can be characterized as physiologic or pathologic based on the findings of the history and physical examination. A pathologic discharge is an indication for terminal duct excision. A dominant breast mass requires histologic diagnosis. A breast cyst can be diagnosed and treated by aspiration. The management of a solid mass depends on the degree of clinical suspicion and the patient's age. (+info)
Acute knee effusions: a systematic approach to diagnosis.
(62/1307)
Knee effusions may be the result of trauma, overuse or systemic disease. An understanding of knee pathoanatomy is an invaluable part of making the correct diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan. Taking a thorough medical history is the key component of the evaluation. The most common traumatic causes of knee effusion are ligamentous, osseous and meniscal injuries, and overuse syndromes. Atraumatic etiologies include arthritis, infection, crystal deposition and tumor. It is essential to compare the affected knee with the unaffected knee. Systematic physical examination of the knee, using specific maneuvers, and the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging studies and arthrocentesis establish the correct diagnosis and treatment. (+info)
Addiction: part II. Identification and management of the drug-seeking patient.
(63/1307)
The medications most often implicated in prescription drug abuse are opioid analgesics, sedative-hypnotics and stimulants. Patients with acute or chronic pain, anxiety disorders and attention-deficit disorder are at increased risk of addiction comorbidity. It is important to ask patients about their substance-use history, including alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription drugs. Patients who abuse prescription drugs may exhibit certain patterns, such as escalating use, drug-seeking behavior and doctor shopping. A basic clinical survival skill in situations in which patients exert pressure on the physician to obtain a prescription drug is to say "no" and stick with it. Physicians who overprescribe can be characterized by the four "Ds"-dated, duped, dishonest and disabled. Maintaining a current knowledge base, documenting the decisions that guide the treatment process and seeking consultation are important risk-management strategies that improve clinical care and outcomes. (+info)
Evaluation and treatment of swallowing impairments.
(64/1307)
Swallowing disorders are common, especially in the elderly, and may cause dehydration, weight loss, aspiration pneumonia and airway obstruction. These disorders may affect the oral preparatory, oral propulsive, pharyngeal and/or esophageal phases of swallowing. Impaired swallowing, or dysphagia, may occur because of a wide variety of structural or functional conditions, including stroke, cancer, neurologic disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease. A thorough history and a careful physical examination are important in the diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders. The physical examination should include the neck, mouth, oropharynx and larynx, and a neurologic examination should also be performed. Supplemental studies are usually required. A videofluorographic swallowing study is particularly useful for identifying the pathophysiology of a swallowing disorder and for empirically testing therapeutic and compensatory techniques. Manometry and endoscopy may also be necessary. Disorders of oral and pharyngeal swallowing are usually amenable to rehabilitative measures, which may include dietary modification and training in specific swallowing techniques. Surgery is rarely indicated. In patients with severe disorders, it may be necessary to bypass the oral cavity and pharynx entirely and provide enteral or parenteral nutrition. (+info)