Evaluation of Bleeding Problems and Abnormal Bleeding Studies The problems of bleeding encountered in the office setting range from abnormal results on screening studies to easy bruising, petechial rashes, and…
Evaluation of Erythrocytosis (Polycythemia) When an elevated red cell count, hemoglobin concentration, or hematocrit occurs unexpectedly, it raises the question of polycythemia, a term used to denote an absolute increase…
Evaluation of Anemia In most instances, the office presentation of anemia is incidental, with no obvious cause and no hemodynamic compromise. Because anemia is not a diagnosis, its appearance necessitates…
Screening for Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait Sickle cell disease is the most common of the clinically significant hemoglobinopathies. In the United States, the disease and trait occur…
Screening for Anemia Anemia is a sign of illness rather than a diagnosis in itself. The incidental finding of a low hematocrit or hemoglobin level suggests a host of underlying…
Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers Jeffrey W. Clark Gastrointestinal malignancies are among the most common tumors found in adults worldwide. The primary treatment of local disease is surgical although increasingly adjuvant…
Management of Diverticular Disease James M. Richter Diverticula—abnormal herniations of colonic mucosa through the muscularis—are extremely common, and their prevalence increases with age. Autopsy studies estimate their presence in 20%…
Approach to the Patient with Functional Gastrointestinal Disease James M. Richter Functional gastrointestinal (GI) disease accounts for a large proportion of the GI complaints seen in office practice, not only…
Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Deanna D. Nguyen James M. Richter Ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease account for most of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seen in primary care practice….
Management of Pancreatitis James M. Richter The primary physician encounters pancreatitis in three forms that lend themselves to ambulatory management: (a) the recovery phase of acute pancreatitis, (b) chronic or…
