ITEMS IN AFP WITH MESH TERM:
ABSTRACT: Allergic disease affects millions of persons in the United States. Environmental control measures are essential for persons who are sensitive to dust mite and cat allergens and may be important in persons who are sensitive to cockroaches and fungus. The bedroom is the most important room in which to implement environmental control measures, such as encasing mattresses and pillows in vinyl or semipermeable covers. Patients with asthma (especially persistent asthma) should be considered for allergy testing and more aggressive environmental control measures. Carpet in the bedroom or over concrete should be removed. For persons who are sensitive to pet allergens, permanent removal of the pet is recommended. Dust mite and fungus growth can be controlled by keeping the household humidity level at less than 50 percent. Removing sources of food and water and using insecticides will help control cockroach populations. Patients who are sensitive to mold and outdoor air pollution should consider limiting outdoor activities when these levels are high. Patients with asthma should avoid exposure to tobacco smoke. (Am Fam Physician 2002;66:429-30.)
Allergy Testing - Article
ABSTRACT: Percutaneous and intradermal skin tests and laboratory assays of specific IgE antibodies may be useful in selected cases of allergy management. Percutaneous testing kits are available from various manufacturers. A number of common allergens are available in standardized preparations. Positive and negative skin controls are important in establishing reliable results. Antihistamine medications can interfere with skin testing and should be stopped beforehand. Serious reactions to skin testing are rare. Establishing the sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous testing is difficult because there is no widely accepted gold standard for defining a true allergic reaction. Intradermal testing is more sensitive than percutaneous methods but much less specific. Its use is restricted to testing for allergy to insect stings or penicillin. In cases where skin testing is not available or desirable, laboratory assays for IgE antibodies to specific allergens may be used. These assays are generally less sensitive than skin testing methods. Selected patients with allergic rhinitis or asthma that is not controlled with standard therapy may benefit from allergy testing, especially when it can target allergen avoidance measures or guide immunotherapy.
Allergen Immunotherapy - Article
ABSTRACT: Allergen immunotherapy (also called allergy vaccine therapy) involves the administration of gradually increasing quantities of specific allergens to patients with IgE-mediated conditions until a dose is reached that is effective in reducing disease severity from natural exposure. The major objectives of allergen immunotherapy are to reduce responses to allergic triggers that precipitate symptoms in the short term and to decrease inflammatory response and prevent development of persistent disease in the long term. Allergen immunotherapy is safe and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of stinging-insect hypersensitivity, allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, and allergic asthma. Allergen immunotherapy is not effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, urticaria, or headaches and is potentially dangerous if used for food or antibiotic allergies. Safe administration of allergen immunotherapy requires the immediate availability of a health care professional capable of recognizing and treating anaphylaxis. An observation period of 20 to 30 minutes after injection is mandatory. Patients should not be taking beta-adrenergic blocking agents when receiving immunotherapy because these drugs may mask early signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and make the treatment of anaphylaxis more difficult. Unlike antiallergic medication, allergen immunotherapy has the potential of altering the allergic disease course after three to five years of therapy.
Complications of Body Piercing - Article
ABSTRACT: The trend of body piercing at sites other than the earlobe has grown in popularity in the past decade. The tongue, lips, nose, eyebrows, nipples, navel, and genitals may be pierced. Complications of body piercing include local and systemic infections, poor cosmesis, and foreign body rejection. Swelling and tooth fracture are common problems after tongue piercing. Minor infections, allergic contact dermatitis, keloid formation, and traumatic tearing may occur after piercing of the earlobe. "High" ear piercing through the ear cartilage is associated with more serious infections and disfigurement. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are advised for treatment of auricular perichondritis because of their antipseudomonal activity. Many complications from piercing are body-site-specific or related to the piercing technique used. Navel, nipple, and genital piercings often have prolonged healing times. Family physicians should be prepared to address complications of body piercing and provide accurate information to patients.
ABSTRACT: Leukotriene inhibitors are the first new class of medications for the treatment of persistent asthma that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in more than two decades. They also have been approved for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Prescriptions of leukotriene inhibitors have outpaced the evidence supporting their use, perhaps because of perceived ease of use compared with other asthma medications. In the treatment of persistent asthma, randomized controlled trials have shown leukotriene inhibitors to be more effective than placebo but less effective than inhaled corticosteroids. The use of leukotriene inhibitors has not consistently shown an inhaled-steroid-sparing effect, a reduction in need for systemic steroid treatment, or a cost savings. For exercise-induced asthma, leukotriene inhibitors are as effective as long-acting beta2-agonist bronchodilators and are superior to placebo; they have not been compared with short-acting bronchodilators. Leukotriene inhibitors are as effective as antihistamines but are less effective than intranasal steroids for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. The use of leukotriene inhibitors in treating atopic dermatitis, aspirin-intolerant asthma, and chronic idiopathic urticaria appears promising but has not been studied thoroughly. Leukotriene inhibitors have minimal side effects and are well tolerated in most populations.
ABSTRACT: Leukocytosis, a common laboratory finding, is most often due to relatively benign conditions (infections or inflammatory processes). Much less common but more serious causes include primary bone marrow disorders. The normal reaction of bone marrow to infection or inflammation leads to an increase in the number of white blood cells, predominantly polymorphonuclear leukocytes and less mature cell forms (the "left shift"). Physical stress (e.g., from seizures, anesthesia or overexertion) and emotional stress can also elevate white blood cell counts. Medications commonly associated with leukocytosis include corticosteroids, lithium and beta agonists. Increased eosinophil or basophil counts, resulting from a variety of infections, allergic reactions and other causes, can lead to leukocytosis in some patients. Primary bone marrow disorders should be suspected in patients who present with extremely elevated white blood cell counts or concurrent abnormalities in red blood cell or platelet counts. Weight loss, bleeding or bruising, liver, spleen or lymph node enlargement, and immunosuppression also increase suspicion for a marrow disorder. The most common bone marrow disorders can be grouped into acute leukemias, chronic leukemias and myeloproliferative disorders. Patients with an acute leukemia are more likely to be ill at presentation, whereas those with a chronic leukemia are often diagnosed incidentally because of abnormal blood cell counts. White blood cell counts above 100,000 per mm3 (100 x 10(9) per L) represent a medical emergency because of the risk of brain infarction and hemorrhage.
CPT Update for 2013 - Feature