American family physician
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American family physician · Mar 1992
ReviewDengue fever: a resurgent risk for the international traveler.
The incidence of dengue fever, an acute febrile illness transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is on the rise. High fever, severe headache, skin rash and a variety of constitutional symptoms are hallmarks of classic dengue fever. ⋯ Treatment of classic dengue fever is supportive, whereas urgent rehydration therapy is often required in more severe forms. Community-based and personal strategies for avoiding the mosquito vector represent the best methods of prevention, although vaccine development programs are under way.
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American family physician · Mar 1992
New CPT codes: hospital, consultation, emergency and nursing facility services.
New evaluation and management codes were created by the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel to ensure more accurate and consistent reporting of physician services. The new hospital inpatient codes describe three levels of service for both initial and subsequent care. Critical care services are reported according to the total time spent by a physician providing constant attention to a critically ill patient. ⋯ In 1992, nursing facility services are described with either comprehensive-assessment codes or subsequent-care codes. Hospital discharge services may be reported in addition to the comprehensive nursing facility assessment. Since the 1992 CPT book will list only the new codes, and since all insurance carriers will not be using these codes in 1992, physicians are encouraged to keep their 1991 code books and contact their local insurance carriers to determine which codes will be used.
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The term "papilledema" describes optic disc swelling resulting from increased intracranial pressure. A complete history and direct funduscopic examination of the optic nerve head and adjacent vessels are necessary to differentiate papilledema from optic disc swelling due to other conditions. ⋯ Causes of papilledema include intracranial tumors, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri), subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma and intracranial inflammation. Optic disc edema may also occur from many conditions other than papilledema, including central retinal artery or vein occlusion, congenital structural anomalies and optic neuritis.