A Rash Decision
This highly contagious bacterial infection, common in children, presents with honey-colored crusts around the mouth and is treated with topical mupirocin.
What is impetigo?
At this specific age wellness visit, you expect a normally developing infant to smile responsively, coo, and begin to hold their head up when prone.
What is 2 months?
In a major guideline update, the USPSTF lowered the starting age for routine, biennial screening mammograms for average-risk individuals to this age.
What is 40?
Arthrocentesis of a swollen, painful first metatarsophalangeal joint that reveals negatively birefringent, needle-shaped crystals confirms this diagnosis.
What is gout?
For a patient with chronic stable COPD who is still experiencing frequent exacerbations despite using a LAMA alone, guidelines recommend stepping up therapy by adding this class of inhaler.
What is a LABA?
A patient presents with a single "herald patch" on the trunk, followed days later by a diffuse eruption along skin cleavage lines in a classic "Christmas tree" pattern.
What is pityriasis rosea?
An infant who can sit briefly without support, roll from back to stomach, and transfer objects from one hand to the other has reached the milestones typical of this age.
What is 6 months?
For average-risk adults, colorectal cancer screening should officially begin at this age and continue routinely until age 75.
What is 45?
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis characteristically spares these hand joints, though it frequently affects the DIP joints.
What are the MCP (Metacarpophalangeal) joints?
To establish a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes on a shelf exam, a symptomatic patient requires a random blood glucose over 200 mg/dL, whereas an asymptomatic patient requires this specific HbA1c value on two separate tests.
What is ≥ 6.5%?
Applying topical corticosteroids to this ring-shaped, pruritic fungal infection is a classic mistake that leads to "tinea incognito."
What is tinea corporis?
While most toddlers are walking by this age, they should also be able to scribble, stack a 2-block tower, say 1 to 3 clear words, and look for hidden objects.
What is 12 months (1 year)?
A 68-year-old male with a 40 pack-year smoking history who quit 10 years ago requires a one-time screening for this potentially fatal condition via abdominal duplex ultrasound.
What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)?
Radiographic findings of a knee showing linear calcification of the articular cartilage—known as chondrocalcinosis—strongly points to this specific condition.
What is pseudogout?
A patient presents with classic symptoms of a harsh, burning retrosternal pain after large meals. First-line therapy for this condition involves a 4-to-8-week trial of this class of acid-suppressing medication.
What are Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)?
You should suspect this intensely pruritic infestation if a patient presents with linear burrows in the web spaces of the fingers, axillae, or genitalia, worse at night.
What is scabies?
A frantic parent brings in a child who can walk up stairs, copy a vertical line, and speak in 2-word phrases. You can reassure them this child is meeting milestones for this age in months.
What is 24 months (2 years)?
Annual lung cancer screening utilizing low-dose CT (LDCT) scans is recommended for adults aged 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and meet this specific timeline criteria regarding tobacco use.
What is currently smoking or having quit within the past 15 years?
A 32-year-old female presents with symmetric hand pain and morning stiffness lasting over an hour. If you suspect rheumatoid arthritis, this specific autoantibody is highly specific and predicts more aggressive disease.
What is anti-CCP?
In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and macroalbuminuria, these first-line antihypertensive agents are preferred because they lower blood pressure while selectively dilating the efferent arteriole to reduce intraglomerular pressure.
What are ACE inhibitors or ARBs?
This targetoid rash, characteristically seen in early Lyme disease, usually appears 1 to 2 weeks after a blacklegged tick bite and warrants immediate treatment with doxycycline.
What is erythema migrans?
To differentiate a 3-year-old from a 4-year-old on a shelf exam, look for this specific fine-motor drawing milestone, which is achieved a year before they can draw a square.
What is copying a circle?
While diabetes screening begins at age 35 for asymptomatic, overweight adults, the USPSTF recommends starting bone density screening (DEXA scan) at this specific age for women of average risk.
What is 65?
You should immediately look for a history of a recent diarrheal or urogenital infection when a young adult presents with the classic triad of arthritis, conjunctivitis, and urethritis.
What is reactive arthritis?
A 45-year-old female presents with fatigue and a modest 10-pound weight gain. If her screening TSH is elevated, you must check this secondary lab to confirm a diagnosis of primary hypothyroidism.
What is Free T4?