Book excerpt: This portable reference provides thorough and detailed assessment information for all common primary care conditions, including signs and symptoms, diagnostic methods, drug therapies, and treatment. Written by expert nurse practitioners, it features complete, practical, up-to-date information on diagnosing and treating primary care disorders in the family practice setting. Separate sections are devoted to specific populations such as pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. This reference is well known for its concise guidelines, comparative charts, and tables that list the symptoms, physical assessment findings, and possible diagnoses in a quick-reference format. Numerous tables, outlines, and comparative charts are included for easy reference. Alerts are provided for both physician referral and emergency conditions. Practice Pearls are featured throughout the chapters to demonstrate the material's applicability to practice. Blank pages at the end of each chapter allow readers to make their own notes in the text. Signs and symptoms, diagnostic methods, drug therapies, and treatment options are described for common diseases. Reorganized content reflects a head-to-toe approach to the body systems for easy reference. Content is divided into two units: History and Physical Examination and Common Conditions with all special populations chapters located at the beginning of the book. Material has been added on syncope, chronic pelvic pain, and vulvar disease. A comparison table of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) lists the available brands/doses. Expanded coverage is provided for emphysema, anemia, hyperlipidemia, migraines, diabetes, breast conditions, HRT and bleeding, menopause, osteoporosis, pain management, and diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. National guidelines are referenced where appropriate, e.g. pneumonia, asthma, STDs, and lipids. New thumb tabs in the design allow users to access content more easily. Updated herbal therapy information is provided. Appendices include new and updated information on Body Mass Index, food sources, peak expiratory flow rates, peak flow monitoring, diabetic foot care, allergen control measures, HSV/HPV symptomatic relief measures, oral contraceptives, pain management guidelines, herbal therapy information, and suggested hospital admission orders. A new appendix includes timely information on biological disease agents. Now includes ICD-9 codes New insert features 32 color photos of dermatologic conditions for easy identification.