It's well-documented that the insertion of an IUD can be painful, sometimes excruciatingly so. But somehow it has taken a public outcry about this extreme discomfort to bring the issue to the forefront of the medical community. Neda sits down with Matt to explore new recommendations from the CDC, evidence-based options for pain and anxiety management, and a toolkit of strategies we can use when inserting IUDs to make our patients as comfortable as possible. Explore Our Podcasts: hippoed.com/podcasts

Thyroid disorders can be confusing. In this episode, Neda Frayha, MD sits down with endocrinologist Rana Malek, MD for a thyroid Q&A lightning round. Listen as Dr. Malek answers our burning questions about T3, subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid antibodies, levothyroxine formulations, and more. Explore Our Podcasts: hippoed.com/podcasts

Primary Care RAP presents a segment on Hypogonadism Featuring Margaret Wierman, MD and Andrew Buelt, DO

Mike and Rob dive back in to give you some new finds on Smoking Cessation from the March 2016 Edition of Urgent Care RAP.

Dr. Ilene Claudius discusses the safety, risks and laws relating to hoverboards.

Solomon Behar, MD and Danelle Fisher, MD discuss the most common skin conditions in children and basic approaches to management.

Pearls:

First line management of atopic dermatitis includes good skin hygiene and topical moisturizers; topical corticosteroids are often needed to control flares as well as help with relapses.

Topical calcineurin inhibitors are used as second line treatment in children older than 2 years of age.

Topical corticosteroids come in varying potencies and formulations and should be tailored to the specific clinical situation.

Atopic Dermatitis (AD).  AD is one of the most common skin findings in the pediatric population.  AD can present in early infancy and with varying clinical presentation.

Mike Weinstock, MD and Mizuho Spangler, DO discuss fingernail pathologies, management of paronychia and risks for aggressive antibiotic usage in outpatient settings.

PEARLS:

Fingertip lesions can be isolated injuries or evidence of more serious, systemic processes.

Radiographs of fingertips are useful if there is a concern for a retained foreign body, underlying fracture or deep-space infection like osteomyelitis.

It is important to remember that nothing we do in medicine, including writing prescriptions and admitting patients to the hospital, is without risk, and we need to consider these risks in determining the right course of action for our patients.  

More information on this topic can be found on the Hippo Education blog here.

A patient you’re caring for, but don’t know very well, dies in the hospital. You feel awkward about writing a condolence letter since there isn’t much of a relationship with the family. Should you write one? Will it bring up unpleasant memories for the family? Eric Lamotte and Susan Merel explore these questions and more (as well as brief how to guide) in this Primary Care RAP short.