Neurology
Preface Neurologic Diseases: The Tr a ge d y a nd t he H o pe This issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice is dedicated to the neurologic challenges faced by each of us on a daily basis in our practices. You will find represented here issues that require diagnostic and management acumen. Neurologic syndromes may also represent overwhelming situations for the patient, family, and community. The tragedy of these diseases also saps our emotional energy as we put full efforts in our care of the patients. Our patients challenge and test our ability to maintain and improve the lives of all as they travel through the stages of these illnesses. The responsibility is ours for care of the patient and to improve the lives of all touched by these diseases. Fortunately, there have been tremendous advances in the recent years that give us hope that we can look to the future for new therapy and diagnosis. Diagnosis and management of dizziness and related problems involve a myriad of potential life-threatening problems that must be diagnosed quickly. Critical thinking and quick action are needed to not miss a medication or a toxic-induced neurologic syndrome. Reviewing medication and toxin-induced neurologic problems keeps our index of suspicion up with the ever-increasing medications that patients take, including over-the-counter medication. This article gives us a quick way to review the nature of the symptom complex. Migraines and epilepsy are everyday occurrences in the primary care practice and the hope is that we can find a suitable treatment. New medications have improved the patient’s life in returning to daily activity as quickly as possible. Progressive diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia are no longer only diseases of the aged. We see these increasingly in younger patients; with the rapid research cycles, improvements could reach our practices in short time. Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Guillain-Barre´ articles give promise and hope to the diseases and diagnosis that have impacted the lives of the patient, family, and community. Our hope is to quickly assist the family and community in care while instituting the most current medical advice. It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to review these topics and to find new ways of looking at the diseases presented by this issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. As with all things, we rely on our peers and friends, old and new, to teach us and to be a resource. I am very grateful to have the support of these fine educators and the series consulting editor, Dr Heidelbaugh, for his support and advice. This issue
Prim Care Clin Office Pract 42 (2015) xi–xii http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2015.03.001 0095-4543/15/$ – see front matter Ó 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.
primarycare.theclinics.com
xii
Preface
could not exist if it were not for the tireless work by Ms Viola, Ms McCool, and others at Elsevier. I am deeply appreciative of the skill of these fine professionals. Paula M. Gregory, DO, MBA Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 625 Old Peachtree Road Suwannee, GA 30026, USA E-mail address: [email protected]
Preface Neurologic Diseases: The Tr a ge d y a nd t he H o pe This issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice is dedicated to the neurologic challenges faced by each of us on a daily basis in our practices. You will find represented here issues that require diagnostic and management acumen. Neurologic syndromes may also represent overwhelming situations for the patient, family, and community. The tragedy of these diseases also saps our emotional energy as we put full efforts in our care of the patients. Our patients challenge and test our ability to maintain and improve the lives of all as they travel through the stages of these illnesses. The responsibility is ours for care of the patient and to improve the lives of all touched by these diseases. Fortunately, there have been tremendous advances in the recent years that give us hope that we can look to the future for new therapy and diagnosis. Diagnosis and management of dizziness and related problems involve a myriad of potential life-threatening problems that must be diagnosed quickly. Critical thinking and quick action are needed to not miss a medication or a toxic-induced neurologic syndrome. Reviewing medication and toxin-induced neurologic problems keeps our index of suspicion up with the ever-increasing medications that patients take, including over-the-counter medication. This article gives us a quick way to review the nature of the symptom complex. Migraines and epilepsy are everyday occurrences in the primary care practice and the hope is that we can find a suitable treatment. New medications have improved the patient’s life in returning to daily activity as quickly as possible. Progressive diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia are no longer only diseases of the aged. We see these increasingly in younger patients; with the rapid research cycles, improvements could reach our practices in short time. Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Guillain-Barre´ articles give promise and hope to the diseases and diagnosis that have impacted the lives of the patient, family, and community. Our hope is to quickly assist the family and community in care while instituting the most current medical advice. It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to review these topics and to find new ways of looking at the diseases presented by this issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. As with all things, we rely on our peers and friends, old and new, to teach us and to be a resource. I am very grateful to have the support of these fine educators and the series consulting editor, Dr Heidelbaugh, for his support and advice. This issue
Prim Care Clin Office Pract 42 (2015) xi–xii http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2015.03.001 0095-4543/15/$ – see front matter Ó 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.
primarycare.theclinics.com
xii
Preface
could not exist if it were not for the tireless work by Ms Viola, Ms McCool, and others at Elsevier. I am deeply appreciative of the skill of these fine professionals. Paula M. Gregory, DO, MBA Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 625 Old Peachtree Road Suwannee, GA 30026, USA E-mail address: [email protected]
