Cerumen lubricates and protects the external auditory canal, but excess accumulation can lead to ear fullness, itching, otalgia, discharge, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Cerumen should be treated whenever symptoms are present or if it limits diagnosis by preventing a needed otoscopic examination. Clinicians should evaluate for cerumen impaction in those using hearing aids and patients with intellectual disability. Cerumen impaction can be treated with cerumenolytics, ear irrigation, and manual removal with instrumentation. Aural foreign bodies can cause ear fullness, otalgia, discharge, and hearing loss. They are more common in children than adults. The most common type of aural foreign bodies in children is jewelry, followed by paper products, parts of pens or pencils, desk supplies (eg, erasers), BBs or pellets, and earplugs or earphones. In adults, the most common aural foreign bodies are cotton swabs or cotton, followed by hearing aid parts and jewelry or ear accessories. Patients should avoid using cotton tip applicators in the external auditory canal. Alligator forceps, small right angle hooks, and ear irrigation commonly are used to remove aural foreign bodies in an outpatient clinic setting, but the choice depends on the type of foreign body. Soft and irregularly shaped objects can be removed without referral to an otolaryngologist. Patients with hard, spherical, or cylindrical objects should be referred to an otolaryngologist if previous removal attempts have failed or if there is ear trauma to avoid worsening its position in the ear canal.

Acne is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory condition of the pilosebaceous unit. It affects approximately 85% of adolescents and creates significant psychosocial and financial burdens. The pathogenesis involves altered follicular growth and differentiation, microbial colonization with Cutibacterium acnes, increased sebum production influenced by androgen levels, and inflammation. Evidence-based risk factors include family history and body mass index. Diagnosis of acne is clinical, according to patient age and acne morphology and severity. Setting treatment expectations is an important aspect of management. For mild acne, benzoyl peroxide is an effective first-line drug as monotherapy or in combination with a topical retinoid and/or topical antibiotic. Oral tetracyclines are first-line drugs as part of a multipart treatment regimen for moderate to severe acne for patients older than 8 years. Oral isotretinoin is the first-line drug for moderate to severe inflammatory acne. Because of its teratogenic effects, its prescribing is monitored through the iPLEDGE Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Prescribing oral or topical antibiotics as monotherapy for acne is not recommended, as this may increase microbial resistance. Combined oral contraceptives and spironolactone are used as adjunctive therapies in female adolescents. Patients with skin of color, pregnant patients, and transgender or gender diverse patients warrant special considerations in acne management.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects more than 20% of adults. Risk factors include older age, obesity, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction is a primary cause. Classic symptoms include heartburn and regurgitation. With classic symptoms, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be prescribed without further testing; PPIs should be taken on an empty stomach. Patients with atypical symptoms and those not benefiting from management should undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and potentially pH and impedance testing to confirm GERD or identify other conditions. This is important because GERD increases risk of esophageal erosions/stricture, Barrett esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, a large percentage of adults taking PPIs have no clear indication for treatment, and PPIs and other antisecretory therapy should be tapered off if possible. Of note, vonoprazan, a new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has shown superiority to PPIs. In addition to pharmacotherapy, lifestyle changes are indicated, including losing weight if overweight, not lying down after meals, and ceasing tobacco use. Procedural interventions, including fundoplication and magnetic sphincter augmentation, can be considered for patients wishing to discontinue drugs or with symptoms unresponsive to PPIs. Procedural interventions are effective for the first 1 to 3 years, but effectiveness decreases over time.

Acute pancreatitis is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders requiring hospitalization. The main causes are gallstones and alcohol use. Patients typically present with upper abdominal pain radiating to the back, worse with eating, plus nausea and vomiting. Diagnosis requires meeting two of three criteria: upper abdominal pain, an elevated serum lipase or amylase level greater than 3 times the normal limit, and imaging findings consistent with pancreatitis. After pancreatitis is diagnosed, the Atlanta classification and identification of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome can identify patients at high risk of complications. Management includes fluid resuscitation and hydration maintenance, pain control that may require opioids, and early feeding. Feeding recommendations have changed and "nothing by mouth" is no longer recommended. Rather, oral feeding should be initiated, as tolerated, within the first 24 hours. If it is not tolerated, enteral feeding via nasogastric or nasojejunal tubes should be initiated. Antibiotics are indicated only with radiologically confirmed infection or systemic infection symptoms. Surgical or endoscopic interventions are needed for biliary pancreatitis or obstructive pancreatitis with cholangitis. One in five patients will have recurrent episodes of pancreatitis; alcohol and smoking are major risk factors. Some develop chronic pancreatitis, associated with chronic pain plus pancreatic dysfunction, including endocrine failure (insulin insufficiency) and/or exocrine failure that requires long-term vitamin supplementation.

The average adult needs 1 to 2 g protein/kg of body weight and 25 to 30 kcal/kg of body weight per day. Caloric needs in adults differ based on height, weight, activity level, and disease state. Malnutrition is defined as an imbalance of nutrition, including lack of adequate calories, protein, and/or other nutrients required for body functioning. Protein-calorie malnutrition is a specific type of malnutrition defined as deficient intake or uptake of protein and energy that leads to physiologic alterations such as inflammation, loss in fat-free mass, and/or decreased response to medical treatment. Worldwide, 20% to 50% of hospitalized patients have malnutrition preadmission, and up to 90% of older adult patients are at increased risk. All patients should be screened for malnutrition within 24 hours of hospital admission. If malnutrition is suspected in the outpatient setting, patients should be screened with assistance from a registered dietitian nutritionist. The treatment strategy for protein and calorie supplementation involves provision of additional calories via oral nutritional supplements, enteral tube feedings, or parenteral nutrition. Oral nutritional supplements are indicated for patients with mild cases of malnutrition who are able to consume food orally. Meal replacement products are a convenient way to modify macronutrient intake, including use as a temporary solution to increase intake in patients with malnutrition and as an intervention for weight loss.

Unintended pregnancy is seen commonly in the family medicine setting. It is defined as a pregnancy that is mistimed (occurring sooner than wanted) or unwanted (not desired at that time or any time in the future). Approximately 45% of all US pregnancies are unintended. Childbirth resulting from an undesired pregnancy has been associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Clinicians should be prepared to manage unplanned pregnancies, including dating pregnancies and discussing pregnancy options. Pregnancy options counseling entails discussing the options to parent, make an adoption plan, or undergo an abortion. Because of the complexity around pregnancy intentions, a framework that places patients at the center of their reproductive decisions and engages them in collaborative decision-making during options counseling is paramount. Patients commonly seek abortion, which is considered essential health care. Because of the current legal climate surrounding abortion in many states, patients may opt to use abortion drugs without licensed clinician oversight, called self-managed medication abortion, which has been shown to be safe and effective. No states require clinicians to report known or suspected self-managed medication abortion.

Premature atrial contractions (PACs) occur in nearly all individuals. Although typically asymptomatic, they can cause palpitations. PACs previously were considered benign, but there is increasing recognition that frequent PACs are associated with developing atrial fibrillation. After potentially reversible causes (eg, electrolyte abnormalities, hyperthyroidism) are eliminated, symptomatic PACs can be treated with beta blockers; some patients are candidates for ablation. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) also are common, occurring in more than two-thirds of the population. They typically are asymptomatic, but some patients experience palpitations and dizziness. Persistent PVCs are associated with underlying heart disease; an echocardiogram can help detect this disease. Reversible causes (eg, electrolyte abnormalities, hyperthyroidism, stimulant drug use) should be excluded. Patients with PVCs and left ventricular dysfunction are candidates for ablation. Others may be treated with beta blockers, nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, or antiarrhythmics. Supraventricular tachycardia also is common. Hemodynamically unstable patients are treated with cardioversion. Stable symptomatic patients can be considered for catheter ablation or medical antiarrhythmics. Finally, sinus node dysfunction, previously called sick sinus syndrome, causes a variety of rhythm disturbances, including bradycardia, sinus arrest, bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, and others. Unstable patients are treated with atropine to increase heart rate. Stable patients should discontinue bradycardia-causing drugs, if possible. Some may require a pacemaker.

Dementia, also called major neurocognitive disorder, is characterized by a chronic progressive loss of cognitive function in the absence of fluctuating consciousness. It represents a primarily geriatric syndrome that may be caused by one of several underlying conditions. There is insufficient evidence to support universal screening for cognitive impairment in older adults; however, clinicians should be alert to patient and caregiver concerns about cognitive changes and investigate such concerns with validated cognitive assessment tools. Alzheimer disease is the leading cause and prototypical form of dementia, presenting insidiously and causing progressive cognitive impairment with increasing severity over a period of years. Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia and often co-occurs with other progressive cognitive disorders. Lewy body dementias encompass Parkinson disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies, which have similar features and are differentiated primarily by the order of motor and cognitive symptom onset. Frontotemporal dementias occur earlier than other forms of dementia, progress rapidly, and often have a genetic component. An understanding of the conditions that cause dementia will assist clinicians in making an accurate diagnosis and providing appropriate treatment recommendations and counseling regarding the diagnosis and prognosis.