Best of the Best 2024

Since the pandemic, many of our patients have spent enormous amounts of time on Zoom calls looking at themselves. This session will review the most common rashes and complaints a dermatologist will see on patients’ faces. But, most importantly, the treatments used to clear their faces will be detailed to have our patients “zoom” ready. Now, let’s not forget the number one thing our patients notice…. wrinkles. We will discuss the treatment of neurotoxins that help keep our patients looking youthful and refreshed. Conditions such as acne, rosacea, perioral dermatitis, Seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis alba, and lupus will be discussed. The number one cosmetic procedure, injection of neurotoxins, will also be detailed.

“If it is wet, dry it; if it is dry, wet it; and if you don’t know what to do, put a steroid on it.” Dermatologic pharmacology is not so simple. Many topical medications are utilized in primary care to manage conditions ranging from xerosis to contact dermatitis to cutaneous infections. The proper preparation, amount, and duration of therapy should be considered to be used most effectively. This presentation will help the primary care provider make sense of the various commonly prescribed topical medications, including topical corticosteroids, anti-infective agents, emollients, and several new agents that have recently become available. Medication dosing and safety will be addressed, as well as pearls and practical pointers for the most effective use of these products. Learn the what, when, and how of dermatologic pharmacology. This session will conclude with practical tips for taking care of the skin, from cleansing to moisturizing and skin cancer prevention.

Contagious or not?! Does your patient need to avoid friends, family, or sexual partners? This session will look at common skin conditions patients present with and frequently wonder if they are contagious. Pityriasis Rosea, Condyloma, Zoster, Herpes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and plant dermatitis will be reviewed.

In this presentation, we will discuss the treatment algorithms from the American Diabetes Association and the Association of Clinical Endocrinology and introduce the various pharmacologic options.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems are in the top reasons for primary care visits. Over half of chronic medical conditions in the United States are related to MSK diagnoses. These conditions are a leading cause of disability, resulting in both individual and societal burden. Achieving confidence with your head-to-toe musculoskeletal exam is the first step in diagnosing and managing MSK issues. This interactive session will provide a solid foundation for optimizing orthopedic care in the primary care setting. Emphasis will be placed on practical options for multimodal pain management in your busy practice setting.

Many clinicians are comfortable with evaluation of musculoskeletal conditions of the hand, wrist, foot, or ankle. But for some reason, evaluation of shoulder pain is often more daunting. SLAP tears? Hawkins-Kennedy test? Bankart tears? O’Brien’s test? This presentation will help you make sense of all the orthopedic acronyms and eponyms so that you can more confidently evaluate a patient with shoulder pain. Useful special tests will be explained and demonstrated.

Millions of American experience chronic pain, and over 4% of the population reports having high-impact chronic pain. Chronic pain is a common complaint and has considerable comorbidities, sequelae, and costs. This session will review some of the more common chronic pain conditions, including a review of symptoms, signs, and supportive diagnostic information. Some conditions to be covered include chronic low back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and neuropathies. Attendees will enhance their confidence in diagnosis, which, with a patient-specific treatment plan, will improve treatment outcomes.

Ready to arm your patients with play-by-play strategies to take on menopause? With the number of menopausal women reaching 1.1 billion worldwide by 2025, medical providers must be prepared to have conversations supporting individuals in perimenopause and beyond. This metamorphosis leads to more than just hot flashes. So, let’s talk about the real symptoms that deserve real conversations. In this session, we will also explore hormonal supportive therapy, non-hormonal medications, and alternative modalities for taking a holistic approach to reframing the menopausal transition.

This session will introduce a comprehensive approach to the identification of women and men at risk for fracture based on bone densitometry and their 10-year fracture risk using the FRAX calculation. There will be a discussion on who should be screened and then interpretation of results of the bone density and FRAX calculation. There will be discussion of the approach to patients based on whether they are at high or very high risk for fracture. In session part 1, there will be a discussion of the initial workup of patients, non-pharmacologic therapy, and initial therapy of the osteoporotic patient at high risk for fracture with pharmacologic therapy. Treatment of patients at high risk due to therapy such as aromatase inhibitors and androgen deprivation therapy will be discussed. Case studies will be presented for managing osteoporotic patients at high risk for fracture.

Part 2 of this session will review the approach to patients who are at very high risk for fracture based on their bone density or FRAX calculation. This will include discussion of sequencing of pharmacologic therapy with bone building anabolic agents followed by maintenance with anti-resorptive agents. Current controversies will be discussed including long-term use of bisphosphonates, adverse events including osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and atypical subtrocanteric femur fractures and drug holidays. Concerns about discontinuation of rank ligand inhibitors and the risk for a rapid increase in vertebral fractures will be discussed. Case studies will be presented for managing osteoporotic patients at very high risk for fracture.