Clinical Inquiries
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best strategy for monitoring the lipid-lowering effects of medical therapy used for the primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD)?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: There is good evidence that treatment for primary prevention of CAD decreases risk of major first coronary events and...
Clinical Inquiries
What are the current treatment and monitoring recommendations for hepatitis C virus (HCV)?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Patients diagnosed with HCV should have serum liver function tests and get a baseline HCV RNA level (viral load), since...
Clinical Inquiries
What are the indications for treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients with diabetes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Tight control of hypertension treatment is key in preventing the vascular complications of diabetes. ACE inhibitors appear...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best diagnostic approach to postmenopausal vaginal bleeding in women taking hormone replacement therapy?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Women on standard estrogen/progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimens frequently have irregular bleeding during...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the value of screening for heart disease with an exercise stress test (EST) in an asymptomatic person?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against an EST for screening asymptomatic individuals of any age. (Grade...
Clinical Inquiries
Should induction of labor be considered in a woman with a macrosomic baby?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Currently, there is no evidence to support labor induction in women with suspected fetal macrosomia (grade of...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best approach to the evaluation and treatment of chronic cough?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Potentially cough-inducing agents, such as tobacco products and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, should be...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best test to diagnose urinary tract stones?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Over the past 3 years, helical (or spiral) computerized tomography (CT) has proved the best method of testing for urinary...
Clinical Inquiries
Which patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should have esophagogastroduoudenoscopy (EGD)?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No evidence was identified that provides a basis for determining whether EGD leads to improved outcomes in patients with...
Clinical Inquiries
At what age do patients no longer need colorectal cancer screening?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Good evidence supports fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) for patients up to age 75 (grade of recommendation: A, based on...
Clinical Inquiries
Should we change formula for a formula-fed infant with persistent spitting up, but with adequate weight gain?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: We found no controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of changing formulas in the management of uncomplicated regurgitation...