Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Article

Does antepartum perineal massage reduce intrapartum lacerations?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: July 1, 2008

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes—to a point. Antepartum perineal massage reduces both the incidence of perineal trauma requiring suturing and the l...

Article

Is training patients in self-examination an effective way to screen for melanoma?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: May 1, 2008

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No, it’s not. No studies demonstrate that training patients to examine their skin decreases mortality from melanoma in...

Article

Is osteopathic manipulation effective for headaches?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: March 1, 2008

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It can be. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), a component of osteopathy, has been shown to be variably effective for the tre...

Article

How should you document a patient’s refusal to undergo a necessary intervention?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: December 1, 2007

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Your documentation of a patient’s refusal to undergo a test or intervention should include: an assessment of the patient’s c...

Article

When are antibiotics indicated for acute COPD exacerbations?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: December 1, 2006

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Antibiotics (including those given orally) reduce mortality and treatment failures for hospitalized patients with acute exac...

Article

What is the risk of adverse outcomes in a woman who develops mild hypertension from OCs?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: November 1, 2006

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Women who take oral contraceptives (OCs) have an increased risk of developing new hypertension, which returns to baseline wi...

Article

What is the recommended approach to asymptomatic patients who develop a reactive PPD?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: February 1, 2006

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Clinical evaluation and chest x-ray are recommended for asymptomatic patients with a positive purified protein derivative (P...

Article

What is the recommended evaluation and treatment for elevated serum prolactin?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: October 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: History and physical examination can distinguish among most physiologic, pharmacologic, or pathologic causes of an elevated ...

Article

What treatments prevent miscarriage after recurrent pregnancy loss?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: October 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Progesterone produces a small but significant decrease in miscarriage among pregnant women with 3 or more unexplained pregna...

Article

Is therapy based on endoscopy results better than empiric therapy for dyspepsia?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: August 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: In the initial management of dyspepsia for patients without “alarm” symptoms (weight loss, recurrent vomiting, dysphagia, an...

Article

Does anticoagulation prevent thrombosis for persons with fractures distal to the hip?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: April 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis significantly reduces the total incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) fo...

Article

Is sputum evaluation useful for patients with community-acquired pneumonia?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: March 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No high-quality studies specifically address the utility of sputum Gram stain or culture in the assessment or treatment of c...

Article

What is the most effective treatment for ADHD in children?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: February 1, 2005

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Stimulant medication therapy is the most effective treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children...

Article

Do antipyretics prolong febrile illness?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: January 1, 2004

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Antipyretics appear to have minor and variable effects on the course of febrile illness. Aspirin and acetaminophen do not pr...

Article

Which infants need lumbar puncture for suspected sepsis?

Author:: Sarah Safranek, MLIS

Publish date: October 1, 2003

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Evidence from prospective and retrospective clinical trials suggests that for infants <2 months old, only those at high r...