Clinical Inquiries
Clinical Inquiries
What are the benefits and risks of inhaled corticosteroids for COPD?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), either alone or with a long-acting β agonist (LABA), reduce the frequency of exacerbations...
Clinical Inquiries
How do hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone compare for treating hypertension?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Both medications reduce theincidence of cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension, but chlorthalidone may confer...
Clinical Inquiries
Which prophylactic therapies best prevent gout attacks?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Allopurinol and febuxostat reduce the frequency of gout attacks equally after 8 weeks of treatment (strength of...
Clinical Inquiries
How can we effectively treat stress urinary incontinence without drugs or surgery?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and intravaginal electrical stimulation seem to be the best bets. PFMT increases...
Clinical Inquiries
Is there a primary care tool to detect aberrant drug-related behaviors in patients on opioids?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes. Of the several screening instruments developed and originally validated in patients in a pain center population (TABLE...
Clinical Inquiries
When you suspect ACS, which serologic marker is best?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Measurement of troponin levels provides the most sensitive and accurate serologic information in evaluating a patient with...
Clinical Inquiries
Which drugs are most effective for recurrent herpes labialis?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Daily oral acyclovir or valacyclovir may help prevent herpes simplex labialis (HSL) recurrences (strength of recommendation...
Clinical Inquiries
How best to treat UTIs in women who breastfeed?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It’s unclear, as no studies have specifically evaluated therapies for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best approach to goiter in euthyroid patients?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: In the absence of outcome studies, experts recommend ultrasound evaluation of nontoxic mulinodular goiters (MNG) followed...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best imaging method for patients with a presumed acute stroke?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It depends on whether the stroke is schemic or hemorrhagic. For early detection of ischemic stroke, magnetic resonance...
Clinical Inquiries
Whom should you test for secondary causes of hypertension?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: IT'S RECOMMENDED that all children and adolescents with a new diagnosis of hypertension undergo renal ultrasound and...