Clinical Inquiries
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...
Clinical Inquiries
Does ultrasound guidance improve outcomes for steroid joint injections?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Patients yes, at least in the short term. Ultrasound-guided (USG) injections of triamcinolone into the shoulder improve...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best age to start vitamin D supplementation to prevent rickets in breastfed newborns?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It’s unclear what age is best to start vitamin D supplementation because no comparison studies exist. That said, breastfed...
Clinical Inquiries
What clinical clues differentiate migraine from sinus headaches?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Patients with sinus headaches have thick nasal discharge, fever, chills, sweats, or abnormally malodorous breath (SOR: B,...
Clinical Inquiries
Do oral contraceptives carry a significant risk of stroke for women with migraines?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Perhaps. Estrogen-containing oral contraceptives may raise the risk of ischemic stroke in women with migraine, particularly...
Clinical Inquiries
How do antidepressants affect sexual function?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (...
Clinical Inquiries
Elevated troponin but no CVD: What’s the prognosis?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Patients with elevated troponin levels and chronic renal disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, chronic...
Clinical Inquiries
Do dietary choices alone alter the risk of developing metabolic syndrome?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: YES, but not in the short term. In studies of patient populations controlled for differences in dietary content alone,...
Clinical Inquiries
Do asymptomatic adults need screening EKGs?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: PROBABLY NOT. Although certain electrocardiogram (EKG) findings in asymptomatic adults are associated with increased...
Clinical Inquiries
Does metformin prevent diabetes in at-risk adults?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes. Metformin therapy reduces the risk of developing diabetes for adults with one or more risk factors for at least 5...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best initial treatment for venous stasis ulcers?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: THE MAINSTAY OF INITIAL TREATMENT of venous stasis ulcers is compression therapy (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A,...