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Recent Submissions

  • Treatment of Herpes Zoster 

    Holten, Keith B.; Britigan, Denise H. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Resolution of acute pain related to herpes zoster is accelerated with any of the following: oral acyclovir (Zovirax) 800 mg five times daily for seven days; valacyclovir (Valtrex) 1,000 mg three times daily for seven days; ...
  • Treatments for Chronic Prostatitis 

    Meza, James; Alam, Shah; Martin, Sandra I. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Because the etiology of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is unknown, a variety of treatments have been proposed. The best- designed, largest clinical trials have not found the most commonly used therapies (i.e., alpha ...
  • Risks and Benefits of Combination Contraceptives 

    Roederer, Mary W.; Blackwell, Jean (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    The risks of using oral combination contraceptives include: a three- to sixfold increase in the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) apparent by the fourth month of use and highest between six and 12 months of use; a ...
  • Vaginal Misoprostol for Cervical Ripening in Term Pregnancy 

    Weaver, Sally P.; Cook, Jessica; Nashelsky, Joan (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Low-dose (25 mcg) intravaginal misoprostol appears to be safe and effective for cervical ripening in term pregnancy for patients without a history of cesarean section. Compared with other cervical ripening methods, misoprostol ...
  • Urine Dipstick for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection 

    Wright, Olivia Rae; Safranek, Sarah (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    The sensitivity and specificity of the urine dipstick varies somewhat with the setting and population, as does its recommended interpretation. In low-risk patients with a low pretest probability of UTI, the urine dipstick ...
  • Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis 

    Fox, Beth Anne; Schmitz, Evan D.; Wallace, Rick (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Glucosamine reduces pain and improves function in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis. (Strength of recommendation: B, based on systematic reviews and a meta-analysis) Glucosamine may be beneficial in other forms of ...
  • Warfarin for Prevention of Ischemic Stroke Recurrence? 

    Lo, Vincent; Noviasky, John; Nashelsky, Joan (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    There is no evidence that anticoagulation with warfarin, initiated after a non- cardioembolic ischemic stroke, significantly reduces stroke recurrence. Furthermore, anticoagulation significantly increases the risk of fatal ...
  • A1C Testing in the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus 

    Lee, Tae Joon; Safranek, Sarah (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    A1C testing is highly specific compared with a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) or a fasting plasma glucose test. However, because A1C testing is not sensitive enough to rule out diabetes if levels are normal, ...
  • Psychosocial Interventions Delivered by Primary Care Physicians to Patients with Depression 

    Clark, Molly S.; Smith, Patrick O.; Payne, Thomas J.; Collins, Linda J. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Few high-quality studies have been conducted examining the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions performed by primary care physicians for patients with major depression. Two randomized controlled clinical trials ...
  • Who should receive vertebroplasty? 

    Satre, Thomas J.; Mackler, Leslie (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Percutaneous vertebroplasty has been used to treat aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, and vertebral lesions from metastatic disease or myeloma. Consider it for patients with ...
  • Which vaccinations are indicated after splenectomy? 

    Webb, Charles W.; Crowell, Karen (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Immunization against encapsulated bacterial pathogens decreases the incidence of post- splenectomy sepsis. Pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) vaccinations are indicated for patients after ...
  • Which medications can be split without compromising efficacy and safety? 

    Noviasky, John; Lo, Vincent; Luft, Diane Davis (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Split tablets of lisinopril are as effective as whole tablets of the same dose for hypertension (SOR: B, based on small randomized crossover study). Similarly, split tablets of atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin are ...
  • When should a child with an undescended testis be referred to a urologist? 

    Kelsberg, Gary; Bishop, Rachel; Morton, Jacquelyn R. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Infants with an undescended testis should be referred between ages 6 and 15 months, since almost all who experience spontaneous descent do so by 6 months (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, extrapolation from cohort ...
  • When should we screen children for hyperlipidemia? 

    Misicko, Nancy E.; St. Anna, Leilani (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Children should be screened for hyperlipidemia when there is a history of familial hypercholesterolemia (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C). No clear evidence supports screening all children or just those with family ...
  • When are empiric antibiotics appropriate for urinary tract infection symptoms? 

    DeAlleaume, Lauren; Tweed, Elizabeth M. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Healthy, nonpregnant women presenting with the triad of frequency, dysuria, and no vaginal symptoms have about a 96% chance of having an urinary tract infection (UTI) (positive likelihood ratio [LR+]=24.6). Since no ...
  • When should COX-2 selective NSAIDs be used for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? 

    Lo, Vincent; Meadows, Susan E. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are as effective as acetaminophen and nonselective NSAIDs in treating of osteoarthritis, and are equally effective in reducing pain and ...
  • When are antibiotics indicated for acute COPD exacerbations? 

    Balser, Emily; Neher, Jon O.; Safranek, Sarah (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    Antibiotics (including those given orally) reduce mortality and treatment failures for hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, ...
  • What is the best way to treat tinea cruris? 

    Nadalo, Dana; Montoya, Cathy C. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    After clinical diagnosis and microscopic confirmation, tinea cruris is best treated with a topical allylamine or an azole antifungal (strength of recommendation: A, based on multiple randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). ...
  • What is the best way to manage GERD symptoms in the elderly? 

    Bacak, Brian S.; Patel, Mihir; Tweed, Elizabeth M. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    No evidence supports one method over another in managing uncomplicated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for patients aged >65 years. For those with endoscopically documented esophagitis, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) ...
  • What is the best way to diagnose a suspected rotator cuff tear? 

    Diehr, Sabina; Ison, David; Jamieson, Barbara (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2006)
    The evaluation of a suspected rotator cuff tear should start with a history and a clinical exam of the shoulder (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, based on a systematic review of cohort studies). Three clinical test ...

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