Clinical Inquiries, 2014: Recent submissions

Now showing items 1-20 of 22

  • Apolipoproteins for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment 

    Chang, Jennifer G.; Paulson, Christopher P.; Smith, Rita (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Clinical Question: Is measurement of apolipoproteins better than traditional lipid measurements for predicting cardiovascular risk? Evidence-Based Answer: Measurement of apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A-I is no better ...

  • Which risk factors and signs and symptoms are associated with coccidioidomycosis? 

    Crawford, Paul; Peterson, Timothy; Honeycutt, J. David (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q: Which risk factors and signs and symptoms are associated with coccidioidomycosis? Evidence-Based Answer: Risk factors for coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever, include lower respiratory tract symptoms lasting longer than ...

  • Is immediate-release topiramate an effective treatment for adult obesity? 

    Harshman, Heather; Kovach, Fran (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q: Is immediate-release topiramate an effective treatment for adult obesity? Evidence-Based Answer: Yes. Topiramate (at daily doses of 64-400 mg) produces an average 5.34 kg of additional weight loss compared with placebo ...

  • Does any antidepressant besides bupropion help smokers quit? 

    Espanol, Eddie; Kelsberg, Gary; Safranek, Sarah (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q: Does any antidepressant besides bupropion help smokers quite? Evidence-based answer: Yes, nortriptyline approximately doubles smoking cessation rates, an effect comparable to bupropion. Adding nortriptyline to nicotine ...

  • What treatments relieve arthritis and fatigue associated with systemic lupus erythematosus? 

    Jones, Daniel W.; Wright, Derek; Jankowski, Terry Ann, 1951- (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q: What treatments relieve arthritis and fatigue associated with systemic lupus erythematosus? A: Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine improve the arthritis associated with mild systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)--producing ...

  • Do oral contraceptives put women with a family history of breast cancer at increased risk? 

    Freund, Rachel; Kelsberg, Gary; Safranek, Sarah (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. Do oral contraceptives put women with a family history of breast cancer at increased risk? Evidence-based answer: No. Modern combined oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) don't increase breast cancer risk in women with a ...

  • What is the best nonsurgical therapy for pelvic organ prolapse? 

    Overby, Zachariah; Persons, Robert K.; Carrillo, Misty J. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. What is the best nonsurgical therapy for pelvic organ prolapse? Evidence-based answer: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and pessaries are equally effective in treating symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). PFMT ...

  • Are topical nitrates safe and effective for upper extremity tendinopathies? 

    Nguyen, Long; Kelsberg, Gary; Beecher, Debbie (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. Are topical nitrates safe and effective for upper extremity tendinopathies? A. Topical nitrates provide short-term relief with some side effects, especially headache. Topical nitroglycerin (NTG) patches improve subjective ...

  • Can yoga reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression? 

    Skowronek, Irene Belle; Mounsey, Anne L.; Handler, Lara (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. Can yoga reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression? A. Yes, yoga can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials [RCTs] with significant ...

  • What is the best treatment for impetigo? 

    Shim, Jae; Qui, Maylene (Kefeng) (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. What is the best treatment for impetigo? A. Although evidence is lacking to support a single best treatment for impetigo, topical mupirocin, fusidic acid, gentamicin, and retapamulin are all at least 20% more likely ...

  • Do complementary agents lower HbA1c when used with standard type 2 diabetes therapy? 

    Moona, Monique; Smits, Richard; Kertesz, Joseph; Meyer, Albert A. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. Do complementary agents lower HbA1c when used with standard type 2 diabetes therapy? A. No, there is no high-quality evidence that supports using complementary or alternative agents to lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in ...

  • What are the benefits and risks of inhaled corticosteroids for COPD? 

    Hamilton, Tanya; Miller, John B.; Vincent, E. Chris; St. Anna, Leilani (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q: What are the benefits and risks of inhaled corticosteroids for COPD? A: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), either alone or with a long-acting [beta] agonist (LABA), reduce the frequency of exacerbations of chronic obstructive ...

  • How do hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone compare for treating hypertension? 

    Kildare, Leanne; Jones, Ty; Neher, Jon O.; St. Anna, Leilani (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. How do hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone compare for treating hypertension? A. Both medications reduce theincidence of cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension, but chlorthalidone may confer additional ...

  • Which prophylactic therapies best prevent gout attacks? 

    White, Sarah; Mounsey, Anne; Tillett, Janine S. (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. Which prophylactic therapies best prevent gout attacks? A. Allopurinol and febuxostat reduce the frequency of gout attacks equally after 8 weeks of treatment (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, multiple randomized ...

  • How can we effectively treat stress urinary incontinence without drugs or surgery? 

    Stearman, Heather; Benko, Rebecca (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Q. How can we effectively treat stress urinary incontinence without drugs or surgery? A. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and intravaginal electrical stimulation seem to be the best bets. PFMT increases urinary continence ...

  • Whom should you test for secondary causes of hypertension? 

    Miller, Deborah E.; Woodward, Nakia Joye (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Evidence-based answer: It's recommended that all children and adolescents with a new diagnosis of hypertension undergo renal ultrasound and laboratory evaluation for renal pathology (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, ...

  • What is the best imaging method for patients with a presumed acute stroke? 

    Sadeghi, Roya; Neher, Jon O.; St. Anna, Leilani (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Evidence-based answer: It depends on whether the stroke is ischemic or hemorrhagic. For early detection of ischemic stroke, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is highly sensitive and ...

  • What is the best approach to goiter in euthyroid patients? 

    Jacobs, Christine K.; McKay, Becky (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    In the absence of outcome studies, experts recommend ultrasound evaluation of nontoxic multinodular goiters (MNG) followed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of suspicious nodules (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, ...

  • How best to treat UTIs in women who breastfeed? 

    Cooper, Matthew; Mohundro, Brice L.; Qiu, Kefeng (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    It's unclear, as no studies have specifically evaluated therapies for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in breastfeeding women. However, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), b-lactam antibiotics, nitrofurantoin, ...

  • Which drugs are most effective for recurrent herpes labialis? 

    Tubridy, Eido; Kelsberg, Gary; St. Anna, Leilani (Family Physicians Inquiries Network, 2014)
    Evidence based answer: Daily oral acyclovir or valacyclovir may help prevent herpes simplex labialis (HSL) recurrences (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [RCTs] with ...