Article
Do corticosteroid injections improve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes. Injected corticosteroids reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) more effectively than placebo or systemic...
Article
Which interventions can increase breastfeeding duration?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Breastfeeding support, beyond standard care, from lay people or professionals increases both short- and long-term...
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How do we evaluate a marginally low B12 level?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: The best way to evaluate a low-normal B12 level is to check serum methylmalonic acid and homocysteine levels1 (strength of...
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Does psychiatric treatment help patients with intractable chronic pain?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Tricyclic antidepressants and intensive multi-disciplinary programs are moderately effective for reducing chronic back pain...
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What is the appropriate management for a patient with CIN1 on colposcopy?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Of the different strategies available for managing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), testing for high-risk...
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Is yearly chest x-ray screening helpful in reducing mortality for smokers?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: For current and former smokers, the evidence does not support yearly chest x-rays to decrease lung cancer mortality (...
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Are breast self-exams or clinical exams effective for screening breast cancer?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Breast self-examination has little or no impact on breast cancer mortality and cannot be recommended for cancer screening (...
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Should we recommend universal neonatal hearing screening?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Universal neonatal hearing screening leads to both earlier detection and earlier treatment of infants with hearing loss (...
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What is the best way to distinguish type 1 and 2 diabetes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No clinical characteristic or diagnostic test is available to readily distinguish type 1 from type 2 diabetes mellitus....
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What are the indications for bariatric surgery?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No studies evaluate the commonly used indications for bariatric surgery. Consensus guidelines suggest that the surgical...
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Does digoxin decrease morbidity for those in sinus rhythm with heart failure?
EVIDENCE - BASED ANSWER: In patients with congestive heart failure due to systolic dysfunction who are in normal sinus rhythm, digoxin therapy...
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How does tissue adhesive compare with suturing for superficial lacerations?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Tissue adhesives are effective and yield results comparable to those with conventional suturing of superficial, linear, and...
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How useful is ultrasound to evaluate patients with postmenopausal bleeding?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Using a threshold of ≤5 mm, transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) can be used to identify those patients with postmenopausal...
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Is antibiotic prophylaxis effective for recurrent acute otitis media?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: For children who have recurrent episodes of clinically diagnosed acute otitis media (AOM), antibiotic prophylaxis...
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How effective is gastric bypass for weight loss?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Gastric bypass results in weight loss of approximately 33% at 2 years and 25% at 8 years (strength of recommendation [SOR...