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Does vaginal estrogen use increase the risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: NO. In general, nonoral estrogen use for menopausal symptoms is associated with a lower cardiovascular (CV) risk profile...
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How accurate is transcutaneous bilirubin testing in newborns with darker skin tones?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Fairly accurate. Photometric transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) testing may overestimate total serum bilirubin (TSB) in...
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Does an early COPD diagnosis improve long-term outcomes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It depends. A diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) made using screening spirometry in patients without...
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Is bicarbonate therapy effective in preventing CKD progression?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: YES. Long-term sodium bicarbonate therapy slightly slows the loss of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease...
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Does adjunctive oxytocin infusion during balloon cervical ripening improve labor induction?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: YES. Compared to the use of a transcervical balloon alone, combined cervical ripening with a balloon catheter and oxytocin...
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Does inadequate sleep increase obesity risk in children?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes, a link has been established but not a cause-effect relationship. Shorter reported sleep duration in childhood is...
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Can family physicians accurately screen for AAA with point-of-care ultrasound?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Likely yes. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by nonradiologist physicians is...
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Is ketamine effective and safe for treatment-resistant depression?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: MAYBE, but it’s too soon to tell. There is limited evidence that ketamine by itself is effective in the very short term....
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Do electronic reminder systems help patients with T2DM to lose weight?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: PROBABLY NOT—but they may augment self-management. Four-component telehealth systems—including electronic reminders,...
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Does early introduction of peanuts to an infant’s diet reduce the risk for peanut allergy?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Probably not, unless the child has severe eczema or egg allergy. In a general pediatric population, introducing peanuts...
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Do prophylactic antipyretics reduce vaccination-associated symptoms in children?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes for acetaminophen, not so much for ibuprofen. Prophylactic acetaminophen reduces the odds of febrile reactions in the...
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How effective and safe is fecal microbial transplant in preventing C difficile recurrence?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Fecal microbial transplant (FMT) is reasonably safe and effective. In patients who have had multiple Clostridium difficile...
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Which interventions are effective in managing parental vaccine refusal?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It’s unclear whether educational initiatives alone alter vaccine refusal. Although about a third of parents cite herd...
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Do pedometers increase activity and improve health outcomes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Yes. In overweight and obese patients, exercise interventions using a pedometer increase steps by about a mile per day over...
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Is arthroscopic subacromial decompression effective for shoulder impingement?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: It’s impossible to say for certain in the absence of randomized controlled trials. However, in patients whose impingement...