Women's Health
Q&A
Fetal fibronectin does not affect outcomes of preterm labor
CLINICAL QUESTION: Does use of fetal fibronectin in management of preterm labor affect age at delivery or rates of interventions?STUDY DESIGN:...
Q&A
No long-term benefit shown for bones after HRT
CLINICAL QUESTION: Does hormone therapy continue to provide protection from hip fractures after the treatment is stopped?STUDY DESIGN: Cohort (...
Q&A
3 days ciprofloxacin adequate for UTI in older women
CLINICAL QUESTION: Is 3 days of ciprofloxacin as effective as 7 to 10 days of the same drug for older women with urinary tract infection?STUDY...
Q&A
Useful signs and symptoms to evaluate vaginal complaints
CLINICAL QUESTION: How useful are the history, physical examination, and routine office-based laboratory studies in the diagnosis of vaginitis?...
Clinical Inquiries
Should we discontinue Pap smear screening in women aged >65 years?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Women with a history of regular, normal Pap smear screening should discontinue screening by age 65 years (strength of...
Clinical Inquiries
Is the ThinPrep better than conventional Pap smear at detecting cervical cancer?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Conclusions regarding the ThinPrep are difficult to make due to the complexity of cervical cancer screening and the lack of...
Clinical Inquiries
Is exercise treadmill testing useful for detecting heart disease in women?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Exercise treadmill testing has a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 61% for the detection of coronary artery disease (...
Clinical Inquiries
Which blood tests are most helpful in evaluating pelvic inflammatory disease?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No individual or combination of blood tests can reliably diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (strength of...
Q&A
HPV testing may replace Pap smears for primary screening
CLINICAL QUESTION: Can human papillomavirus testing replace Papanicolaou tests as the primary means of screening for cervical cancer?
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best approach for patients with ASCUS detected on Pap smear?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: DNA testing for human papillomavirus (HPV), especially if the sample can be obtained at the same time as the Papanicolaou (...
Q&A
3-year interval between Pap smears adequate for women with prior negative results
BACKGROUND: The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that sexually active women receive Pap smears at least every 3 years.