title: Best practice in primary care pathology: review 2.
abstract: This second best practice review examines five series of common primary care questions in laboratory medicine: (1) laboratory testing for allergy, (2) diagnosis and monitoring of menopause, (3) the use of urine cytology, (4) the usefulness of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and (5) the investigation of possible urinary tract infection. The review is presented in a question-answer format. The recommendations represent a précis of guidance found using a standardised literature search of national and international guidance notes, consensus statements, health policy documents, and evidence based medicine reviews, supplemented by MEDLINE EMBASE searches to identify relevant primary research documents. They are standards but form a guide to be set in the clinical context. Most are consensus rather than evidence based. They will be updated periodically to take account of new information.
authors.affiliation: Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 6AD, UK. info@smellie.com
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Smellie
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Forth
authors.forename: C A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hirschowitz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lilic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gosling
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bareford
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Spickett
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bloxham
mesh_terms: D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D008593:Menopause; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D016482:Urinalysis; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis