title: Best practice in primary care pathology: review 4.
abstract: This fourth best practice review examines four series of common primary care questions in laboratory medicine are examined in this review: (1) safety monitoring for three common drugs; (2) use of prostate-specific antigen; (3) investigation of vaginal discharge; and (4) investigation of subfertility. The review is presented in question-answer format, referenced for each question series. The recommendations represent a precis of the 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 not standards but form a guide to be set in the clinical context. Most of them are consensus based rather than evidence based. They will be updated periodically to take account of new information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK. info@smellie.com
authors.forename: W S A
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Smellie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalu
authors.forename: C A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sherriff
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Croucher
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen