title: Best practice in primary care pathology: review 9.
abstract: This ninth best-practice review examines two series of common primary care questions in laboratory medicine: (i) potassium abnormalities and (ii) venous leg ulcer microbiology. The review is presented in question-and-answer format, referenced for each question series. 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 not 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: Department of Chemical Pathology, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 6AD, UK.
authors.forename: W S A
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Smellie
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bowlees
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howell-Jones
authors.forename: C A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McNulty
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*