Best practice in primary care pathology: review 10
- W S A Smellie1,
- N Shaw2,
- R Bowley2,
- M F Stewart3,
- A M Kelly4,
- P J Twomey5,
- P R Chadwick6,
- J B Houghton7,
- J P Ng8,
- A J McCulloch9
- 1Department of Chemical Pathology, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Bishop Auckland, UK
- 2Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- 3Dept of Clinical Biochemistry, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
- 4Department of Chemical Pathology, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK
- 5Department of Chemical Pathology, Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, UK
- 6Department of Microbiology, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
- 7Department of Haematology, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
- 8Department of Haematology, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Barnsley, UK
- 9Department of Medicine, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Bishop Auckland, UK
- Dr W S A Smellie, Department of Chemical Pathology, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 6AD, UK; info{at}smellie.com
- Accepted 24 April 2007
- Published Online First 11 May 2007
Abstract
This tenth best practice review examines four series of common primary care questions in laboratory medicine: (i) antenatal testing in pregnant women; (ii) estimated glomerular filtration rate calculation; (iii) safety testing for methotrexate; and (iv) blood glucose measurement in diabetes. The review is presented in question–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.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: This work has been supported (in alphabetical order) by the Association of Clinical Biochemists*, Association of Clinical Pathologists*, Association of Medical Microbiologists, British Society for Haematology, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Pathologists* and the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics in Newcastle (SCHIN), representatives of whom have contributed to the reviewing process. The opinions stated are however those of the authors. *These organisations contributed direct funding to support the project start up.
