Table 2
Study Questions Grouped by Origin
| Questions from clinical practice: | |
| 1. | Is there any benefit of routine Pap smear in persons who have had a hysterectomy for benign disease? |
| 2. | Is ultrasound the best diagnostic test available to exclude the presence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis? |
| 3. | Are nonacetylated salicylates really safer, e.g., have less incidence of acid-peptic problems, in patients with NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) gastrointestinal intolerance (who benefit from anti-inflammatory effect)? |
| 4. | Is the elevation of alkaline phosphatase a better indicator of recurring prostate cancer than a rising PSA (prostate-specific antigen)? |
| 5. | Is the Cytobrush superior to a spatula for obtaining cells for Pap smears, in terms of technical quality (e.g., percentage of interpretable smears)? |
| 6. | Does dietary protein effect the level of proteinuria in patients with protein-losing nephropathy? |
| 7. | Is there any benefit of ultrasound as physical therapy for sprained ankle? |
| 8. | Is penicillin superior to ciprofloxacin for the outpatient treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease? |
| 9. | Is anti-inflammatory therapy (NSAIDs) better than Tylenol for elderly patients with degenerative joint disease? |
| 10. | Is there evidence of an association between petroleum product exposure and bladder cancer? |
| Questions derived from medical test questions: | |
| 1. | Is a high-dose (1,200 to 1,500 mg daily) regimen of zidovudine therapeutically superior to a low-dose (500 to 600 mg daily) one for reducing the progression to AIDs in patients with positive HIV antibody ? |
| 2. | Will PSA screening lower the mortality rate from prostate cancer in low-risk men after they reach the age of 50 years? |
| 3. | Is there good evidence that an antibiotic can prevent endocarditis in an 18-year-old woman with rheumatic heart disease (mild mitral regurgitation) who is to have a dental root canal? |
| 4. | A 52-year-old woman recently had a modified radical mastectomy for infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast. Her axillary lymph nodes are negative for tumor. Would estrogen receptor negativity be more likely to indicate a relatively poor prognosis for this patient, rather than thyroid hormone receptor positivity? |
| 5. | A 40-year-old premenopausal woman consults you about her risk of breast cancer. Does prior use of birth control pills increase her risk? |
| 6. | Does anti-reflux surgery in patients with Barrett's esophagus reduce the risk of developing adenocarcinoma? |
| 7. | Is long-distance running associated with intervertebral disc narrowing in men? |
| 8. | Would plasma norepinepherine levels indicate poor prognosis in congestive heart failure better than hyponatremia? |
| 9. | Is Trental (pentoxifylline) the best drug available to improve symptoms of peripheral vascular disease? |
| 10. | Do the majority (>50 percent) of terminal AIDS patients have clinical symptoms of cardiac involvement? |