Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is widely considered to reduce fractures, but this belief is based on observational data; evidence from randomized trials is lacking.

Clinicians frequently withhold antibiotics that contain penicillin based on patients' self-reported clinical history of an adverse reaction to penicillin and the clinicians' own misunderstandings about the characteristics of a true penicillin allergy.

Clinical breast and pelvic examinations are commonly accepted practices prior to provision of hormonal contraception. Such examinations, however, may reduce access to highly effective contraceptive methods, and may therefore increase women's overall health risks. These unnecessary requirements also involve ethical considerations and unwittingly reinforce the widely held but incorrect perception that hormonal contraceptive methods are dangerous. This article reviews and summarizes the relevant medical literature and policy statements from major organizations active in the field of contraception. Consensus developed during the last decade supports a change in practice: hormonal contraception can safely be provided based on careful review of medical history and blood pressure measurement. For most women, no further evaluation is necessary. Pelvic and breast examinations and screening for cervical neoplasia and sexually transmitted infection, while important in their own right, do not provide information necessary for identifying women who should avoid hormonal contraceptives or who need further evaluation before making a decision about their use.

To comprehend the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), readers must understand its design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation. That goal can be achieved only through complete transparency from authors. Despite several decades of educational efforts, the reporting of RCTs needs improvement. Investigators and editors developed the original CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement to help authors improve reporting by using a checklist and flow diagram. The revised CONSORT statement presented in this article incorporates new evidence and addresses some criticisms of the original statement. The checklist items pertain to the content of the Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Comment. The revised checklist includes 22 items selected because empirical evidence indicates that not reporting the information is associated with biased estimates of treatment effect or because the information is essential to judge the reliability or relevance of the findings. We intended the flow diagram to depict the passage of participants through an RCT. The revised flow diagram depicts information from 4 stages of a trial (enrollment, intervention allocation, follow-up, and analysis). The diagram explicitly includes the number of participants, according to each intervention group, included in the primary data analysis. Inclusion of these numbers allows the reader to judge whether the authors have performed an intention-to-treat analysis. In sum, the CONSORT statement is intended to improve the reporting of an RCT, enabling readers to understand a trial's conduct and to assess the validity of its results.

Despite recent studies that failed to show catastrophic effects of prenatal cocaine exposure, popular attitudes and public policies still reflect the belief that cocaine is a uniquely dangerous teratogen.

Some observational data suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia but results have been conflicting.

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a rapidly evolving technique that has been reported to be accurate for assessment of lower extremity arterial disease.

Sudden cardiac death is a major public health problem in the United States, and improving survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has been the subject of intense study. Early defibrillation has been shown to be critical to improving survival. Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has become an important component of emergency medical systems, and recent advances in AED technology have allowed expansion of AED use to nontraditional first responders and the lay public.

During the past decade, knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women has expanded considerably but may not be easily accessible for use in understanding and prioritizing the clinical needs of HIV-infected women.

Focal pulmonary lesions are commonly encountered in clinical practice, and positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may be an accurate test for identifying malignant lesions.

Recent studies have reported disagreement between meta-analysis of small trials and subsequent large trials addressing the same question. However, disagreement for uncommon but serious adverse safety outcomes has not been examined.

The Working Group on Civilian Biodefense has developed consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals if botulinum toxin is used as a biological weapon against a civilian population.

Second-trimester prenatal ultrasound is widely used in an attempt to detect Down syndrome in fetuses, but the accuracy of this method is unknown.

To recommend practice guidelines for transplant physicians, primary care providers, health care planners, and all those who are concerned about the well-being of the live organ donor.