J Am Board Fam Med
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A clinical decision rule to improve the accuracy of a diagnosis of influenza could help clinicians avoid unnecessary use of diagnostic tests and treatments. Our objective was to develop and validate a simple clinical decision rule for diagnosis of influenza. ⋯ A simple, valid clinical rule can be used to guide point-of-care testing and empiric therapy for patients with suspected influenza.
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The aim of this study was to examine changes in the utilization of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of common chest symptoms and the rate of clinically significant diagnoses in emergency departments after 2004. ⋯ CT ordering in emergency departments for the evaluation of common chest symptoms has increased dramatically without improving the rate of pulmonary embolism or other clinically significant diagnoses. Overuse of CT exposes patients to radiation and increases health care costs without any apparent diagnostic benefit.