Best practice in primary care pathology: review 10

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 precis 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.