Evidence-based practice: an example related to the use of splinting in a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome.

The purpose of this article was to illustrate a limited search for evidence and its application in the context of a patient with CTS. The search was by no means exhaustive, as it was performed and interpreted in less than an hour. My conclusions are not definitive because my evidence was based almost exclusively on abstracts, and many key details about the studies are unknown. I do not know how closely my specific patient matches those in a particular study. My search allowed me, however, to make an informed response to a patient with legitimate questions. Integrating the evidence with my own clinical judgment and the patient's preferences kept me from being paralyzed in decision making by a lack of sufficient data. This intentionally quick and patient-specific search for evidence could be contrasted to a more complete and comprehensive analysis of evidence. A more complete search would be indicated for areas that represent common or frequent problems for a particular clinical setting, for which basic procedural guidelines might be developed.