Reports From the Field: Guidelines promote electrodiagnostic studies for CTS
Electrodiagnostic studies can diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) more accurately than other diagnostic tools, the boards of three medical organizations have concluded.
According to the latest practice guideline, published in the June 11 issue of Neurology, electrodiagnostic tests are the choice of laboratory studies for confirming the clinical diagnosis of CTS.
The conclusion is endorsed by the American Academy of Neurology, the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Experts from the boards of the three organizations studied 113 reports on electrodiagnostic tests published since 1993 to develop the current recommendation.
They concluded that electrodiagnostic tests provide a high degree of sensitivity (more than 85%) and specificity (more than 95%).
Because CTS patients frequently require surgery for treatment, a highly sensitive and specific laboratory test is necessary for diagnosis, says Charles J. Jablecki, MD, chairman of the task force.
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