History Interview Topics
Moderate evidence supports not using the following as independent history interview topics to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome, because alone, each has a poor or weak association with ruling-in or ruling-out carpal tunnel syndrome:
• Sex/gender
• Ethnicity
• Bilateral symptoms
• Diabetes mellitus
• Worsening symptoms at night
• Duration of symptoms
• Patient localization of symptoms
• Hand dominance
• Symptomatic limb
• Age
• BMI
• Sex/gender
• Ethnicity
• Bilateral symptoms
• Diabetes mellitus
• Worsening symptoms at night
• Duration of symptoms
• Patient localization of symptoms
• Hand dominance
• Symptomatic limb
• Age
• BMI
MODERATE RECOMMENDATION Rationale
Two high quality studies (Claes, 2013; Katz, 1990) and several moderate quality studies investigated the relationship between history interview topics and CTS as compared to a reference standard which was the use of either EDS following AANEM criteria or general EDS methods. When examined individually, each of the factors listed above had a poor or weak association with EDS based on the likelihood ratio. Sex/gender data pooled in a meta-analysis, also showed a poor association with electrodiagnostic testing.
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