In episode 614, Mike and James discuss with Caitlin Finley the evidence around a very common primary care question. Does restricting early use of pacifiers result in higher rates of breastfeeding up to 6 months of age in term infants? We discuss the findings and do our best to put the evidence into context.
Show Notes
Tools For Practice
Nipple Confusion or Nonsense? Pacifiers and Breastfeeding Duration
In episode 613, Mike and James discuss with Jessica Kirkwood the evidence for post-exposure prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections. We go over the 4 RCTs that have looked at the value of a single dose of doxycycline. It does reduce the risk for some specific infections – but as always you need to know the numbers. We give you all of them and much, much more.
Show Notes
Tools For Practice
Don’t Let It Burn: Doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections
In episode 612, Tina and James chat with Samantha Moe about the use of a recently approved non-hormonal medication being used for vasomotor symptoms in menopause. We go over the 3 available trials and show you the numbers, talk about the limitations and then put the results into the context of hormone and other non-hormonal treatments.
Show Notes
Tools For Practice
Turn Down the Heat, Part II! Can fezolinetant improve vasomotor symptoms in menopause?
In episode 611, Tina and James talk with Samantha Moe about the use of betablockers and other medications for essential tremor. There is some evidence – much of it from the 1970s, but also some more recent publications. We do our best to tease out all the numbers you need to help you with your recommendations.
Show Notes
Tools For Practice
Meds for Essential Tremor: Steady solution or shaky science?
In episode 610, Jamie and James chat with Jennifer Young about yet another Vitamin D Tools for Practice. We look at what happens to mortality, CVD and cancer when Vitamin D supplements are compared to placebo. The results may surprise you – or maybe not if you have listened to previous BS Medicine Podcasts on this seemingly never-ending topic.
Show Notes
Tools For Practice
Vitamin D and Mortality – Don’t bet your life on it!
Vitamin D and Respiratory Tract Infections: Does the sun’s vitamin chase the cold?
In episode 609, Jamie and James chat with Jennifer Young about what the evidence says around exercise for fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, the evidence and the way it is presented is somewhat limited but nonetheless we do put it into context to help you and your patients make decisions.
Show Notes
1) Tools For Practice
Use the soft touch for buckle fractures?
https://cfpclearn.ca/tfp396/
2) PEIP Conference Edmonton October 17-18, 2025
https://www.peipconference.ca
In episode 608, Tina and James invite Jennifer Young back again to the podcast to go over the evidence we have for a simple but important question around buckle fractures – does treating with a soft bandage versus a rigid splint/cast produce different clinical outcomes? The answer is quite clear around what we should do. Check out what we found.
Show Notes
1) Tools For Practice
Use the soft touch for buckle fractures?
In episode 607, Tina and James invite Caitlin Finley to go over what the group found with regard to the best available evidence around surgical frenotomy. We look at the effect the surgery has on breast pain, self-reported breastfeeding improvement, and infant weight gain. Tune in as you might be impressed with the absolute benefits.
Show Notes
1) Tools For Practice
Trying Tongue-Tie Treatment: Does Frenotomy Fix Feeding Frustrations?
THE CASE
It is Friday, the end of a long and busy week and a sunny weekend is calling you. Your tasks this afternoon includes seeing some patients who have complex comorbidity and have been booked in for medication reviews. Next up is a longstanding patient, aged 76 who is on 14 different medication, for several different conditions, 2 more drugs than she was on just 3 months ago. How does this feel? Perhaps a bit daunting? Perhaps the clinician isn’t confident they know what to do about this polypharmacy although they have a gut feeling that this many drugs in an older person could be a problem. Perhaps they feel that this review is a dull chore, or that any attempt to reduce medications will be resisted by the patient and cause criticism from the specialist teams who are involved in her care. Perhaps they feel alone and that other people are not working on reducing medications
Show Notes
THE CASE
You have just seen James aged 37 about an ankle sprain. He says he also wants to ask about an exercise test. He has just got a new job and the company have offered him a cut price “Private medical well man appointment which includes tests that your own GP doesn’t do including an Exercise ECG”. James says “It costs £75 Do I need an exercise ECG and why don’t GPs offer this?”
Show Notes
1) Screening: Evidence and Practice 2nd edition
2) UK National Screening Committee
3) Canadian Task Force on Preventive health care
Breast cancer tools
THE NUTRITION PROPOSITION BOOK
Check it out at nutritionproposition.com and think about picking up a copy on Amazon. All the evidence you ever wanted about nutrition and the only nutrition book that won’t tell you what to eat.
