A Case of Lance-Adams Syndrome: The Clinical Process of the Evidence-Based Clinician

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has become a hallmark of modern medicine. Diving into the literature is an essential part of clinical decision-making. The management of rare disorders and disease almost always prompts a search, but the answers to important clinical questions can be challenging and rarely straightforward. The majority of us have endured the “EBP Class” of our academic careers, drilling the hierarchy of research evidence and whether strict inclusion/exclusion criteria were considered, etc. We frequently see our medical colleagues turn to high powered trials and meta-analyses, but such works are few and far between. Single-subject design, case studies, case series, and reviews of such cannot be discredited, especially within a profession that is relatively new in the broad scheme of medicine. The following case study details a clinician’s process through the identification, appraisal, and application of relevant literature in the management of a rare disorder: Lance-Adams syndrome. Proposed assessment considerations are intended to help the reader’s approach to diagnosis and intervention.