[Guidelines and practice of evidence based medicine]

This is a review paper with pedagogic goals in essence. The concept of guidelines is defined and the function and types of guidelines described. Different types of guidelines, such as normative, methodological and practice-motivated, are considered. The most common methods for the drafting of guidelines are presented. The difference between evidence-based guidelines and consensus-based guidelines is established and the importance of grading the strength of recommendations in guidelines, on basis of the validity of the evidence, is stressed. Finally, an update of the role of guidelines in the practice of EBM is put forward.