ABSTRACT
The unbridled enthusiasm for guidelines, and the unrealistic expectations about what they will accomplish, frequently betray inexperience and unfamiliarity with their limitations and potential hazards. Naive consu mers of guidelines accept official recommendations at face value, espe cially when they carry the imprimatur of prominent professional groups or government bodies. However, a growing awareness of their limitations and harms has done little to stem the rapid promulgation of guidelines around the world. It is therefore appropriate to begin a book on clinical practice guidelines by considering their potential benefits and harms.
