5,083,888 papers found

OBJECTIVES: Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a prevalent, disabling, multidimensional condition with significant morbidity; however, there appears to be a variable approach in the use of outcome measures in NeP trials. A search of systematic reviews of interventional randomized-controlled trials for NeP was undertaken to inve…

AIMS: Social practitioners require evidence-based knowledge as a guide to the development of social policies and practices. This article aims to identify: (1) knowledge domains needed for the development and use of evidence-based knowledge in social practice; (2) promising research methods for such knowledge developmen…

There have been over 100 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of diverse regimens of antiretroviral therapy for treatment-naïve human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. A further 400 systematic reviews and meta-analyses are informed by these trials. There are, however, difficulties in using systematic reviews…

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the reported trial characteristics are associated with treatment effects on all-cause mortality within critical care medicine. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We identified all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from Cochrane Reviews on patients with sepsis, septic shock, and cardioge…

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery (MIS) continues to receive coverage in both the popular press and scientific literature. The cited benefits include a smaller scar, less soft tissue trauma, faster recovery, reduced hospital stay, decreased blood loss and reduced post-operative pain. The…

BACKGROUND: Effective implementation strategies are needed to optimize advancements in the fields of cancer diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care. We conducted a review of systematic reviews to better understand the evidentiary base of implementation strategies in cancer control. METHODS: Using thre…

BACKGROUND: Contrast induced acute kidney injury is an important complication after cardiac (invasive) procedures and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The aim of the current article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding contrast induced acute kidney injury. ME…

AIMS: The addiction sciences are intrinsically multi-disciplinary, and economics is among the disciplines that offer useful perspectives on the complex behaviors surrounding substance abuse. This paper summarizes contributions economics has made in the past and could make in the future towards understanding how illegal…

BACKGROUND: Several randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of analgesics in postoperative pain after traumatic or orthopaedic surgery (TOS) have been published, but no studies have assessed the quality of these reports. We aimed to examine the quality of reporting RCTs on analgesics for postoperative pain after TOS. METHOD…

AIM: To review the cases reported in the literature, examined their clinicopathological features, and evaluated the efficacy of different therapeutic modalities for this rare condition. METHODS: A search of the MEDLINE database revealed 16 cases of pericarditis carcinomatosa (PC) originating from GC reported in the li…

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects on maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes of nifedipine (and other calcium channel blockers) administered as a tocolytic agent to women in preterm labour. METHODS: Standard methods of the Cochrane Collaboration and its Pregnancy and Childbirth Review Group were used. All published and u…

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation is to assess the evidence for efficacy of SCS in the management of pain in patients with CRPS. SEARCH STRATEGY: Electronic databases such as Medline and Cochrane Library were queried using key words such as "spinal cord stimulation," "reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)," a…

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews of the literature are an increasingly important tool for providing evidence-based guidance to the practitioner. This review article and a companion paper deal with the surgical coverage of exposed root surfaces, but their aim is to promote a more up-to-date way of writing and publishing s…

OBJECTIVE: To review published algorithms for guiding the use of methylphenidate (MPH) in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. METHODS: A consensus roundtable of 12 experts was convened to review the evidence for the safety and efficacy of MPH in the treatment o…

The consumer of health care services experts that medical practice is based on scientific evidence with regard to efficacy and effectiveness. Randomized controlled trials provide the most valid basis for comparison of interventions in health care and offer the most reliable information to guide clinical practice. The n…

There is no comprehensive umbrella review exploring the connection between schizophrenia and various health outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review existing meta-analyses about schizophrenia-associated comorbid health outcomes and validate the evidence levels. We performed an umbrella review of meta-anal…

IMPORTANCE: More than 1 billion people worldwide have vision impairment or blindness from potentially preventable or correctable causes. Quality of life, an important measure of physical, emotional, and social well-being, appears to be negatively associated with vision impairment, and increasingly, ophthalmic intervent…

OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) encompass several conditions that cause pain and impair function of the masticatory muscles (M-TMDs) and temporomandibular joints. There is a large interest among clinicians and researchers in the use of botulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A) as a treatment for M-TMD. However, due to t…

IMPORTANCE: Systematic reviews of medical imaging diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies are affected by between-study heterogeneity due to a range of factors. Failure to appropriately assess the extent and causes of heterogeneity compromises the interpretability of systematic review findings. OBJECTIVE: To assess how…