5,043,467 papers found

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the differential diagnosis and minimal clinical investigation used prior to making a diagnosis of undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis (UPIA). METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed for articles published between January 1950 and December 2008 in Medline…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Low-grade systemic inflammation is considered a hallmark of COPD that potentially links COPD to increased rate of systemic manifestations of the disease. Obesity with/without the metabolic syndrome and cachexia represent…

BACKGROUND: To ensure evidence-based decision making in pediatric oncology systematic reviews are necessary. The objective of our study was to evaluate the methodological quality of all currently existing systematic reviews in pediatric oncology. METHODS: We identified eligible systematic reviews through a systematic…

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias (TACs) are characterized by frequent, short-lasting headache attacks with ipsilateral facial autonomic features. They include cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing. Th…

Total hip replacement is a major surgical procedure usually associated with significant pain in the early postoperative period. Several anaesthetic and analgesic techniques are in common clinical use for this procedure but, to date, clinical studies of pain after total hip replacement have not been systematically asses…

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of consensus regarding the use of quality scores in diagnostic systematic reviews. The objective of this study was to use different methods of weighting items included in a quality assessment tool for diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) to produce an overall quality score, and to examine th…

Pharmacogenetic studies in mood disorders are raising increasing interest, after the first findings of a significant association between antidepressant response and a functional polymorphism in the upstream regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (SERTPR). However, the results of published studies are not u…

The value of different pharmaceuticals in treating migraine is frequently based on clinical efficacy only. This article assumes a broader perspective and compares the clinical, economic, and humanistic attributes of two antimigraine medications, dihydroergotamine (DHE) and sumatriptan, based on a literature review. DHE…

OBJECTIVES: This umbrella review aimed to consolidate the evidence base on the impact of high-fidelity simulation on knowledge and performance among undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: Umbrella review with meta-analyses of pooled effect sizes, followed by an additional meta-analysis of primary studies from the inc…

OBJECTIVE: This umbrella review synthesized high-level evidence on the clinical longevity and failure patterns of direct restorative materials, including conventional composites, bulk-fill resins, ormocer-based composites, and glass ionomer cements (GIC/RMGIC) used in posterior restorations and non-carious cervical les…

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by intricate genetic and environmental etiology. The objective of this study was to identify robust non-genetic risk factors for AD through an updated umbrella review. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of meta-ana…

This umbrella review aims to summarize and evaluate the evidence from current systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for diabetic foot (DF).We conducted a comprehensive search in four databases for SRs/MAs that included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on stem cell thera…

BACKGROUND: Overadjustment bias occurs when researchers adjust for an explanatory variable on the causal pathway from exposure to outcome, which leads to biased estimates of the causal effect of the exposure. This meta-research review aimed to examine how previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses of socio-economic…

INTRODUCTION: Absence from school is more frequent for children with chronic health conditions (CHCs) than their peers and may be one reason why average academic attainment scores are lower among children with CHCs. METHODS: We determined whether school absence explains the association between CHCs and academic attain…

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology and likely autoimmune nature that is currently considered an oral potentially malignant disorder, implying that patients suffering from this process are at risk of developing oral cancer in their lifetime. The molecular alterations th…

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms amongst people living with dementia in residential aged care is high. Their presence is associated with poorer quality of life for residents and higher burden of care for staff. Existing reviews have not focused on the evaluation of efficacy of non-pharmacological int…

AIM: This review aimed to synthesise the available reviews on the effects of nursing interventions on sleep quality among patients hospitalised in intensive care and non-intensive care units. BACKGROUND: Poor sleep quality is a common fact in hospitalised patients. Nurses can contribute to the improvement of patients'…

AIM: To investigate for congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) and positional plagiocephaly (PP) the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy, repositioning and helmet therapy (PP only) using a systematic review of systematic reviews and national guidelines. METHODS: We searched four major relevant databases: PubMed,…

A key aspect of the systematic review process is study evaluation to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual studies included in the review. The present manuscript describes the process currently being used by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program to…

Specific spinal postures and physical activities have been linked to low back pain (LBP) but previous reviews have produced contrasting outcomes. This umbrella review examined (1) what relationship, if any, is evident between specific spinal postures or physical activities and LBP; (2) the quality of existing systemati…