381,523 papers found

Although it is generally agreed that prophylactic antibiotics are necessary for the prevention of postoperative wound infection, the choice of antibiotic regimen is controversial. In an attempt to determine the most effective antibiotic regimen, a meta-analysis of published clinical trials of prophylactic antibiotics f…

It is a well-known fact that dietary fiber is recognized as one of the essential components of a healthy diet. The aim of this paper was to investigate the impact of dietary fiber on the incidence and mortality of various types of cancer, the current evidence in this field, and the biases of this evidence using the met…

A meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the effects of surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis on pain and disability. Seventy-four journal articles met inclusion criteria and were independently reviewed by two readers. On average, 64% of patients treated surgically for lumbar spinal stenosis were reported to have good-…

Amblyopia, a disorder that impairs visual acuity, encompasses a spectrum of clinical interventions. The true efficacy of these treatments, however, remains elusive. Consequently, we elucidate the effectiveness of each intervention, providing critical insights into optimal therapeutic strategies. We systematically searc…

OBJECTIVES: This umbrella meta-analysis aimed to answer the clinical question: Do mini-screws and micro-implants improve specific orthodontic outcomes such as intermolar width, interpremolar width, suture expansion, molar movement, and skeletal width compared to conventional anchorage methods? MATERIALS AND METHODS: A…

To determine the relative merits of two quantitative methods used to estimate the summary effects of observational studies, the authors compared two methods of meta-analysis. Each quantified the relation between oral contraceptive use and the risk for ovarian cancer. One analysis consisted of a meta-analysis using summ…

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of meta-analysis and regression analysis in evaluating technologies by applying these techniques to an evaluation of the enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody test. This meta-analysis synthesizes 26 studies which report on…

Family socialization processes are important influences on behaviour in childhood and adolescence. Two major dimensions of family socialization are Support and Control, and these two dimensions were assessed for their influence on adolescent drinking behaviour. Thirty recently published research studies, which reported…

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD), percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PTGBD), and endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) for treating acute cholecystitis in individuals with elevated surgical risk is not yet thoroughly evaluated. METHODS: The c…

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is a common problem after a stroke, affecting daily life and the recovery process. Among the many Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) nursing techniques, it is still unknown which measures are most effective. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of different TCM nursing techniques on post-stroke inso…

A meta-analysis was performed to determine whether the literature provides evidence that periconceptual or postconceptual maternal use of spermicides is detrimental to the developing fetus. Nine studies that investigated teratogenicity met the inclusion criteria. The Mantel-Haenszel summary odds ratio was 1.02 (95% con…

The author examined those published studies of the consistency (homogeneity) of study outcomes of noninvasive tests that assess the degree of carotid artery disease. Noninvasive tests used to detect carotid artery disease include ocular pneumoplethysmography and duplex ultrasound pulsed Doppler spectral analysis with h…

A literature search revealed 51 controlled clinical studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture in chronic pain. These studies were reviewed using a list of 18 predefined methodological criteria. A maximum of 100 points for study design could be earned in four main categories: (a) comparability of prognosis, (b) adequa…

This study used meta-analysis to examine cumulatively needle exchange program (NEP) change/comparison data from 47 studies between 1988 and 2001, based on data collected between 1986 and 1997. The research question posed was: Is NEP attendance associated with reductions in risky needle-related behaviors? Results indica…

Meta-analysis is used to combine results of primary data from 12 longitudinal studies to examine the consistency of results with respect to the role of changes on the individual level in marital status and employment status on changes in consumption of alcohol per typical occasion. The analyses control for the effects…

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the effects of type, duration and frequency of exercise training on changes in body mass (BM), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM) and percent body fat (percent fat) both for adult males and females. Weight loss following aerobic type exercise training, though modest, was greater…

A meta-analysis was conducted combining results from nine studies, using seventy-five outcome measures of 349 subjects. Only studies that contrasted group, individual, and control treatments with a pretest-posttest design were selected. Estimates of effect sizes were calculated for group, individual, and control treatm…

BACKGROUND: Social participation is a core indicator of long-term recovery, but it significantly decreases after a stroke. Diverse single-, bi-, or multi-dimensional interventions showed differing effects on improving stroke survivors' participation. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of current interventions ba…