Search results for "Trials"
showing 10 items of 966 documents
Preoperative chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
2004
Background: The benefit of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in oesophageal cancer has been extensively studied but data on survival are still equivocal. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery in the reduction of mortality in patients with resectable oesophageal cancer. Methods: Computerised bibliographic searches of MEDLINE and CANCERLIT (1970–2002) were supplemented with hand searches of reference lists. Study selection: Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing preoperative chemoradiotherapy plus surgery with surgery alone, and if they included patients with resectable histologically proven oesophageal cancer wit…
Clinical trials in children.
2006
Abstract Randomized controlled clinical trials are felt by the medical community to provide the best evidence. Participation in trials involves the possibility of obtaining benefits but also of suffering some risks. Those risks are often considered unacceptable for children but if clinical trials are not conducted in children, clinicians are forced to extrapolate study data from adults. In 1968 H. Shirkey termed children "therapeutic orphans" because of the lack of adequately tested and labeled drugs available in appropriate formulations. Research involving children entails specific difficulties as the need to study children of different ages, the small number of children affected by certai…
Global mapping of randomised trials related articles published in high-impact-factor medical journals: a cross-sectional analysis
2020
[Background]: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) provide the most reliable information to inform clinical practice and patient care. We aimed to map global clinical research publication activity through RCT-related articles in high-impact-factor medical journals over the past five decades.
Comparison between Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy and Conventional Thyroidectomy: Is There Any Evidence-Based Information?
2008
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) affords comparable safety and efficacy as to the open conventional surgery in dealing with patients with small thyroid nodules.Randomized controlled trials comparing the MIVAT with open thyroidectomy were ascertained by methodical search using Medline, Embase, Pubmed, and The Cochrane Library. Primary meta-analysis outcomes were adverse events (laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism), and cosmesis and secondary outcomes were operative time, blood loss, and early and late postoperative pain.Operative time was significantly less with open thyroidectomy than with MIVAT, while MIV…
Prevention of Sports Injuries
2007
Increased participation in sports has led to more sports injuries. Evidence-based methods to prevent sports injuries are needed. A systematic review was conducted of the effects of randomized controlled interventions to prevent sports injuries. A systematic search was performed of various databases and the reference lists of articles and reviews. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the included trials. Thirty-two trials (24,931 participants) met the inclusion criteria. We found evidence of the preventive effect of 3 types of injury prevention interventions. In 5 trials including 6 different comparisons (2446 participants), custom-made or…
Effectiveness of a manual therapy protocol based on articulatory techniques in migraine patients. A randomized controlled trial
2021
Background: Physiotherapy is used as a non-pharmacological treatment for migraine. However, controversy exists over whether articulatory manual techniques are effective in some aspects related to migraine. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a manual therapy protocol based on articulatory techniques in pain intensity, frequency of episodes, migraine disability, quality of life, medication intake and self-reported perceived change after treatment in migraine patients. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Fifty individuals with migraine were randomized into the experimental group, which received manual therapy based on articulatory techniques (n = 25), or the placebo group (n …
Suspected Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity Confirmed in Few Patients After Gluten Challenge in Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials
2017
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten challenge has been proposed to confirm a diagnosis of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) in patients without celiac disease who respond to a gluten-free diet. To determine the accuracy of this approach, we analyzed data from 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten challenge trials, comprising 1312 adults. The studies varied in the duration of the challenge (ranging from 1 day to 6 weeks), daily doses for the gluten challenge (ranging from 2 g to 52 g; 3 studies administered less than 8 g/day), and composition of the placebo (gluten-free products, xylose, whey protein, rice, or corn starch containing fermentable carbohydrates). Most of the stu…
Head-to-head comparison of statins versus fibrates in reducing plasma fibrinogen concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2015
Several studies suggest differences between fibrates and statins in lowering plasma fibrinogen (Fib) concentrations, but the evidence is not definitive. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis of head-to-head randomized trials was to compare the efficacy of statins and fibrates on plasma Fib concentrations.The literature search included Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science up to February 1st, 2015, to identify head-to-head comparative randomized trials investigating the efficacy of fibrates vs statins on plasma Fib concentrations.In total 22 trials with 2762 participants were included to the meta-analysis. Random-effect meta-analysis suggested a significantly greater effect of fibrates vs s…
Randomised clinical trials: a source of ethical dilemmas
2001
Clinical trials give rise to ethical dilemmas, especially in the acutely ill, but we take issue with two points raised in a recent comment on a specific acute myocardial infarction (AMI) trial. The commentators judged that the trial most likely could, and therefore should, have been terminated much earlier. By analysing the problem statistically we arrive at results that go against their intuitive judgment—they also see it as mandatory to update the patient Information sheet as trial results accrue and trends begin to emerge. In our view, interpreting subtle trends and borderline p-values must rest with data monitoring boards, not patients. Moreover, patients with AMI or in other medical em…
Teaching Back Health in the School Setting: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
2021
School-based interventions have reported effectiveness on back health; however, there are no specific guidelines for teaching body mechanics and posture in primary and secondary schools. To identify, describe, and analyze the educative features of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on back health developed to date in the school setting, a systematic review was performed following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. RCTs exclusively focused on educational setting electronic databases included PubMed, EMBASE, PEDro, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, ERIC, and MEDLINE on the Ovid platform. Databases were searched for potentially eligible…