OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy with which uterine artery Doppler in the first trimester of pregnancy predicts pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction, particularly early-onset disease. METHODS We searched MEDLINE (1951-2012), EMBASE (1980-2012) and the Cochrane Library (2012) for relevant citations without language restrictions. Two reviewers independently selected studies that evalu...

BACKGROUND The causes of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are multifactorial. Overdistension of the lung (volutrauma) is considered an important contribution. As an alternative to traditional pressure-limited ventilation (PLV), modern neonatal ventilators offer modes which can target a set tidal volume. OBJECTIVES To determine whether volume-targeted neonatal ventilation, compared with PLV, r...

This article subjects a randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry to a methodological and statistical critique, including a re-analysis of the effect size statistics presented. The published trial tested the use of combination antidepressants (mirtazapine co-prescribed with either buproprion, venlafaxine, or fluxoetine) at treatment initiation as compared to fl...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is among the most common chronic condition in middle-aged and older adults. Approximately 50 million Americans are currently diagnosed with this condition, and more than $18.7 billion is spent on hypertension management, including $3.8 billion for medications. There are numerous pharmacological agents that can be chosen to treat hypertension by physicians in clinical pr...

Importance Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains almost invariably fatal despite optimal surgical and medical therapy. The association between the extent of tumor resection (EOR) and outcome remains undefined, notwithstanding many relevant studies. Objective To determine whether greater EOR is associated with improved 1- and 2-year overall survival and 6-month and 1-year progression-free surv...

Background: Arthroscopic surgical repair is a better intervention than non-operative (conservative) treatment for patients with shoulder dislocations. This systematic review determined the numbers-needed-to-treat (NNT) and relative risk reduction (RRR) associated with arthroscopic surgical repair versus non-operative treatment in reducing recurrence rates among patients with first-time traumati...

BACKGROUND The usefulness of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with opioids for postoperative analgesia is not well defined. METHODS We systematically searched (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, bibliographies, any language, to January 2000) for randomised trials comparing opioid-based PCA with the same opioid given intramuscularly, intravenously, or subcutaneously. Weighted mea...

Neonatal tetanus is a serious but preventable disease of the newborn. The WHO has been coordinating efforts aimed at the elimination of the disease globally by reducing the incidence of NNT to less than one case per 1000 live births in every district of the world. Despite the efforts, the disease is still highly prevalent in Nigeria as the country is among the nations that contribute about 90% ...

Evidence • In 3 systematic reviews (9 to 46 RCTs, 820 to 5401 patients) of non-benzodiazepine muscle relaxants versus placebo, differences were statistically significant1-3: -Pain scores were about 12 points lower on a 100point visual analogue scale at 10 days.1 -There was undefined pain reduction (number needed to treat [NNT] of 4 to 7) at 2 to 7 days; an undefined target for global efficacy (...