AIMS To provide an overview of the peer review process, its various types, selection of peer reviewers, the purpose and significance of the peer review with regard to the assessment and management of quality of publications in academic journals. DESIGN Discussion paper. METHODS This paper draws on information gained from literature on the peer review process and the authors' knowledge and e...

AIM This meta-analysis is aimed to determine the efficacy of quetiapine for the treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). METHOD Our electronic search included MEDLINE (1950-2009), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PsychINFO. We also did a hand search of the International Psychogeriatric Association poster presentations and checked the National t...

AIMS To assess the effect of loratadine in exercise induced asthma. METHODS Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study of 10 mg oral loratadine, once daily for three days in 11 children. At the end of the treatment period FEV(1) was measured, and patients were exercised on a treadmill. FEV(1) measurements were repeated at intervals after exercise. RESULTS Loratadine significantly re...

No current treatment can reverse or ameliorate contrast-induced nephropathy once it occurs, but prophylaxis is possible. Many preventive measures have failed to show benefits in well-designed, prospective, randomized, double-blinded trials. This review will focus only on the prophylactic strategies that have possible or proven value.

UNLABELLED Acoustic reflectometry, a noninvasive test that produces a length versus cross-sectional area map of the airway, has been used to identify difficult-to-tracheally intubate patients in a small retrospective case-control study. A critical airway volume of 40.2 mL separated those patients whose tracheas were impossible to intubate from those who were easily intubated. To determine if th...

Although intranasal methamphetamine abuse has increased, there are no published data investigating the residual effects of the drug under controlled conditions. Thus, the current study examined the residual effects of single-dose intranasal methamphetamine administration on a broad range of behavioral and physiological measures. Non-treatment seeking methamphetamine abusers (n=11) completed thi...

The effect of diazepam on the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) pressure is controversial. Therefore, a double-blind crossover study was performed on 18 healthy volunteers to determine the sphincter response to intravenous diazepam--70, 140, 280 microgram/kg, which correspond to a total dose of 5, 10, and 20 mg. respectively. After the 5 and 10 mg dose no signficant effect on LOS pressure could...

The effect of four days of preoperative lactulose on posthaemorrhoidectomy pain was studied in a prospective double blind randomized trial. All patients received lactulose on admission to hospital, 20 received lactulose for four days before admission, and 22 received placebo. The preoperative lactulose treatment group suffered significantly less pain on defecation for the first four days that t...

We report a rare case of synchronous double primary malignancies of the liver and ampulla. A 70-year-old white female was diagnosed with ampullary and hepatocellular carcinoma. The management and outcome of this rare case of synchronous double primary hepatic and periampullary malignancies, amenable to surgical resection is discussed.