Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of antibiotics in treating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in primary health centers in Kuwait and investigate the extent to which antibiotic use follows international guidelines. Subjects and Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 615 patients selected by using a multi-stage clus...

Biais and colleagues [1] have shown that echocardiographers can adequately perform a three-view cardiac examination in the emergency setting using a pocket ultrasound device (PUD). We have similarly noted that an evidencebased 'quick-look', cardiac limited ultrasound examination has diagnostic and prognostic value [2], can affect medical decision-making [3], and can be successfully taught to in...

Some would argue that management and medicine, especially psychiatry, have a great deal in common. For a reasonable chance of success both require a high level of knowledge, skills in working with people and positive attitudes. Both also require knowledge and skills to be applied in complicated situations where there is no 'right' answer. Evidencebased practice is possible in management as well...

311 ABSTRACT: Guidelines based on a systematic literature review have been developed by the Transfusion Medicine Advisory Group of BC to provide physicians with evidencebased indications for transfusion of frozen plasma. Practices outlined in these guidelines are preferred to practices for blood product use based on anecdotal reports or personal experience, which may lead to unjustified exposur...

The term ‘evidence-based medicine’ was coined in 1990. Since then, the systematic use of scientific evidence in clinical decision-making has expanded. The evidence-based medicine movement inspired parallel developments in mental health. Administrators, clinicians, advocates and researchers generally agree that they are obligated to provide the most effective mental health treatments. Implementi...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this article is to present the introduction of a mandatory, vertically integrated course in research methodology into medical curriculum. At the School of Medicine in Split (Croatia) we organized this course in 2010, with the total of 270 hours in the 6-year curriculum. In the first year (50 hours) students learned basic principles of scientific method, structure of scienti...

There is a large and expanding body of scientific evidence supporting the use of acupuncture in pain management. In the last decade, our understanding of how the brain processes acupuncture analgesia has undergone considerable development. Profound studies on neural mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia have evolved rapidly and predominately focus on cellular and molecular substrate and f...

Objective: To review the evidence supporting selected complementary and alternative medicine approaches used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Quality of evidence: MEDLINE (from January 1966), EMBASE (from January 1980), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched until March 2008, combining the terms irritable bowel syndrome or irritable colon with complemen...

Critical Appraisal of ‘‘EvidenceBased Labor and Delivery Management’’ The ability to critically appraise research reports is an essential skill for contemporary health professional practice. This applies equally to reports of single studies and reviews described as ‘‘evidencebased’’. Review articles compile all relevant research ¢ndings into one place and help resolve varied or con£icting resul...