The Journal of family practice
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Multicenter Study
A new standard for treatment of torus fractures of the wrist?
A large multicenter trial evaluated effects on pain and function for pediatric patients treated with a soft bandage vs rigid immobilization.
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Case Reports Multicenter Study
Validated scoring system identifies low-risk syncope patients.
This study validated the Canadian Syncope Risk Score for predicting 30-day serious outcomes in patients presenting to the ED within 24 hours of syncope.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
What's growing on your stethoscope? (And what you can do about it).
Studies have shown that rubbing alcohol pads on stethoscope diaphragms can reduce bacterial colonization, but alcohol pads are used infrequently used and not always available. ⋯ Simultaneously using hand foam to clean hands and stethoscope heads reduces bacterial counts on stethoscopes. Further research is needed to determine whether this intervention can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infection.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Randomized placebo-controlled trial comparing efficacy and safety of valdecoxib with naproxen in patients with osteoarthritis.
We compared the efficacy and upper gastrointestinal safety of the cyclooxygenase-2-specific inhibitor valdecoxib with naproxen and placebo in treating moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. ⋯ Valdecoxib (10 and 20 mg once daily) is significantly superior to placebo and as effective as naproxen (500 mg twice daily) in improving moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. Upper gastrointestinal tract safety of valdecoxib (5 and 10 mg) was comparable to that of placebo and significantly better than that of naproxen.
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To examine family physicians' referral decisions, which we conceptualized as having 2 phases: whether to refer followed by to whom to refer. ⋯ Referrals are commonly made during encounters other than office visits, such as telephone conversations or staff-patient interactions, in primary care practice. Training in the referral process should ensure that family physicians obtain the skills necessary to expand their scope of practice, when appropriate; determine when and why a patient should be referred; and identify the type of practitioner to whom the patient should be sent.