Current medical research and opinion
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The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is an independent, nonprofit professional association with members from the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology industries; publication planning and medical communications companies; academia; and medical journal staffs, including editors and publishers. ISMPP's mission is to support the educational needs of medical publication professionals by providing a forum to facilitate awareness and development of best practices in publication planning and implementation, and fostering consensus policies related to medical publishing. This position statement reflects our concern about the current climate of mistrust regarding the use of professional medical writers in the preparation of manuscripts. ⋯ ISMPP endorses use of the contributorship model, which offers detailed information on the roles of all who participated in planning, conducting, developing, and publishing medical research. Further, we propose that this model be integrated into the standard operating procedures of the diverse organizations that comprise our membership because the responsibility for authorship disclosure is shared by sponsors, authors, study investigators, and medical writers. Finally, we commend the many organizations that have worked to increase recognition and understanding of the legitimate role of the medical writer, and are eager to work in concert with them to ensure the rigorous maintenance of all ethical standards for reporting the results of medical research.
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Practice Guideline
Evidence-based guidelines for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms related to uncomplicated benign prostatic hyperplasia in Italy: updated summary.
Despite the high prevalence and huge socio-economic impact of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Italy, no national guidelines have been produced so far. This is a summary of the first Italian guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) related to uncomplicated BPH, prepared by a multidisciplinary panel under the auspices of the Italian Association of Urologists and introduced in Italy in 2003. An update compiled by the authors is also included. ⋯ These guidelines are intended to provide a framework for health professionals involved in BPH management in order to facilitate decision-making in all areas and at all levels of healthcare.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Association of baseline disease and patient characteristics with response to etoricoxib and indomethacin for acute gout.
Disease history and clinical features can influence treatment response in patients with acute gout. The purpose of this pooled subgroup analysis was to assess the association of baseline disease and patient characteristics with response to treatment in acute gout using data from two identical studies. ⋯ This pooled subgroup analysis demonstrated significantly greater response of acute gout to either etoricoxib or indomethacin among those with monoarticular disease, severe/extreme baseline pain, and non-use of colchicine and/or allopurinol. These results should be interpreted in the context of a pooled subgroup analysis with a limited sample size, and with the understanding that associations identified in such analyses do not define causation. Despite limitations, the results provide insights into the types of patients more likely to respond better to anti-inflammatory medication, and reiterate the importance of earlier effective control of the disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain relief and pain-related sleep disturbance with extended-release tramadol in patients with osteoarthritis.
This analysis evaluated changes in pain and pain-related sleep disturbance with extended-release tramadol (tramadol ER) in patients with moderate, chronic osteoarthritis pain, and the influence of pain reduction on pain-related sleep disturbance. ⋯ In patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain, pain reduction is associated with decreased pain-related sleep disturbance.
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Bone metastases can occur in many forms of cancer. More than two-thirds of women with metastatic breast cancer may be affected by bone metastasis during the course of their disease. Bisphosphonates, which inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, are an established standard of care for patients with bone metastases. For patients with cancer and bone metastases, bisphosphonates are associated with a significant reduction in skeletal-related events such as vertebral fractures, non-vertebral fractures as well as increasing the time to skeletal event. The purpose of this study was to quantify the current time involved in the administration of i.v. bisphosphonates and how this might impact on patient experience and cancer unit capacity. ⋯ I.v. bisphosphonates are accepted as standard clinical practice for the management of metastatic bone disease. They are often prescribed for long periods of time, so tolerability and patient acceptability are important factors in therapy. The administration of i.v. bisphosphonates contributes a substantial time burden for patients travelling to the hospital, considering that in most cases the purpose is for this treatment only. It also places a significant burden on hospital resources, creating capacity planning challenges. Receiving an i.v. bisphosphonate also has other disadvantages associated with it, such as the need for patients to undergo repeated cannulation. Service redesign, such as home administration of i.v. bisphosphonates, could help to overcome issues highlighted in this audit. The use of oral alternatives to pamidronate and zoledronic acid which may be more convenient for patients, and perhaps also cost-effective, should also be of ongoing interest.