Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Failure to thrive impairs children's weight gain and growth, their defenses against infection, and their psychomotor and intellectual development. ⋯ The proper treatment of failure to thrive in childhood consists of treatment of the underlying illness, combined with nutritional treatment that addresses the mechanism of the accompanying failure to thrive.
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The lack of standardized pre-hospital treatment is a weak link in the care of acute stroke patients. ⋯ In the pre-hospital phase of stroke care delivery, the goal of a high capture rate can best be achieved through the use of appropriate diagnostic tests with maximal sensitivity. Patients with suspected acute stroke should be given the highest priority for transfer to a specialized stroke unit. Optimal pre-hospital care requires the smoothly functioning cooperation of all professionals involved, from the triaging and nursing personnel to the paramedics, dispatchers, emergency physicians in the field, and admitting physicians in the hospital.
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Review Comparative Study
Randomized controlled trials: part 17 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications.
In clinical research, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the best way to study the safety and efficacy of new treatments. RCTs are used to answer patient-related questions and are required by governmental regulatory bodies as the basis for approval decisions. ⋯ RCTs cannot yield reliable data unless they are planned, conducted, analyzed, and reported in ways that are methodologically sound and appropriate to the question being asked. The quality of any RCT must be critically evaluated before its relevance to patient care can be considered.
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Comparative Study
Regional differences in acute stroke admission and thrombolysis rates in the German federal state of Hesse.
Using data from the mandatory quality assurance program for stroke care in Hesse, we analyze regional differences in thrombolysis rates and infer some ways in which care can be improved. ⋯ Local thrombolysis rates vary unexpectedly widely across the state of Hesse. The care of patients with acute stroke after they reach the hospital urgently needs critical reappraisal and improvement.
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Editorial Comment
Randomized controlled trials-an indispensible part of clinical research.