Latest Articles
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Meta Analysis
The efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for the management of chronic pain.
To assess the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the management of chronic pain. ⋯ SSRIs appear to be beneficial for mixed-chronic pain. It is unclear, from the available evidence, whether SSRIs are beneficial for migraine headaches, tension headaches, diabetic neuropathy, or fibromyalgia. For those patients it may be reasonable to reserve SSRIs for those who fall to respond to other medications or who are intolerant of their side effects.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · May 1997
Meta AnalysisRoad traffic injuries in developing countries: a comprehensive review of epidemiological studies.
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults worldwide. Nearly three-quarters of road deaths occur in developing countries and men comprise a mean 80% of casualties. This review summarizes studies on the epidemiology of motor vehicle accidents in developing countries and examines the evidence for association with alcohol.
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Intensive care medicine · May 1997
Meta AnalysisAssessing the efficiency of the admission process to a critical care unit: does the literature allow the use of benchmarking?
To determine the ability of the current literature to supply appropriate data for benchmarking admission practice to a multidisciplinary critical care unit. ⋯ The current literature does not provide adequate data on critical care unit admission practices to allow useful application of the method of benchmarking. There is a need for publicly accessible large databases to allow individual critical care units to determine their level of efficiency when compared to similar institutions.
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Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg · May 1997
Meta AnalysisLocal versus general anaesthesia in carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review of the evidence.
To determine whether carotid endarterectomy under local anaesthesia is safer and as effective as under general anaesthesia. ⋯ Non-randomised studies suggest potentially important benefits from performing carotid endarterectomy under local anaesthesia. However, these studies were seriously flawed and can only be hypothesis generating. The results must be confirmed in large well-designed randomised trials before any recommendations on the use of local anaesthetic can be made.