Homeopathy for postoperative ileus? A meta-analysis.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Homeopathic remedies are advocated for the treatment of postoperative ileus, yet data from clinical trials are inconclusive. We therefore performed meta-analyses of existing clinical trials to determine whether homeopathic treatment has any greater effect than placebo administration on the restoration of intestinal peristalsis in patients after abdominal or gynecologic surgery. We conducted systematic literature searches to identify relevant clinical trials. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan software. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for any homeopathic treatment versus placebo; homeopathic remedies of < 12C potency versus placebo; homeopathic remedies of > or = 12C potency versus placebo. A "sensitivity analysis" was performed to test the effect of excluding studies of low methodologic quality. Our endpoint was time to first flatus. Meta-analyses indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) weighted mean difference (WMD) in favor of homeopathy (compared with placebo) on the time to first flatus. Meta-analyses of the three studies that compared homeopathic remedies > or = 12C versus placebo showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Meta-analyses of studies comparing homeopathic remedies < 12C with placebo indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) WMD in favor of homeopathy on the time to first flatus. Excluding methodologically weak trials did not substantially change any of the results. There is evidence that homeopathic treatment can reduce the duration of ileus after abdominal or gynecologic surgery. However, several caveats preclude a definitive judgment. These results should form the basis of a randomized controlled trial to resolve the issue.
منابع مشابه
Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials.
BACKGROUND Homeopathy seems scientifically implausible, but has widespread use. We aimed to assess whether the clinical effect reported in randomised controlled trials of homeopathic remedies is equivalent to that reported for placebo. METHODS We sought studies from computerised bibliographies and contracts with researchers, institutions, manufacturers, individual collectors, homeopathic conf...
متن کاملHomeopathy: do not condemn what we do not understand.
Almeida’s ‘critical’ review of homeopathy is not based on systematic review of the evidence and is strongly biased against homeopathy. There have been three systematic reviews/meta-analyses of ‘general’ scope (ie including all clinical trials of homeopathy), published in peer-reviewed journals. All have yielded positive conclusions. Almeida conceals these conclusions by highly selective quotati...
متن کاملA systematic review of the efficacy of gum chewing for the amelioration of postoperative ileus.
BACKGROUND Recent trials have shown promising results for the efficacy of gum chewing for the amelioration of postoperative ileus. This finding could have a major clinical impact since gum chewing is relatively harmless and cheap while postoperative ileus has a significant impact on healthcare. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy ...
متن کاملThe effectiveness of acupuncture in postoperative ileus - A systematic review and meta-analysis by
متن کامل
Robotic versus laparoscopic right colectomy: a meta-analysis
BACKGROUND The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the clinical safety and efficacy of robotic right colectomy (RRC) with conventional laparoscopic right colectomy (LRC). METHODS A literature search was performed for comparative studies reporting perioperative outcomes of RRC and LRC. The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed. Depending on statistical heteroge...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Journal of clinical gastroenterology
دوره 25 4 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1997