BACKGROUND AND AIM Adherence to medication that maintains remission by patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is poor but little is known regarding patients' perception of medication benefit that may enhance adherence rates. The aims were to study patients' understanding and preference on methods of conveying statistical information and to study indicated thresholds for adherence to medication f...

OBJECTIVE To consider the problem of the calculation of number needed to treat (NNT) derived from risk difference, odds ratio, and raw pooled events shown to give different results using data from a review of nursing interventions for smoking cessation. DISCUSSION A review of nursing interventions for smoking cessation from the Cochrane Library provided different values for NNT depending on h...

BACKGROUND Although the addition of bevacizumab to 1st line chemotherapy provides a significant survival benefit for advanced colorectal cancer, the magnitudes of both advantages and toxicities have not been extensively investigated. METHODS A literature-based meta-analysis was conducted; Hazard Ratios were extracted from randomized trials for primary end-points (Progression Free Survival, PF...

New studies of the treatment of neuropathic pain have increased the need for an updated review of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to support an evidence based algorithm to treat neuropathic pain conditions. Available studies were identified using a MEDLINE and EMBASE search. One hundred and five studies were included. Numbers needed to treat (NNT) and numbers needed to harm ...

BACKGROUND Randomized trials have established statins as an agent for prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). The purpose of this study was to assess the hypothesis that standard-dose statin therapy has a beneficial effect in normocholesterolemic diabetic patients with CHD. METHODS AND RESULTS A prospective, randomized, open, blinded-endpoint trial was conducted from 2002 to 2004 at 55 ho...

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials suggest that cyclo-oxygenase-2 specific inhibitors (coxibs) are an effective treatment for acute postoperative pain. The aims of this systematic review were to examine the evidence for oral valdecoxib and injected parecoxib, and quantify efficacy and adverse effects. METHODS: Information from randomized, double-blind studies in acute postoperative pain was sought. Th...

BACKGROUND Clozapine is widely used for people with schizophrenia. Although agranulocytosis, weight gain, and cardiac problems are serious problems associated with its use, hypersalivation, sometimes of a gross and socially unacceptable quantity, is also common (30-80%). OBJECTIVES To determine the clinical effects of pharmacological interventions for clozapine-induced hypersalivation. SEAR...

In reply to the letter of DM Fleming, dated 13 December 2005, in which he raises the issue of selection bias, we would like to point out that the randomisation prevented selection bias, although some residual bias (or confounding) cannot be precluded in small trials such as ours. That, for example, was the reason why we adjusted for a slight, but important imbalance in the age distributions bet...

BACKGROUND: Individual patient meta-analysis to determine the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of single-dose rofecoxib in acute postoperative pain. METHODS: Individual patient information was available from 14 trials; 13 in dental and one in postsurgical pain. For each patient the percentage of maximum possible pain relief (%maxTOTPAR) was determined at different time points. The proport...