BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Debate continues as to the merits of hand-assisted versus pure laparoscopic nephrectomy. Using evidence-based analysis, we compared the outcomes of both. METHODS We performed a systematic review and metaanalysis of studies directly comparing hand-assisted with pure laparoscopic nephrectomy. We searched PubMed, the OVID database (from 1980), the Biosis previews ISI We...

BACKGROUND Because smallpox (variola major) may be used as a biological weapon, we reviewed outbreaks in post-World War II Europe and North America in order to understand smallpox transmission patterns. METHODS A systematic review was used to identify papers from the National Library of Medicine, Embase, Biosis, Cochrane Library, Defense Technical Information Center, WorldCat, and reference l...

M e t h o d s Data sources: MEDLINE, old MEDLINE, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, CENTRAL, Web of Science, ISI Proceedings, Biosis Previews, CINAHL, and HealthSTAR (all to June 2005); abstracts from scientific meetings in the past 10 years; and reference lists. Study selection and assessment: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared intravenous magnesium with routine care, placebo, or antiarrh...

Metformin has garnered considerable interest as a chemo-preventive and chemo-therapeutic agent given the increased risk of liver cancer among diabetic patients. This work was performed to illustrate the association between metformin use and survival of diabetic liver cancer patients. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, Cochrane Libr...

OBJECTIVE The optimal choice of technique for the surgical treatment of pancreatic head lesions in chronic pancreatitis is still under debate. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) versus pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) by means of parameters of mortality and morbidity and functional outcomes and...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficiency of the major bibliographic databases by assessing the percentage of references among the total literature available that can be retrieved from each database. We also evaluated the best database combinations to carry out an exhaustive search. METHODS BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, NIOSH-TIC, and TOXLINE were searched on two topics: allergy to latex and asbestos ...

OBJECTIVE Warnings of L-carnitine induced seizures are recorded on product monographs and pharmacy databases, without any referenced literature. This medication can potentially improve the hospital course in those patients with valproic acid (VPA) induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy, but may be withheld because of this warning. The goal was to perform an extensive systematic review of the lit...

PURPOSE To compare the effectiveness and safety of combined intravenous and topical tranexamic acid with intravenous use alone in THA. METHODS The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Cochrane central, and further adapted for Google and Google Scholar internet, last updated on Dec 30, 2016, were searched. Evaluated outcomes included total blood loss, transfusion rate, maximum postope...

Background. The use of aloe vera is being promoted for a large variety of conditions. Often general practitioners seem to know less than their patients about its alleged benefits. Aim. To define the clinical effectiveness of aloe vera, a popular herbal remedy in the United Kingdom. Method. Four independent literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Biosis, and the Cochrane Library. ...

BACKGROUND The efficacy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as part of combination antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been demonstrated in several randomized, controlled trials. However, an increasing number of case reports suggest that TDF use may be associated with significant nephrotoxicity. Our objective was to determine the renal safety of TDF-containing ART regimens for HIV-infected in...