Radonovich et al. JAMA 2019 Sep 3;322(9):824-33
The advantage of N95 respirators over surgical masks in controlled settings were not demonstrated in preventing staff influenza infection in routine primary care.
Steels E, et al. Inflammopharmacology 2019 Jun;27(3):475-85.
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) cannot be recommended as a routine therapy for knee osteoarthritis in Australian primary care,
Osani et al. Korean J Intern Med 2019 Mar 15
Duloxetine (60-120 mg daily) appears to have a small to moderate beneficial effect on knee osteoarthritis pain and function at 3 months, compared to placebo.
Beadle et al. Ann Emerg Med 2016 Jul;68(1):1-9 e1.
Nasal inhalation of isopropyl alcohol provides clinically important relief from acute nausea, of at least a short duration, in community ambulatory patients
Bisson et al. Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2013 Dec 13(12):CD003388
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) appears to be effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Previous
Next
Journal reference: Wandel S, Jüni P, Tendal B. Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: network meta-analysis. BMJ 2010;341:c4675 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4675
 Evidence cookie says... |
Glucosamine, chondroitin and their combination do not improve pain or reduce joint space loss in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.
The evidence is convincing. It is very probable that these agents are therapeutically inert for osteoarthritis. They should not be recommended.
Nevertheless, patients who choose to take glucosamine and/or chondroitin can be reassured that these therapies are safe. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=270
Morsels of Evidence is having a break on Australia Day!
The next article will be published next Friday, 28 January 2011.
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=1092
Journal reference: Spurling GK, Mansfield PR, Montgomery BD, et al. Information from pharmaceutical companies and the quality, quantity and cost of physicians’ prescribing: a systematic review. PLoS Med, 2010; 7(10): e1000352 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000352
Evidence cookie says... |
Exposure to information from pharmaceutical companies does not improve prescribing quality, reduce prescribing frequency or reduce prescribing costs.
General practitioners should avoid pharmaceutical company promotion.
Apart from rare exceptions, the evidence demonstrates either no association between pharmaceutical company promotion and prescribing, or that it:
- ↓ prescribing quality
- ↑ prescribing frequency
- ↑ prescribing costs
Note: there are substantial limitations to the reliability of the evidence base. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=265
Journal reference: Di Angelantonio E, Chowdhury R, Sarwar N, et al. Chronic kidney disease and risk of major cardiovascular disease and no-vascular mortality: prospective population based cohort study. BMJ. 2010;341:c4986 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4986
Evidence cookie says... |
Even the earliest stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) seem to be independently associated with an increased risk of subsequent coronary heart disease.
- Stage 1 CKD: ↑ 55%
- Stage 2 CKD: ↑ 72%
When serum creatinine and urine tests for proteinuria have been performed, effort should be made to exclude or confirm the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.
Note: this dataset has some limitations. Read below for more details. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=262
Journal reference: Eyding D, Lelgemann M, Grouven U, et al. Reboxetine for acute treatment of major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished placebo and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor controlled trials. BMJ 2010;341:c4737 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4737
Evidence cookie says... |
Reboxetine (Edronax) is no more effective than placebo for major depressive disorder.
It is:
- inferior to placebo for adverse effects
- inferior to SSRIs for remission and response rate for major depression
- inferior to fluoxetine for medication discontinuation due adverse effects
Reboxetine should be avoided as a choice of antidepressant. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=250
Journal reference: Lo S-C, Pripuzova N, Li B, et al. Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy blood donors. PNAS September 7, 2010 vol. 107 no. 36 15874-15879 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1006901107
Evidence cookie says... |
There appears to be an association between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and murine leukaemia virus (MLV)-related virus.
This is the second study to report an association and research is still in early stages. The role of these viruses in aetiology should not be assumed.
Basic science: no direct change in the clinical management of chronic fatigue syndrome is indicated. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=241
Journal reference: Kaptchuk TJ, Friedlander E, Kelley JM, et al. Placebos without deception: a randomized controlled trial in irritable bowel syndrome. PLoS ONE 2010; 5(12): e15591 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015591
Evidence cookie says... |
The positive results widely reported for placebo pills in consenting patients with irritable bowel syndrome are likely invalid due to serious methodological limitations in the study.
This study does not have any direct bearing on the practice of community medicine by Australian general practitioners.
Placebo therapies in consenting patients should be avoided; concealed or deceptive placebo therapies are unethical.
Note: see below for more details. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=749
Journal reference: Zoungas S, Patel A, Chalmers J, et al. Severe hypoglycemia and risk of vascular events and death. N Engl J Med 2010;363:1410-8 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1003795
Evidence cookie says... |
Severe hypoglycaemia is strongly associated with increased risk of vascular events and death (~ 350% ↑ risk).
This association may be due to common confounding factors rather than a causative relationship. Intensive glucose treatment in type 2 diabetes (target HbA1c ≤ 6.5%) did not seem to worsen outcomes despite increasing hypoglycaemia.
Prudent HbA1c targets for type 2 diabetes should remain at ≤ 7.0% until more definitive evidence exists. There is, however, no need to raise the HbA1c for patients with HbA1c ≤ 6.5% if clinically stable. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=206
Journal reference: Jackson JL, Shimeall W, Sessums L, et al. Tricyclic antidepressants and headaches: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2010;341:c5222 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c5222
Evidence cookie says... |
Tricyclic antidepressants are possibly/probably effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of migraine and tension-type headaches.
The magnitude of effect appears moderate to large when compared to placebo [1]:
- migraine headaches:
- ↓ 1.4 headaches/month
- 80% more likely to be at least half as intense
- tension-type headaches:
- ↓ 6.9 headaches/month
- 41% more likely to be at least half as intense
There are substantial limitations with the reliability of the evidence base; these results should not be considered authoritative. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=743
Journal reference: Freeman JT, McBride SJ, Heffernan H, et al. Community-onset genitourinary tract infection due to CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli among travelers to the Indian subcontinent in New Zealand. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2008; 47:689–92 [1]
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/590941
Evidence cookie says... |
Travel to the Indian subcontinent is associated with the acquisition of multi-resistant E. coli causing genitourinary tract infections in the community.
Microbiological testing of urine should be performed for clinical diagnoses of UTIs in this patient group if not already performed routinely.
If ESBL-producing E. coli is isolated, the patient may need immediate treatment at hospital. |
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=277
Load more
Recent Comments