The purpose and procedure section in each issue of Evidence-Based Medicine describes the criteria for selecting articles for inclusion. The journals read are also listed in each issue. All articles that meet our criteria in the reviewed journals are cited in Evidence-Based Medicine, but there is not enough space to abstract them all. The following articles passed all criteria but were not abstracted. Practising clinicians rated them for clinical relevance and newsworthiness, and the mean scores are displayed.
THERAPEUTICS
McNamara RL, Tamariz LJ, Segal JB, et al. Management of atrial fibrillation: review of the evidence for the role of pharmacologic therapy, electrical cardioversion, and echocardiography. Ann Intern Med 2003;139:1018–33.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ Internal medicine ★★★★★☆☆ Cardiology ★★★★★★☆
Surks MI, Ortiz E, Daniels GH. Subclinical thyroid disease: scientific review and guidelings for diagnosis and management. JAMA 2004;291:228–39.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Endocrine ★★★★★☆☆
Tariot PN, Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, et al. Memantine treatment in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease already receiving donepezil: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2004;291:317–24.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★★★ Geriatrics ★★★★★★☆ Neurology ★★★★★★☆
Dukas L, Bischoff HA, Lindpaintner LS, et al. Alfacalcidol reduces the number of fallers in a community-dwelling elderly population with a minimum calcium intake of more than 500 mg daily. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:230–6.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ Geriatrics ★★★★★★☆
Vogel T, Verreault R, Gourdeau M, et al. Optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated urinary tract infection in older women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2004;170:469–73.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ Geriatrics ★★★★★★☆ Infectious disease ★★★★★★☆
Bueving HJ, Bernsen RM, de Jongste JC, et al. Influenza vaccination in children with asthma: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2004;169:488–93.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ Respirology ★★★★★★☆ Paediatrics ★★★★☆☆☆
Ringleb PA, Bhatt DL, Hirsch AT, et al. Benefit of clopidogrel over aspirin is amplified in patients with a history of ischemic events. Stroke 2004;35:528–32.
Clinical impact ratings Internal medicine ★★★★★★☆ Neurology ★★★★★★☆
Moncrieff J, Wessely S, Hardy R. Active placebos versus antidepressants for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD003012.
Clinical impact ratings Mental health ★★★★★★☆
Straetemans M, Sanders E, Veenhoven R, et al. Pneumococcal vaccines for preventing otitis media. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD001480.
Clinical impact ratings Paediatrics ★★★★★★☆
Aljabri K, Kozak SE, Thompson DM. Addition of pioglitazone or bedtime insulin to maximal doses of sulfonylurea and metformin in type 2 diabetes patients with poor glucose control: a prospective, randomized trial. Am J Med 2004;116:230–5.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★★☆ Endocrine ★★★★★☆☆
Zhang Z, Weintraub WS, Mahoney EM, et al. Relative benefit of coronary artery bypass grafting versus stent-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention for angina pectoris and multivessel coronary disease in women versus men (one-year results from the Stent or Surgery trial). Am J Cardiol 2004;93:404–9.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ Internal medicine ★★★★★☆☆ Cardiology ★★★★★☆☆
Muir KW, Lees KR, Ford I, et al. Magnesium for acute stroke (Intravenous Magnesium Efficacy in Stroke trial): randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2004;363:439–45.
Clinical impact ratings IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Neurology ★★★★★☆☆
Staal JB, Hlobil H, Twisk JW, et al. Graded activity for low back pain in occupational health care: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2004;140:77–84.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ Rheumatology ★★★★★☆☆
Keystone EC, Schiff MH, Kremer JM, et al. Once-weekly administration of 50 mg etanercept in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum 2004;50:353–63.
Clinical impact ratings IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Immunology ★★★★☆☆☆ Rheumatology ★★★★★★☆
Geddes JR, Burgess S, Hawton K, et al. Long-term lithium therapy for bipolar disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Psychiatry 2004;161:217–22.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ Mental health ★★★★★★☆ Psychiatry (specialist) ★★★★★☆☆
Brousseau DC, Duffy SJ, Anderson AC, et al. Treatment of pediatric migraine headaches: A randomized, double-blind trial of prochlorperazine versus ketorolac. Ann Emerg Med 2004;43:256–62.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ GP/FP/Emergency medicine ★★★★★★☆ Neurology ★★★★☆☆☆ Paediatrics ★★★★★★☆ Emergency medicine (specialist) ★★★★☆☆☆
LaRoche SM, Helmers SL. The new antiepileptic drugs: scientific review. JAMA 2004;291:605–14.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Neurology ★★★★★☆☆
Margolis PA, Lannon CM, Stuart JM, et al. Practice based education to improve delivery systems for prevention in primary care: randomised trial. BMJ 2004;328:388.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆
TePas EC, Hoyte EG, McIntire JJ, et al. Clinical efficacy of microencapsulated timothy grass pollen extract in grass-allergic individuals. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2004;92:25–31.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ Allergy ★★★★★★☆ Immunology ★★★★★☆☆
Holdgate A, Pollock T. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) versus opioids for acute renal colic. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD004137.
Clinical impact ratings Internal medicine ★★★★★☆☆ Emergency medicine ★★★★☆☆☆ Nephrology ★★★★★☆☆
Belej-Rak T, Okun N, Windrim R, et al. Effectiveness of cervical cerclage for a sonographically shortened cervix: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:1679–87.
Clinical impact ratings Obstetrics ★★★★★☆☆
Handoll H, Almaiyah M, Rangan A. Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for acute anterior shoulder dislocation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD004325.
Clinical impact ratings Surgery ★★★★★☆☆
Chaitman BR, Pepine CJ, Parker JO, et al. Effects of ranolazine with atenolol, amlodipine, or diltiazem on exercise tolerance and angina frequency in patients with severe chronic angina: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2004;291:309–16.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Cardiology ★★★★★☆☆
Karim Z, Wakefield RJ, Quinn M, et al. Validation and reproducibility of ultrasonography in the detection of synovitis in the knee: a comparison with arthroscopy and clinical examination. Arthritis Rheum 2004;50:387–94.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★☆☆ Rheumatology ★★★★★☆☆
Verhagen A, Scholten-Peeters G, Bie R, et al. Conservative treatments for whiplash. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD003338.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Neurology ★★★★☆☆☆
McCarney R, Brinkhaus B, Lasserson T, et al. Acupuncture for chronic asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD000008.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Respirology ★★★★★☆☆
Miglioretti DL, Rutter CM, Geller BM, et al. Effect of breast augmentation on the accuracy of mammography and cancer characteristics. JAMA 2004;291:442–50.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Oncology ★★★★★★☆
Glazener C, Evans J, Peto R. Complex behavioural and educational interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD004668.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Mental health ★★★★★☆☆
Hartling L, Wiebe N, Russell K, et al. Epinephrine for bronchiolitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD003123.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Paediatrics ★★★★★☆☆
Hayden JT, Smith N, Woolf DA, et al. A randomised crossover trial of facemask efficacy. Arch Dis Child 2004;89:72–3.
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★☆☆☆ Paediatrics ★★★★☆☆☆
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