The impact factor (IF) of scientific journal reflects the average number of citations to recent articles published in the journal. It is used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal, with journals with higher impact factors deemed to be more important than those with lower ones. ImpactRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Verhaegen J, Gallos ID, van Mello NM, Abdel-Aziz M, Takwoingi Y, Harb H, Deeks JJ, Mol BW, Coomarasamy A BMJ. 2012 Sep 27;345:e6077 Article Link This thorough and well performed systematic literature review found that a single progesterone test before 14 weeks gestationalRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 3.5/5 Aujesky D, et al. Lancet. 2011 Jul 2;378(9785):41-8. Abstract Link This open label, randomized, un-blinded, multi-centered trial compared inpatient vs. outpatient treatment of low-risk PE showed that outpatient management is non-inferior with respect to endpoints of recurrent VTE, major bleeding, and mortality.Read More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 2.5/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Schortgen F, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 May 15;185(10):1088-95 Full Article This randomized, non-blinded trial found in an ICU population that external cooling in febrile patients with septic shock resulted in a 50% decrease in vasopressorRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4.5/5 Usefulness Score: 4.5/5 Imazio M, et al. ICAP Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2013 Oct 17;369(16):1522-8. Article Link This multicentre double-blind RCT found that a 3 month course of low-dose colchicine is superior to placebo in reducing recurrence rates after first-episode pericarditis (NNT 4,Read More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 Wilkerson RG, Stone MB. Acad Emerg Med. 2010 Jan;17(1):11-7. Article Link This evidence-based literature review of four prospective observational studies identified that bedside ultrasound had excellent sensitivity (86-98%) especially compared to supine AP xray (28-75%) forRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 2.5/5 Usefulness Score: 2.5/5 Downie A, et al. BMJ 2013;347:f7095 Article Link This Cochrane review of the diagnostic accuracy of red flags for fracture or malignancy in patients with low back pain in multiple settings found that corticosteroid use (+LR 4-48.5), severe trauma (+LRRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 CRASH-2 trial collaborators Lancet. 2010 Jul 3;376(9734):23-32. Article Link This large RCT assessed the effect of early administration of tranexamic acid to trauma patients and revealed statistically significant results in favour of TXA for the reduction of overallRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Bateman DN, et al. Lancet. 2014 Feb 22;383(9918):697-704 Article Link This 2×2 factorial, intention to treat, randomized controlled trial of paracetamol overdose showed a modified 12 h NAC protocol vs 20.25h protocol and ondansetron pre-treatment vs placebo causes lessRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 INTERACT2 Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 20;368(25):2355-65. Article Link This large multicentre, partially blinded RCT compared aggressively lowering SBP to <140 vs. standard care in acute non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage and found no significant difference in ratesRead More →