Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3.5/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 De Backer D, Aldecoa C, Njimi H, Vincent JL. Crit Care Med. 2012 Mar;40(3):725-30. Article Link This meta-analysis of 6 trials found that in patients with septic shock, dopamine administration was associated with greater mortality (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.20; P=0.035) andRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Smith SW, Khalil A, Henry TD, Rosas M, Chang RJ, Heller K, Scharrer E, Ghorashi M, Pearce LA. Ann Emerg Med. 2012 Jul;60(1):45-56.e2. Epub 2012 Apr 19. Pub Med Link This retrospective cohort study of anterior STEMI and Benign Early Repolarization (BER) patientsRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 3/5 Douma RA, Mos IC, et al. Prometheus Study Group. Article Link This European study directly compared four clinical decision rules in combination with d-dimer testing to exclude PE without the need for CT and found similar performance with very high sensitivityRead More →
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 2.5/5 Galvagno SM Jr, Haut ER, Zafar SN, Millin MG, Efron DT, Koenig GJ Jr, Baker SP, Bowman SM, Pronovost PJ, Haider AH. JAMA 2012 Apr 18;307(15):1602-10. Article Link This retrospective cohort study of 223,475 patients in the U.S. NationalRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Quant EC, et. al 2009;339:b3354. Methods: 4/5 Usefulness: 4/5 Article Link This high quality meta-analysis demonstrated that the addition of antivirals to steroids did not result in any additional benefit in achieving at least partial facial muscle recovery for Bell’s palsy when compared to steroids alone.Read More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Mayer SA, Brun NC, Begtrup K, Broderick J, Davis S, Diringer MN, et al. N Engl J Med. 2008 May 15;358(20):21 27–37. Article Link This industry sponsored, international multicentre RCT involved 841 patients with acute ICH and found that Factor VII was associated with a reducedRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Sprung CL, Annane D, Keh D, Moreno R, Singer M, Freivogel K, et al. N Engl J Med. 2008 Jan.10;358(2):111–24. Article Link This European multicentre RCT compared hydrocortisone to placebo for 499 ICU patients with septic shock and found no difference in mortality despite quickerRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Margaretten ME, Kohlwes J, Moore D, Bent S. JAMA. 2007Apr.4;297(13):1478–88. Article Link This systematic overview from the excellent JAMA series reviewed the relatively weak evidence regarding assessment of patients with suspected septic arthritis. JC attendees found the odds ratios for clinical findings to be usefulRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Clark E, Plint AC, Correll R, Gaboury I, Passi B. A Pediatrics. 20 07Mar.1;119(3):460–7. Article Link This high quality RCT by local investigators rigorously compared acetaminophen, ibuprofen and codeine analgesics among children in the ED with MSK trauma and found ibuprofen to be statistically and clinically significantlyRead More →
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Straus SE, Thorpe KE, Holroyd-Leduc J. JAMA. 2006Oct.25;296(16):2012–22. PubMed Link This systematic literature review and meta-analysis in the Rational Clinical Examination series found a non-significant trend towards less post-LP headache with the use of atraumatic needle and mobilization post-LP. Reinsertion of the stylet significantly reducedRead More →