Reporting of clinical details in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting.

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of reporting of clinical details in a selected sample of 30 randomized control trials (RCT) on acupuncture efficacy for the treatment of migraine/headaches (n = 11) and for nausea/vomiting (n = 19). Additional goals included the assessment of the quality of randomization of the trials, and the assessment of the degree of reporting of information about the outcome measures used in each trial.

Methods: A checklist of 50 clinical details selected on the basis of a previous survey was used to evaluate the degree of reporting of information about patients, practitioners, diagnosis, and acupuncture treatments presented in each RCT.

The reporting of clinical acupuncture research: what do clinicians need to know?

Unlabelled: It is presently unknown what the real impact of clinical acupuncture research on practitioners is, or what kind of specific information clinicians need to find on a published paper in this field.

Objectives: To develop a pilot survey instrument to evaluate clinicians' information needs when reading acupuncture research papers, and then to use it to assess the relative importance that specific clinical details may have for clinicians when reading papers on the areas of acupuncture treatment for migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting.

Methods: The survey instrument consisted of a list of 50 clinical details grouped in four areas: practitioners, patients, diagnostic procedures, and acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and laser therapy in chronic pain.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to determine how effective acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupuncture-like transcutaneous nerve stimulation, laser therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, and neuroreflexotherapy are in the management of chronic pain.

Methodology: The literature search identified six systematic reviews of the literature and four randomized controlled trials to provide evidence for this review.

Results: The systematic reviews included different methodologies and heterogeneity of study groups, but studies were generally of poor methodology.

A randomized controlled trial of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (CODETRON) to determine its benefits in a rehabilitation program for acute occupational low back pain.

The authors report the results of a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS/CODETRON) when added to a standard exercise program for industrial workers with acute low back pain (LBP). Fifty-eight work-injured patients with LBP of 3-10 weeks duration were randomized into two groups that received actual or placebo stimulation in combination with the exercise regimen. The groups were compared on the primary outcome measures of disability, pain, and return to work.

Antihypertensive effect of gamma-linolenic acid in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effects of chronic treatments of adult (aged 16-17 weeks) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) with different doses of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) on blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight were studied. Twice-daily injection of SHRs with GLA lowered systolic blood pressure from 175 +/- 4 to 145 +/- 4 mm Hg within 1 week; systolic blood pressure in all three treated groups became stabilized in the normotensive range after 2 weeks of treatment. Control SHRs injected with olive oil showed only a transient decrease in systolic blood pressure on the third day.

Acupuncture-like stimulation with codetron for rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain syndrome and osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing methods which is used in traditional medicine. In the modern medicine, we are witnessing a renaissance of this ancient treatment applied mainly in the management of chronic pain. A number of modern technological changes are being applied to replace, or modify, the classical needle treatment.

Intraoperative prochlorperazine for prevention of post-operative nausea and vomiting.

The effectiveness of 10 mg IV prochlorperazine in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting was compared with placebo when given perioperatively to 100 patients in a prospective double-blind randomized trial. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting was assessed in the recovery room prior to and after narcotic administration for pain relief. No statistically significant difference in the frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting was found between the treatment and control groups.

Randomized trial of Codetron for pain control in osteoarthritis of the hip/knee.

Patients suffering from pain due to osteoarthritis of the hip and knee participated in a double-blind placebo controlled trial using daily Codetron home care units for 6 weeks over the tibial, saphenous, popliteal and sciatic nerves, and tender points. Seventy-four percent of patients in the real Codetron (Group A) and 28% of the patients in sham Codetron (Group B) improved their pain level more than 25% as measured by visual analogue scale. The difference in pain improvement in the two groups was statistically significant (p less than 0.

Intramuscular cimetidine and ranitidine as prophylaxis against gastric aspiration syndrome--a randomized double-blind study.

Preoperative cimetidine 300 mg or ranitidine in 50 and 100 mg doses were administered intramuscularly to 120 patients in a randomized double-blind study. The volume and pH of gastric aspirate samples obtained after tracheal intubation and before extubation were measured. The pH of gastric aspirate was higher following ranitidine 100 mg than ranitidine 50 mg or cimetidine 300 mg at both intubation and extubation (p = 0.

Zomepirac as an analgesic premedication: a comparison of three dosage regimens.

Three regimens of oral zomepirac premedication - 100 mg and 200 mg administered one hour preoperatively, and 100 mg administered 30 minutes preoperatively - were compared in terms of the control of postoperative pain. Primary outcomes were postoperative analgesic requirements, pain intensities and side effects. Sixty patients undergoing laparoscopic sterilization by Fallop ring were studied, using a double blind randomized design.

A double-blind comparison of cimetidine and ranitidine as prophylaxis against gastric aspiration syndrome.

Preoperative cimetidine, ranitidine, or placebo were administered, orally or intravenously to 190 patients in a double-blind study. The volume and pH of gastric aspirate samples, obtained after tracheal intubation and before extubation, were measured. Both cimetidine and ranitidine produced higher mean pH levels and thus fewer patients "at risk" should gastric aspiration occur (pH less than or equal to 2.

The efficacy of bupivacaine 0.75 per cent as an epidural test dose.

Two cases are presented in which a test dose of bupivacaine 0.75 per cent was injected before institution of an epidural block, as a safeguard against inadvertent intrathecal injection. In each case there was immediate evidence of motor and sensory blockade, which gave warning that the epidural catheter was positioned in the subarachnoid space.

Effect of halothane on the pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia in dogs.

The pulmonary vascular response to alveolar hypoxia with and without halothane exposure was measured in dogs. Hypoxia increased pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) so that in each case inverse linear relationships were found with arterial oxygen saturation. These responses were highly significant and reproduceable but varied greatly between individuals.

Variability of the pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia and relation to gas exchange in dogs.

Anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated dogs were subjected to five minutes of alveolar hypoxia with Fio2 ranging from 0.08 to 0.20 while pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa), pulmonary wedge pressure (Pwp) and cardiac output (Q) were measured.