Aspirin for the prevention of preeclampsia in women with abnormal uterine artery Doppler: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of aspirin to prevent preeclampsia in women identified as high risk for preeclampsia by an abnormal second-trimester uterine artery Doppler examination.

Data Sources: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Science Citation Index for randomized trials published from 1966 to 2000, using the following medical subject headings and key words: "aspirin," "antiplatelet*," "salicyl*," "acetylsalicyl*," "platelet aggregation inhibitors," "ultrasonography," "ultraso*," and "Doppler."

Study Selection: We included all randomized trials that evaluated the effectiveness of aspirin compared with placebo or no treatment in women with an abnormal uterine artery Doppler and that reported clinically relevant perinatal and maternal outcomes.

Critical appraisal in clinical practice: sometimes irrelevant, occasionally invalid.

A core activity of evidence-based practice is the search for and appraisal of evidence on specific clinical issues. Clinicians vary in their competence in this process; we therefore developed a 16-item checklist for quality of content (relevance and validity) and presentation (useability, attribution, currency and contact details). This was applied to a set of 55 consecutive appraisals conducted by clinicians and posted at a web-based medical journal club site.

Conservative management of persistent postnatal urinary and faecal incontinence: randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the effect of nurse assessment with reinforcement of pelvic floor muscle training exercises and bladder training compared with standard management among women with persistent incontinence three months postnatally.

Design: Randomised controlled trial with nine months' follow up.

Setting: Community intervention in three centres (Dunedin, New Zealand; Birmingham; Aberdeen).

Obstetric practice and faecal incontinence three months after delivery.

Objective: To determine whether obstetric and maternal factors relate to faecal incontinence at three months postpartum.

Setting: Maternity units in Aberdeen (Scotland), Birmingham (England) and Dunedin (New Zealand).

Population: All women who delivered during one year in the three maternity units.

Fetal and maternal outcomes in Indo-Asian compared to caucasian women with diabetes in pregnancy.

Maternal and fetal complications are increased when pregnancy is complicated by diabetes, and this may be further influenced by racial and cultural differences. We examined fetal and maternal outcomes in Indo-Asian and Caucasian women attending the same antenatal diabetes service to see if there were any differences. Women with diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2 and gestationally-acquired disease) complicating pregnancy, registered at the combined diabetes/antenatal clinic of this University teaching hospital over the period 1990-1998 were included.

Pregnancy outcome in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus needs to be addressed.

Maternal diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2) is the most chronic prevalent medical condition affecting the pregnant population and is associated with a less satisfactory pregnancy outcome for both mother and infant when compared with the non-diabetic population. Most reports have focused on women with type 1 disease, type 2 disease being perceived as a less serious condition. However, type 2 disease is far more common (and is increasing) in some areas of the UK, especially where there is a high proportion of women from the Indian subcontinent.

Water content, raffinose, and dehydrins in the induction of desiccation tolerance in immature wheat embryos.

Desiccation tolerance is initiated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) embryos in planta at 22 to 24 d after anthesis, at the time that the embryo water content has decreased from about 73% fresh weight (2.7 g water/g dry weight) to about 65% fresh weight (1.

Developing postgraduate medical education for trusts: a secret to long-term success.

The delivery of effective postgraduate education for doctors in trusts is becoming vital to secure the individual services of trusts. Increasingly, training requirements are impacting on the location of clinical services that NHS trusts provide. Failure to understand the benefits and drawbacks of providing postgraduate education could affect the long-term strategic direction of trusts.

Role of the consultant obstetrician in the delivery suite.

The role of consultant obstetricians is under considerable debate. This has particularly focused on the role of consultants in intrapartum care. The article explores the role of the consultant in delivery suite from the view point of a consultant, a clinical director, a training programme director and a chief executive.

Analysis of nicotine and cotinine in the hair of hospitality workers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.

The purpose of this study was to determine if hair nicotine and cotinine levels reflect relative exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in subjects who worked in the hospitality industry, where public smoking was permitted. Hair samples from 26 subjects were analyzed by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry techniques for nicotine and cotinine. An exposure gradient was shown for nicotine but not cotinine.

Liquid chromatographic determination of benzylpenicillin and cloxacillin in animal tissues and its application to a study of the stability at -20 degrees C of spiked and incurred residues of benzylpenicillin in ovine liver.

A method was developed for determining benzylpenicillin and cloxacillin in animal tissues. Samples are extracted with acetonitrile, and the extract is cleaned up on a C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, derivatized, and quantitated by liquid chromatography with UV detection at 325 nm. The method was validated on spiked bovine kidney, liver, and muscle tissues.