Missed Emergency Department Diagnosis of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Patients with Chronic Pain After Motor Vehicle Collision.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is the most common presentation of TBI in the emergency department (ED), but a diagnosis of mTBI may be missed in patients presenting with other acute injuries after a motor vehicle collision (MVC).

Objective: To estimate the frequency of missed diagnoses of mTBI in patients seen in the ED after MVC who later developed chronic pain syndromes.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

The polytrauma clinical triad in patients with chronic pain after motor vehicle collision.

Background: The polytrauma clinical triad (PCT) is a complex disorder composed of three comorbid diagnoses of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and postconcussion syndrome (PCS). PCT has been documented in veterans returning from deployment, but this is the first report on PCT prevalence in nonmilitary personnel after a motor vehicle collision (MVC).

Methods: Data were drawn from routine intake assessments completed by 71 patients referred to a community-based clinic for chronic pain management.

The effect of an EDTA-based chelation regimen on patients with diabetes mellitus and prior myocardial infarction in the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT).

Background: The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) showed clinical benefit of an EDTA-based infusion regimen in patients aged ≥50 years with prior myocardial infarction. Diabetes mellitus before enrollment was a prespecified subgroup.

Methods And Results: Patients received 40 infusions of EDTA chelation or placebo.

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Objective: To review the clinical evidence supporting complementary and alternative medicine interventions for treating major depressive disorder.

Quality Of Evidence: PubMed was searched from January 1966 to February 2010 using the term depressive disorder in combination with St John's wort, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e), exercise, acupuncture, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate. Only relevant human trials were selected.

Irritable bowel syndrome: common integrative medicine perspectives.

Previous reviews have highlighted complementary and alternative medicine therapies that are used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) based on published clinical trial data. Here the author describes and comments on a number of potentially relevant factors that have been commonly emphasized by practitioners who treat IBS and patients who have the disease. They include gluten and other food allergies, the candida syndrome and biofilm, interference fields and post-infectious IBS, as well as mind-body factors.

Complementary and alternative medicine for prevention and treatment of the common cold.

Objective: To review the evidence supporting complementary and alternative medicine approaches to treatment and prevention of the common cold in adults.

Quality Of Evidence: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from January 1966 to September 2009 combining the key words common cold or influenza with echinacea, garlic, ginseng, probiotics, vitamin C, and zinc. Clinical trials and prospective studies were included.

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To review clinical evidence supporting complementary and alternative medicine interventions for improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Quality Of Evidence: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from January 1966 to August 2008 using the term type 2 diabetes in combination with each of the following terms for specific therapies selected by the authors: cinnamon, fenugreek, gymnema, green tea, fibre, momordica, chromium, and vanadium. Only human clinical trials were selected for review.

Complementary and alternative medicine for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective: To review the evidence supporting selected complementary and alternative medicine approaches used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Quality Of Evidence: MEDLINE (from January 1966), EMBASE (from January 1980), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched until March 2008, combining the terms irritable bowel syndrome or irritable colon with complementary therapies, alternative medicine, acupuncture, fiber, peppermint oil, herbal, traditional, yoga, massage, meditation, mind, relaxation, probiotic, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, or behavior therapy. Results were screened to include only clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.

Complementary and alternative medicine approaches to blood pressure reduction: An evidence-based review.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVETo review the evidence supporting complementary and alternative medicine approaches used in the treatment of hypertension.QUALITY OF EVIDENCEMEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from January 1966 to May 2008 combining the key words hypertension or blood pressure with acupuncture, chocolate, cocoa, coenzyme Q10, ubiquinone, melatonin, vitamin D, meditation, and stress reduction. Clinical trials, prospective studies, and relevant references were included.