The Epistemological Weight of Randomized-Controlled Trials Depends on Their Results.

When evaluating the internal validity of clinical trials, physicians and medical researchers place substantial importance on factors such as blinding and randomization. For a particular randomized-controlled trial (RCT), causal inference and explanation require additional contextual considerations, to which we assign the term "epistemological weight." We argue that one component of epistemological weight, epistemological function, depends on a trial's results.

Optimizing Virus Identification in Critically Ill Children Suspected of Having an Acute Severe Viral Infection.

Objectives: Multiplex rapid viral tests and nasopharyngeal flocked swabs are increasingly used for viral testing in PICUs. This study aimed at evaluating how the sampling site and the type of diagnostic test influence test results in children with suspected severe viral infection.

Design: Prospective cohort study.