Gabapentin, estrogen, and placebo for treating hot flushes: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of gabapentin, estrogen, and placebo in the treatment of hot flushes.

Methods: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 60 postmenopausal women to assess the efficacy of estrogen and gabapentin in the treatment of moderate-to-severe hot flushes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 0.

A randomized trial comparing long-term and short-term use of umbilical venous catheters in premature infants with birth weights of less than 1251 grams.

Background: Umbilical vein and percutaneous central venous catheters are often used in preterm infants, but they can lead to complications, including infection.

Objective: We hypothesized that long-term umbilical vein catheter use would result in fewer infections than short-term umbilical vein catheter use followed by percutaneous central venous catheter placement.

Design/methods: Infants < or = 1250 g with umbilical vein catheters placed at admission were randomly assigned to a long-term (umbilical vein catheter up to 28 days) or short-term (umbilical vein catheter for 7-10 days followed by percutaneous central venous catheter) group.

Randomized prospective study comparing routine versus selective use of sonography of the complete calf in patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis.

Objective: We compared patient outcomes using two protocols: one routinely and the other selectively evaluating the calves completely during sonographic assessment of the lower extremities in patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis.

Subjects And Methods: In this randomized prospective study, patients were assigned to two groups. In one group, the deep calf veins were routinely evaluated in their entirety, and in the other group the calf was not evaluated unless the patient had symptoms or physical signs in the calf, in which case only the areas of symptoms or physical signs were evaluated.

CT in detecting urinary tract calculi: influence on patient imaging and clinical outcomes.

Purpose: To determine changes in examination patterns and effectiveness of care since the introduction of unenhanced helical computed tomography (CT) for examination of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of urinary tract calculi (UTC).

Materials And Methods: Hospital clinical and radiology information systems were used to retrospectively identify patients presenting with UTC symptoms from January to December 1997 (before introduction of unenhanced CT) and from January to December 1999 (after introduction of unenhanced CT). Chart abstraction was used to confirm the identification of patients with presenting symptoms suggestive of UTC and assess patient outcomes.