Search

The author explains the need to change the method by which sample sizes in medical studies is calculated. He references research papers about the so-called power calculations published in September 1972. He notes that power calculations are founded on significant tests. On the other hand, the author argues, sample size calculations should be based on the scope of a confidence interval, not power. Also explored is a requirement by medical journals for results to be presented with confidence intervals.

The article focuses on a study with regards to the use of reporting guidelines such as CONSORT and STROBE for the improvement of manuscript quality in biomedical journals. It says that the subject of the study were the research manuscripts acquired by the journal "Medicina Clínica" from May 2008 to April 2009. Results show that 34 papers were rejected from the 126 papers for conventional peer review, wherein the additional review shows an improvement in the quality of the manuscripts.

The article presents a study which examines the effectiveness of mobile phone based self-monitoring of patients from primary care with poorly controlled asthma in Great Britain. The study has conducted a parallel group randomised controlled trial and an analysis of costs. The results of the study have revealed that the paper based model of asthma care is less expensive than the mobile phone supported model.

STUDY QUESTION: Can delirium be predicted in intensive care patients? SUMMARY ANSWER: Within 24 hours of admission, the PREdiction of DELIRium for Intensive Care patients (PREDELIRIC) model predicts delirium for the complete length of stay in the intensive care unit. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Delirium is a frequent and serious disorder related to different risk factors in intensive care patients, but no delirium prediction model was available. A delirium prediction model has been developed and validated; it may facilitate early identification of patients at high risk and allow targeted early initiation of preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION: Do proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increase the risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women even after accounting for other lifestyle and dietary risk factors? SUMMARY ANSWER: Regular use of PPIs was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, particularly among those with a history of smoking. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Previous studies of the association between PPI use and hip fracture have had limited information on important lifestyle and dietary factors associated with fracture. This study shows an increased risk of hip fracture even after controlling for these other factors, and risk seems limited to women with history of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION: Does dietary n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation of pregnant women with a fetus at high risk of allergic disease reduce immunoglobulin E associated eczema or food allergy at 1 year of age? SUMMARY ANSWER: n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy did not reduce the overall incidence of immunoglobulin E associated allergies in the first year of life, although immunoglobulin E associated eczema was lower. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Several mechanistic studies have suggested that higher intakes of n-3 LCPUFA during pregnancy modulate the neonatal immune response towards a less allergenic phenotype. n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy did not reduce the incidence of immunoglobulin E associated food allergies in the first year of life, but the incidence of atopic eczema was lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]