Research Papers/Topics in Medicine and Surgery

SYSTEM Research note on: Initial observations of diagnostic accuracy concerning quantitative testing for selection bias in RCTs

CONTEXT: Selection bias interferes with the internal validity of clinical trials and leads to favouring one clinical outcome over another. In order to limit the influence of selection bias on clinical trials, the methodological interventions: random sequence generation and allocation concealment of such sequence have been proposed. Subsequently, authors of systematic reviews judge risk of selection bias in trials according to the reported details concerning how random sequence generation ...

SYSTEM Research note on: A simulation method to test for potential accuracy of a selection bias test for RCTs

CONTEXT: Selection bias interferes with the internal validity of clinical trials and leads to favoring one clinical outcome over another. Risk of selection bias is introduced when knowledge of certain patient characteristics, known to be conducive to the success of one particular intervention, is applied together with foreknowledge regarding the allocation of such patients in a specific sequence of interventions. PROBLEM: Selection bias testing has been proposed and recommended on basis of...

SYSTEM Research note on: Assessing attrition bias risk

CONTEXT: Systematic reviews of clinical trials need to assess the risk of attrition bias as part of its appraisal of the currently available evidence to a particular review question. PROBLEM: Notwithstanding the possible merits of different approaches to estimate the potential intervention outcomes of lost trial participants as the main reason for attrition bias, most remain arbitrary. SUGGESTED SOLUTION: Assuming a worst- and best-case scenario of intervention outcomes provides the certain...

SYSTEM Research note on: Assessing publication bias

CONTEXT: Systematic reviews aim to assess precision and internal validity of the current clinical evidence. The precision and internal validity of clinical evidence is limited by the risk of biases, one of which is publication bias. Publication bias is created when trials, often with small sample size that have found negative or non-significant results are not being published and thus are not identified during systematic reviews as part of the of current clinical evidence. In that way, publ...

SYSTEM Research note on: Recognizing statistical in-between-trials heterogeneity

CONTEXT: Quantitative systematic reviews need to consider clinical, methodological and statistical heterogeneity of trials or datasets from trials before combining their results in meta-analyses, as combining results from heterogeneous datasets and/or trials will lead to meaningless results and thus should be avoided. Potential statistical heterogeneity between trials/datasets that have been considered as being clinically/methodologically homogeneous is usually investigated using I2 – t...

Accuracy of the Berger-Exner test for detecting third-order selection bias in randomised controlled trials: a simulation-based investigation

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCT) are highly influential upon medical decisions. Thus RCTs must not distort the truth. One threat to internal trial validity is the correct prediction of future allocations (selection bias). The Berger-Exner test detects such bias but has not been widely utilized in practice. One reason for this non-utilisation may be a lack of information regarding its test accuracy. The objective of this study is to assess the accuracy of the Berger-Exner test...

Pre-hospitalization settings HE revised(1)

Hyperglycaemic emergency (HE) is a frequent complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and one of the commonest causes of hospitalization and death among people living with diabetes and previously unknown diabetes. Mortality from HE is still high in developing countries such as Nigeria; mortality being dependent on co-morbid conditions and precipitating factors. There is no report yet in the literature on the contribution of pre-hospitalization settings to outcome of HE, hence the need for this s...

What will Nigeria do to achieve SDG3 references

SDGs' is the main target of the world to be achieved in 2030. What Nigeria has to do to achieve SDG3 which is "healthy living and well being" are reducing maternal death rate, reducing death rate from road traffic accident and soon.

THE LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL CANNABIS IN NIGERIA

Cannabis Marijuana has been a term very familiar with the populace for its negative effects and attributes but the good part of this naturally occurring drug is yet to be explored. This article gets to look at the medical benefits attached to cannabis marijuana and why it should be legalized.

EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF Cola nitida ON NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF DISTAL GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

Background: Normal and abnormal development of anorectum is still under debate. Etiology of abnormal development of anorectum is poorly understood. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor that has been implicated in abnormal anorectal development and is a major constituent of Kola nut (Cola nitida). It is consumed heavily by pregnant women in Nigeria to control vomiting.  Objectives: We examined the teratogenic effects of oral administration of aqueous extract of Cola nitida (AECON) on foetal growth a...

ADULT INTUSSUSCEPTION

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Intussusception is the invagination of a segment of the gastrointestinal tract into the lumen of an adjacent segment. It is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in adults and poses a diagnostic dilemma when present. CASE PRESENTATION This is a report of a sixty year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department of The University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria with peri-umbilical pain of one week duration and inability to pass faeces for five days. There was a pal...

A Craniometric Study of Adult Humans Skulls from Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract: The study aims at determining the cranial indices of some skulls recovered from cadavers sourced from Southwestern regions of Nigeria, mainly populated by Yoruba ethnic tribe. The cranial indices of 85 human skulls were determined by measuring the maximum cranial length (mcl) and maximum cranial breadth (mcb) using Goniometre fitted with sliding calliper. The cranial index was determined by finding the percentage of the ratio mcb to mcl x100. The skulls were deemed from adult indivi...

The Jugular Foramen and the Intracranial Volume; Are they Related?

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the size of a human skull foramen and the intracranial volume (skull capacity). A total number of 91 human skulls were studied to determine the volume of the foramina and the intracranial volume. The volumes of the foramina were determined by using the formula pie r2h (the geometrical formula of a cone-shaped figure) where ‘r’ is the radius of the effluent aperture, ‘h’ the depth of the foramen and B is a constant. The ...

Agenesis of Palmaris Longus Muscle in Selected Population of School Children in Nigeria

ÊSUMMARY: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of agenesis of palmaris longus muscle tendon among school children in Ogun state, Southwestern Nigeria and also, to verify the symmetry of the agenesis of the muscle in relation to sex. The presence of the palmaris longus muscle tendon was determined in 564 individuals, 285 male and 279 female, with age varying from 2 to 20 years old. Four different tests were used; Schaeffers test, Thompsons test, Mishras test 1 and Pushpakumars ...

A STUDY ON KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES RELATED TO PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE AMONG RESIDENTS OF BASAWA, SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Peptic ulcer disease remains a relatively common disease and importantly a common cause of hospital admission both in developed and developing countries. Although most developed countries have achieved H. pylori eradication but still have new and recurrent cases which is attributed majorly to increase utilization of NSAIDs among other reasons. In the developing countries of Africa such as Nigeria the story is even more complex as H. pylori infection is both common and acq...


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