Critical Review Of Medical Literature Research Articles

Corruption: An Impediment to Delivering Pathology and Laboratory Services in Resource-Limited Settings.

Corruption is a widely acknowledged problem in the health sector of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, little is known about the types of corruption that affect the delivery of pathology and laboratory medicine (PALM) services. This review is a first step at examining corruption risks in PALM. We performed a critical review of medical literature focused on health sector corruption in LMICs. To provide context, we categorized cases of laboratory-related fraud and abuse in the United States. Forms of corruption in LMICs that may affect the provision of PALM services include informal payments, absenteeism, theft and diversion, kickbacks, self-referral, and fraudulent billing. Corruption represents a functional reality in many LMICs and hinders the delivery of services and distribution of resources to which individuals and entities are legally entitled. Further study is needed to estimate the extent of corruption in PALM and develop appropriate anticorruption strategies.

Cardiovascular complications associated with spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury can lead to important functional, psychological and social sequelae. Despite the progress in medicine and greater understanding of the pathophysiological events associated with a traumatic spinal cord injury, spinal cord injury is still associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The involvement of the autonomic nervous system has implications in acute and chronic stages of the injured spinal cord patients. The most frequent cardiovascular complications in the acute phase of the traumatic spinal lesions are bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, increased vasovagal reflexes, ventricular and supraventricular ectopic beats, venous stasis, and vasodilation. In the chronic phase, we find orthostatic hypotension, alteration of the arterial pressure and the regulation of the body temperature as well as alteration of the blood volume. The knowledge of the cardiovascular alterations is of vital importance for the management and rehabilitation of the patients with spinal cord injury. In this article, we present a critical review of medical literature.

Konzept und Evaluierung der Münchner Prüfarztkurse

The growing importance of clinical research in Germany requires physicians who are adequately trained to conduct clinical trials. In November 2007, the Coordination Centre for Surgical Studies at the University of Munich organised its third course for clinical investigators. The course was evaluated by the participants. PARTICIPANTS AND PROGRAMME: Participants included 1st-year residents as well as specialists mostly from surgical departments; many already possessed significant experience with clinical trials. In our course, special emphasis was put on the practical aspects of conducting clinical trials. On a scale from 1 to 6 (in German grading, 1 is the best score), participants rated content at 1.5, understanding at 1.6, and learning effect at 1.8. Careful preparation and a clearly structured curriculum resulted in significantly better evaluation of this course than of preceding courses (content P=0.015, understanding P=0.007, learning effect P=0.018). To realise projects of translational investigation and to participate in interdisciplinary clinical trials, surgeons in academic centres should obtain basic knowledge on clinical and pharmaceutical trials. Participants' statements on their own experience as clinical investigators underline the need for adequate training in this field. This course conveys essential knowledge of good medical practice and critical review of medical literature. We view this knowledge as a basic skill for modern medical practice and have therefore integrated the course into basic surgical training at our department. The concept of training for clinical investigation conducted at a surgical department is well established, and the participants' positive feedback motivates us to continue organising such courses.

A checklist system for critical review of medical literature

In order to teach critical review of medical literature, an approach was devised in a family practice residency setting for teaching students and doctors to review medical literature quickly while remaining critical of what is read. This is done through the use of a simple checklist which guides the user in reading an article. Such a checklist is readily modified to suit individual needs, is self-explanatory, and lends itself to use in journal club settings as well as in private reading.