The Lancet rarely condescends to publish qualitative research, but this paper slips in because it calls itself a systematic review and deals with factors which shape young people’s sexual behaviour. […]
Richard Lehman’s weekly review of medical journals
Fungus of the Week: Hydnum repandum
This easy-to-spot fungus has spines instead of gills, and is therefore known as the hedgehog in England. The French name for it, pied de mouton, is a fanciful description of […]
NEJM 2 Nov 2006
The National Epirubicin Adjuvant Trial (NEAT) was conducted in the Nation of England, while a very similar trial, BR9601, was conducted in Scotland. Both show that this agent reduces rates […]
JAMA 1 Nov 2006
How do you get someone to use their disabled arm after a stroke? Why, put the other one out of action. Not all the time of course, but for periods […]
JAMA 25 Oct 2006
Those interested in the hospital volume/quality debate may like to take a look at this study from the USA which shows that admission to the highest-volume centres there is strongly […]
NEJM 26 Oct 2006
This is a classic example of a certain kind of screening study—the sort that tells you how marvellous it is that we can now spot (in this case) lung cancerat […]
BMJ 28 Oct 2006
This study randomised primary care patients with osteoarthritis to six sessions of self-management instruction plus a booklet or just the booklet. At one year, there was no difference in scores […]
Lancet 28 Oct 2006
Here is an important case-control study which goes a long way towards proving that conjugate pneumococcal vaccine could save a great many children’s lives, especially in the developing world (see […]
Ann Intern Med 17 Oct 2006
A new treatment for irritable bowel syndromewhich improves symptoms for 10 weeks after a 10-day course—let’s all start prescribing rifamixin, a non-absorbed antibiotic! But hang on. Read the editorial first. […]
JAMA 18 Oct 2006
Coronary artery bypass grafting has become the commonest major surgical procedure in the developed world. But since it tends to be needed most in people who are old, have smoked, […]