Quantitative systematic review of randomised controlled trials comparing antibiotic with placebo for acute cough in adults

Objectives: To assess whether antibiotic treatment for acute cough is effective and to measure the side effects of such treatment.

Fluid resuscitation with colloid or crystalloid solutions in critically ill patients: a systematic review of randomised trials

Objective: To determine the effect on mortality of resuscitation with colloid solutions compared with resuscitation with crystalloids.

Benefit of heparin in peripheral venous and arterial catheters: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective: To evaluate the effect of heparin on duration of catheter patency and on prevention of complications associated with use of peripheral venous and arterial catheters.

Systematic review of dietary intervention trials to lower blood total cholesterol in free-living subjects

Objectives: To estimate the efficacy of dietary advice to lower blood total cholesterol concentration in free-living subjects and to investigate the efficacy of different dietary recommendations.

Effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in critically ill adult patients: systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Objective: To determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis reduces respiratory tract infections and overall mortality in unselected critically ill adult patients.

Human albumin administration in critically ill patients: systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Objective: To quantify effect on mortality of administering human albumin or plasma protein fraction during management of critically ill patients.

Diabetes care in general practice: meta-analysis of randomised control trials

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of care in general practice for people with diabetes.

Effect of preventive treatment for tuberculosis in adults infected with HIV: systematic review of randomised placebo controlled trials

Objective: To determine whether preventive treatment for tuberculosis in adults infected with HIV reduces the frequency of tuberculosis and overall mortality.

Content and quality of 2000 controlled trials in schizophrenia over 50 years

Objective To provide a comprehensive survey of the content and quality of intervention studies relevant to the treatment of schizophrenia.

The unpredictability paradox: review of empirical comparisons of randomised and non-randomised clinical trials

Objective To summarise comparisons of randomised clinical trials and non-randomised clinical trials, trials with adequately concealed random allocation versus inadequately concealed random allocation, and high quality trials versus low quality trials where the effect of randomisation could not be separated from the effects of other methodological manoeuvres.

Analysis and interpretation of cost data in randomised controlled trials: review of published studies

Objective To review critically the statistical methods used for health economic evaluations in randomised controlled trials where an estimate of cost is available for each patient in the study.

Are the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines effective? Meta-analysis of the prospective trials

The objective was to review the evidence of effectiveness of the polyvalent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine from prospective properly randomised controlled trials comparing pneumococcal vaccines with placebo in subjects who are immunocompetent and those likely to have an impaired immune system.