1. The many benefits of ivermectin??
(Journal Club/Public Health)

... and disappearance of head lice. As far as I can tell, there was no control group, no pre- and post-test comparison, no longitudinal data, ... simply asking people what results they had seen. Hen...

2. Comparison of rapid tests for malaria in Madagascar: CareStart found most sensitive
(Journal Club/Malaria)

This study compared rapid antigen tests with microscopy and found sensitivities (with microscopy as standard) of: 97% for the CareStart™ Malaria test, 89.4% for the SD Malaria Ant

3. NOW® malaria rapid test performs well -- it least in Italy
(Journal Club/Malaria)

...uot; for detecting P. falciparum and 90% sensitive, 93% specific, in detecting other malaria species. A comparison of three diagnostic techniques for malaria: a rapid diagnostic test (NOW® M...

4. Initial ART: Use NNRTI or PI, but not both
(Journal Club/HIV)

...r, is a good strategy for long-term antiretroviral management in treatment-naive patients with HIV." A comparison of three highly active antiretroviral treatment strategies consisting of non-nu...

5. Amodiaquine with or without SP safe, more effective than chloroquine in pregnancy
(Journal Club/Ob/Gyn)

... those receiving sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (48%) or no antimalarial drugs (34%; p<0·0001 for every comparison)." Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of amodiaquine plus sulphadoxine-p...

6. Cost comparison of drugs for malaria prevention
(FAQs/Info for travelers)

Here are some figures I've found for the drugs used by travelers and residents for malaria prevention here in Nigeria and other areas with chloroquine resistant malaria. Figures are $US per week for a

7. Comparison of three clinical decision rules to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis
(Journal Club/Pediatrics)

This retrospective study looked at how three different clinical decision rules (scoring systems) performed at distinguishing bacterial and aseptic meningitis. The rules were applied (retrospectively)

8. Large study shows no increased incidence of hyponatremia with reduced osmolarity ORS
(Journal Club/Public Health)

...hildren under 5 years old, showed no increased incidence of symptomatic hyponatremia using the new formula in comparison with the results from the previous year when about 47,000 patients received the...

9. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine compares well with artesunate-mefloquine for malaria and is cheaper
(Journal Club/Malaria)

...f dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine versus artesunate-mefloquine in falciparum malaria: an open-label randomised comparison. Lancet 367(9528); 2075-2085. Editorial: Artemisinin combination therapies. ...

10. Sublingual Sugar Administration is an Alternative to Intravenous Dextrose Administration to Correct Hypoglycemia Among Children in the Tropics
(Journal Club/Latest Articles)

...extrose and more effective than oral sugar, in normalizing blood glucose at 20 minutes and subsequently. A comparison of oral (enteral) sugar (i.e. sucrose), sublingual sugar, and IV dextrose to co...

11. Mid-arm circumference vs. weight-for-height in screening for severe malnutrition
(Journal Club/Latest Articles)

...racy of WHZ. Berkley, J. et al. Assessment of Severe Malnutrition Among Hospitalized Children in Rural Kenya: Comparison of Weight for Height and Mid Upper Arm Circumference. JAMA 294(5):591-597. ...

12. Methods to assess the costs and health effects of interventions for improving health in developing countries
(Journal Club/Latest Articles)

...en concurrent interventions and the effect of expanding coverage on unit costs.1 They should also allow valid comparisons across a wide range of interventions. Here we describe how the standardised co...

13. Increased Prevalence of Severe Malaria in HIV-Infected Adults in South Africa
(Journal Club/HIV)

...m an endemic area) the effect of HIV status was not significant, but the study was underpowered for that comparison. Low CD4 count was also associated with higher risk of severe malaria among the...

14. Comparison of Three Fluid Solutions for Resuscitation in Dengue Shock Syndrome
(Journal Club/Infectious Diseases)

Initial resuscitation with Ringer's lactate is indicated for children with moderately severe dengue shock syndrome. Dextran 70 and 6 percent hydroxyethyl starch perform similarly in children with seve

15. Comparison of the effect of two systems for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding (Lancet)
(Journal Club/Public Health)

The Lancet 2005; 366:1094-1100 DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67421-1 Home visits were associated with increased rate of exclusive breastfeeding in this RCT in Brazil, but much of the benefit was los

16. Lovina
(Stories/Patients)

... main weakness in my explanation: undoubtedly the mother sees a spiritual dimension to all illnesses, so my comparison probably did not really help her understand our distinction between physical a...