CJEM Articles: Peter S. Loewen
Displaying 1-3 of 3 results
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November
2003
5
6
Brian H. Rowe, Peter J. Zed, Peter S. Loewen, Riyad B. Abu-Laban
Reviews of the medical literature have always been an important resource for physicians. Increasingly, qualitative and quantitative systematic reviews (SRs) have replaced the traditional "narrative review" as a means of capturing and summarizing current evidence on a topic or, when possible, answering a specific clinical question. This paper is Part II of a 2-part series designed to provide emergency physicians with the background necessary to locate, critically evaluate and interpret SRs. The paper expands on the critical appraisal principles discussed in Part I by focusing on quality assessment, data synthesis and interpretation of results. To illustrate key points and facilitate readability, examples from the emergency medicine literature have been included and technical details have been kept to a minimum. The references, however, are comprehensive and provide a resource for readers seeking further information.
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September
2003
5
5
Brian H. Rowe, Peter J. Zed, Peter S. Loewen, Riyad B. Abu-Laban
Reviews of the medical literature have always been an important resource for physicians. Increasingly, qualitative and quantitative "systematic reviews" have replaced the traditional "narrative review" as a means of capturing and summarizing current evidence on a topic or, when possible, answering a specific clinical question. This paper is part one of a two-part series designed to provide emergency physicians with the background necessary to locate, critically evaluate and interpret systematic reviews. The paper provides a brief background on systematic reviews and general principles on locating and critically appraising them. To facilitate readability, examples from the emergency medicine literature have been included for illustrative purposes and technical details have been kept to a minimum. The references, however, are comprehensive and provide a resource for readers seeking further information.
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July
2002
4
4
Peter S. Loewen
The selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors celecoxib and rofecoxib were designed to have similar efficacy but less gastrointestinal toxicity than traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Their efficacy has been demonstrated in the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, postoperative dental pain and dysmenorrhea. These agents produce fewer endoscopic ulcers, symptomatic ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeds than traditional NSAIDs; although the absolute benefit is small and the gastropreserving effect is negated by concurrent use of low-dose aspirin for cardiovascular risk reduction. Nephrotoxicity and hyptertension remain concerns with COX-2 inhibitors, as they are with traditional NSAIDs. COX-2 inhibitors may be safe alternatives to traditional NSAIDs for patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma.
