The New England journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Cimetidine and tranexamic acid in the treatment of acute upper-gastrointestinal-tract bleeding.
We studied the effects of tranexamic acid (an antifibrinolytic agent) and cimetidine on acute upper-gastrointestinal-tract bleeding in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in 775 patients with hematemesis or melena or both. Mortality was significantly reduced in patients receiving either tranexamic acid (mortality, 6.3 per cent) or cimetidine (7.7 per cent), as compared with patients receiving placebo (13.5 per cent) (P = 0.0092 for tranexamic acid vs. placebo, P = 0.045 for cimetidine vs. placebo). ⋯ The reduced mortality associated with tranexamic acid was detectable at both participating hospitals and in most of the main subgroups of patients classified according to site of bleeding. However, treatment with this agent was not associated with any decrease in the rate of rebleeding or the need for operation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Aerosolized ribavirin treatment of infants with respiratory syncytial viral infection. A randomized double-blind study.
We evaluated a new antiviral agent, ribavirin, in the treatment of infants hospitalized with lower-respiratory-tract disease from respiratory syncytial virus. Ribavirin or placebo was administered to 33 infants in a double-blind manner by continuous aerosol for three to six days. Seventeen infants were treated with placebo, and 16 with ribavirin. ⋯ Viral shedding was also diminished in the treated groups as compared with the placebo group. No side effects or toxicity were associated with the aerosol therapy. Isolates of respiratory syncytial virus obtained from the infants over the course of therapy showed no change in sensitivity to ribavirin.