Health technology assessment : HTA
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Health Technol Assess · Jan 1997
ReviewRoutine preoperative testing: a systematic review of the evidence.
OBJECTIVES. To review the available evidence on the value of routine preoperative testing in healthy or asymptomatic adults. To assess the completeness of existing reviews of preoperative testing and how applicable their conclusions are to the UK. ⋯ Routine preoperative urinalysis finds abnormal results in 1-34.1% of patients, and leads to a change of management in 0.1-2.8% of patients. The only abnormality that leads to a change in management of patients is the finding of white blood cells in the urine. There is no good evidence that preoperative abnormal urinalysis is associated with any postoperative complication in non-urinary tract surgery. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
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Health Technol Assess · Jan 1997
ReviewSystematic review of outpatient services for chronic pain control.
AIM OF REPORT. This report reviews the evidence about the effectiveness of treatments for chronic pain. While treatment of chronic pain is usually seen as an integrated service, this report concentrates on the individual interventions that constitute the service. ⋯ Topical NSAIDs (for example, gels, creams) are effective in rheumatological conditions with an overall NNT of 3. There are too few studies to determine which is the best agent. Topical NSAIDs have few adverse events; most importantly they are without the major gastrointestinal adverse events found with oral NSAIDs, which might make them an important choice for some patients with peripheral arthritis. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)