European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology
-
Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. · Jun 2020
EditorialData integrity of 35 randomised controlled trials in women' health.
While updating a systematic review on the topic of ovulation of induction, we observed unusual similarities in a number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published by two authors from the same institute in the same disease spectrum in a short period of time. We therefore undertook a focused analysis of the data integrity of all RCTs published by the two authors. We made pairwise comparisons to find identical or similar values in baseline characteristics and outcome tables between trials. ⋯ For 35 trials published between September 2006 and January 2016, we found a large number of similarities in both the baseline characteristics and outcomes of 26. Analysis of the baseline characteristics of the trials indicated that their distribution was unlikely to be the result of proper randomisation. The procedures demonstrated in this paper may help to assess data integrity in future attempts to verify the authenticity of published RCTs.
-
Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. · Jun 2020
Tachysystole and risk of cesarean section after labor induction using misoprostol: A cohort study.
To investigate if tachysystole was associated with an increased risk of cesarean section or unfavorable maternal or neonatal outcomes following induction of labor by misoprostol vaginal inserts. ⋯ This study illustrates that tachysystole is not associated with an increased risk of cesarean section after induction of labor by misoprostol vaginal inserts. The impact of excessive uterine activity on the fetal wellbeing defined by the frequency of uterine contraction alone is probably insufficient. Further research on the development of accurate measures of uterine contractility is necessary to better understand its effect on fetal well-being.