BMJ open
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Study protocol for statin web-based investigation of side effects (StatinWISE): a series of randomised controlled N-of-1 trials comparing atorvastatin and placebo in UK primary care.
Statins are effective at preventing cardiovascular disease, widely prescribed and their use is growing. Uncertainty persists about whether they cause symptomatic muscle adverse effects, such as pain and weakness, in the absence of statin myopathy. Discrepancies between data from observational studies, which suggest statins are associated with excess muscle symptoms, and from randomised trials, which suggest no such excess, have caused confusion. N-of-1 trials offer the opportunity to establish whether muscle symptoms during statin use are caused by statins in particular individuals. ⋯ This trial received a favourable opinion from South Central-Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Dissemination of results to patients will take place via the media, website (statinwise.lshtm.ac.uk) and patient organisations.
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Prehospital intravenous access is a common intervention for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to assess the effectiveness of prehospital intravenous access and subsequent epinephrine administration on outcomes among OHCA patients. ⋯ Intravenous access attempt could be negatively associated with survival with a favourable neurological outcome after OHCA. Subsequent epinephrine administration might be effective for non-VF OHCAs.
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Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is acknowledged as an increasingly important issue worldwide. Hospital managers are increasingly paying attention to ED crowding in order to provide higher quality medical services to patients. One of the crucial elements for a good management strategy is demand forecasting. Our study sought to construct an adequate model and to forecast monthly ED visits. ⋯ The ARIMA (0, 0, 1) model can be considered adequate for predicting future ED visits, and its forecast results can be used to aid decision-making processes.