Archives of internal medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis.
Although acupuncture is widely used for chronic pain, there remains considerable controversy as to its value. We aimed to determine the effect size of acupuncture for 4 chronic pain conditions: back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache, and shoulder pain. ⋯ Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option. Significant differences between true and sham acupuncture indicate that acupuncture is more than a placebo. However, these differences are relatively modest, suggesting that factors in addition to the specific effects of needling are important contributors to the therapeutic effects of acupuncture.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Preoperative hyponatremia and perioperative complications.
Although hyponatremia has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality in a variety of medical conditions, its association with perioperative outcomes remains uncertain. ⋯ Preoperative hyponatremia is a prognostic marker for perioperative 30-day morbidity and mortality.