São Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
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Well-conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represent the highest level of evidence when the research question relates to the effect of therapeutic or preventive interventions. However, the degree of control over bias between RCTs presents great variability between studies. For this reason, with the increasing interest in and production of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, it has been necessary to develop methodology supported by empirical evidence, so as to encourage and enhance the production of valid RCTs with low risk of bias. The aim here was to conduct a methodological analysis within the field of dentistry, regarding the risk of bias in open-access RCTs available in the Lilacs (Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde) database. ⋯ The effective presence of bias seriously weakened the reliability of the results from the dental studies evaluated, such that they would be of little use for clinicians and administrators as support for decision-making processes.
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The risk that patients with Behçet's disease may develop various thrombotic complications has been previously described. Although vascular complications from Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with Behçet's disease have been described, the pathogenic mechanisms are still unknown. Severe vascular complications present in Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with Behçet's disease are very common among young male adults. The objective of this study was to review the literature and present the association of Budd-Chiari syndrome with Behçet's disease.
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Comparative Study
Ministers of Health: short-term tenure for long-term goals?
Healthcare investments should consider short and long-term demands. The objectives here were to compare the average tenures of ministers of health in Brazil and in another 22 countries and to evaluate the relationship between ministers' tenures and a number of indicators. ⋯ On average, ministers of health have extremely short tenures. There is an urgent need to think and plan healthcare systems from a long-term perspective.
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Primary headaches may be responsible for absenteeism and a fall in the yield and productivity of work. The aim of this study was to establish the presence and frequency of primary headache among employees of a rubber shoe sole company, and its link to absenteeism. ⋯ Headache was a common problem among the employees of this company and was a cause of absenteeism for 8.7% of the respondents to the questionnaire.
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Increased life expectancy has resulted in growing numbers of elderly patients undergoing heart surgery. This study aimed to identify changes in functional status among older adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ The Functional Independence Measure proved to be a promising tool for monitoring the functional status of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, especially in the subgroup with complications.