Author Archives: Keith Barrington

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About Keith Barrington

I am a neonatologist and clinical researcher at Sainte Justine University Health Center in Montréal

Travelling again

Posted on 7 September 2013 by Keith Barrington

I am, for the next few hours, in Sydney Australia, at the end of a productive trip. We had 2 workshops, 1 on the current status of probiotics, the other on the question of consent for perinatal trials, focusing on … Continue reading →

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Does gestational age matter?

Posted on 4 September 2013 by Keith Barrington

Taking a break from the SUPPORT brouhaha for a moment, here is a great systematic review from Greg Moore and colleagues in Ottawa. (Moore GP, Lemyre B, Barrowman N, Daboval T: Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 4 to 8 years of children … Continue reading →

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Marche pour les prématurés

Posted on 3 September 2013 by Keith Barrington

Last Sunday was the annual ‘marche pour les prématurés’ in Montreal, and several other cities across Québec. Some other towns have their walks this coming Sunday (see the website of Préma-Québec, who organize them). This year the walk was covered … Continue reading →

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Blurring the line between patients and research subjects

Posted on 30 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

The US Department of Health and Human Services held a public meeting about consent issues for research on August the 28th, largely as a result of the controversy surrounding SUPPORT. It was called ‘Matters Related to Protection of Human Subjects … Continue reading →

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Comparative Effectiveness Research: a parable

Posted on 29 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

Two neonatologists work in the same NICU. One of them routinely starts assisted ventilation of babies with volume ventilation, the other starts with pressure ventilation. There is controversy in the literature and in practice among currently active neonatologists; some preliminary … Continue reading →

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Is volume ventilation really better?

Posted on 29 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

A systematic review published in 2011 of the studies comparing pressure to volume ventilation stated that there was ‘reduced death/BPD, duration of ventilation, pneumothoraces, hypocarbia and periventricular leukomalacia/severe intraventricular hemorrhage’ using volume targeted ventilation.’ I think it may be true that volume ventilation … Continue reading →

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Commenting on Nature

Posted on 28 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

The editorial in Nature about the SUPPORT controversy has now been opened for comments. It wasn’t when I first mentioned it. I just left a comment, which may not be available until they have read it to make sure I … Continue reading →

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Is cows milk just for cows?

Posted on 26 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

A new publication from the trial funded by Prolacta looking at possible benefits of their donor-human-milk derived preparations. This time it is the other comparison from the registered trial. That is; mothers who did not plan to breast feed were approached to … Continue reading →

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We didn’t find what we wanted to find, so we thought we’d re-analyze the data until we found it.

Posted on 26 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

…oh and by the way, we are the manufacturers making the product in question, so we had objective scientific reasons for doing this, no conflict of interest whatever. The commercial sponsors of a negative trial decided that they didn’t like … Continue reading →

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Public Citizen are a public danger: part 2

Posted on 24 August 2013 by Keith Barrington

The other part of the criticisms of Public Citizen, included in their letter to the secretary of the HSS in the USA, in which they call for the TOP (transfusion of preterms) trial to be stopped immediately, are regarding the … Continue reading →

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