Tag Archives: Randomized Controlled Trials

Even more SUPPORTive

Posted on 20 April 2013 by Keith Barrington

Another devastating critique of the OHRP ruling regarding the SUPPORT trial is now available. John Lantos, a world leader in pediatric bioethics (and a good friend) has an article  which seems to be open access: ‘OHRP and Public Citizen Are … Continue reading →

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No ethical breakdown here

Posted on 16 April 2013 by Keith Barrington

As I mentioned at the end of my first post about this, the New York Times have jumped into the fray with an editorial entitled ‘An ethical breakdown‘ published today. They take as ‘gospel’ the OHRP findings concerning the study, and show … Continue reading →

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How to show you don’t understand research in critical patients

Posted on 16 April 2013 by Keith Barrington

To continue with my diatribe about the OHRP decision concerning the SUPPORT trial: At one point in the document sent to the University of Alabama, the OHRP quote an editorial by Jay Greenspan: ‘…Although maintaining ranges of hemoglobin oxygen saturation … Continue reading →

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Now we will have to know the results of our research before we start the study

Posted on 16 April 2013 by Keith Barrington

The DHHS Office for Human Research Protections has just issued a ridiculous ruling. According to them the consent forms for SUPPORT were not sufficiently clear about risks of blindness in the higher oxygen group, and the risks of death in … Continue reading →

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To blindly go where no man….

Posted on 28 March 2013 by Keith Barrington

Do we really need to blind research projects? And if so which parts of them? There is good empirical data that randomization must be masked, it is important that at the moment a patient is enrolled in a study the … Continue reading →

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Breast = best: past your eyes?

Posted on 20 March 2013 by Keith Barrington

The title is from one of those bad punny jokes that you never forget, about taking a bath in milk (pasteurized? No just up to my chin. Boom, boom). For the readers of this blog who are not native English … Continue reading →

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Pacifiers (soothers, dummies) are friendly to babies

Posted on 19 March 2013 by Keith Barrington

The baby friendly initiative has been a force for improving breast-feeding rates, with many sensible parts to the program. Unfortunately some of it isn’t evidence based, such as the prohibition of what I will call soothers. I’m originally from England … Continue reading →

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Oh No; not renal dose dopamine again!

Posted on 13 March 2013 by Keith Barrington

This is the sort of thing that really irritates me: If you report ‘we did X, and Y happened’ the obvious question should be, ‘what would have happened if you didn’t do X?’ That is called having controls! It is … Continue reading →

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Leave my gut alone!

Posted on 5 February 2013 by Keith Barrington

Many things that we put in the intestines of preterm infants increase the risk of necrotising enterocolitis, including xanthan gum, kayexalate, and now, it seems, gastrografin. A group from Vienna performed a masked RCT in 96 very low birth weight, … Continue reading →

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Iron therapy for anemia of the preterm; now I’m confused!

Posted on 29 January 2013 by Keith Barrington

I thought I knew, sort of, what to do about iron supplementation in the preterm. Preterm babies outgrew their iron supply, there isn’t very much in breast milk, and you need to supplement to minimize the appearance of anemia of … Continue reading →

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