hne health libraries linking evidence with practice

An analysis of 36 systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials recently published in the MJA, identified just four conditions for which there was high or moderate quality evidence that paracetamol relieved pain – knee or hip osteoarthritis, craniotomy, tension-type headaches, and perineal pain after childbirth. However even then, the size of pain reduction is small. The study found high quality evidence that paracetamol is not effective for relieving acute low back pain. Frequency of adverse events was generally similar for people receiving placebo or paracetamol.
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This study from the Department of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine at JHH, provides insight into the patient’s experience of add-on therapies for severe asthma. Understanding these experiences will aid communication of the potential benefits and limitations of these add-on medications. They can also guide discussion around alternative treatment in cases of reduced treatment efficacy or non-response.
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Faced with the decision of whether to limit life support for their critically ill baby, parents fare better when doctors present them with options, rather than making recommendations. Parents given options were more involved in the discussion, and conflict with doctors was reduced. This research provides fresh insight into how to support parents with end-of-life decision-making. It may also inform approaches to other patient-doctor counselling conversations.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are disproportionately affected by burn injuries, yet often omitted from burns literature or inadequately portrayed under Western frameworks. The authors applied a novel combination of participant observations, retrospective thinking aloud, and yarning methods to explore the psychosocial impact of pediatric burn injuries and care on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
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