Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17622501›Full record

ArticleDer Chirurg; Zeitschrift fur alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen2007

[Hand searching for controlled clinical trials in German surgical journals. A contribution to evidence-based surgery].

A Blümle, G Antes, M K Diener

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift fur alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

A BlümleDeutsches Cochrane Zentrum, Abteilung für Medizinische Biometrie und Statistik, Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Informatik, Universitätsklinikum, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 26, Freiburg, Germany. bluemle@cochrane.de
G Antes
M K Diener

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe identification of all available and relevant study reports is mandatory for a comprehensive assessment of randomised (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) in systematic reviews. Incomplete compilation of health care journals in electronic databases and incorrect indexing of the studies impair the result of a systematic literature search. An additional search in medical journals that are not listed in electronic databases can obtain higher search precision.

methodsIn the hand searching project of the Cochrane Collaboration, in Germany 14 surgical journals were searched manually for RCTs and CCTs. The identified study reports were compared with Medline records, and the publication frequency was analysed. The study reports were published in the Cochrane Library and are henceforth available for inclusion in systematic reviews.

resultsFour hundred (77%) of the 519 published volumes in the 14 surgical journals were searched for RCTs and CCTs. Of the 1152 controlled trials (670 RCTs and 482 CCTs) identified, 674 (58%) were not included in Medline.

conclusionsThe gap between the number of hand search results and the number of Medline indexed RCTs and CCTs is also reflected in other special medical fields. To ensure completeness of the literature compilation, the hand searching project should be continued.

Indexed as

Evidence-Based MedicineAbstracting and IndexingBiasControlled Clinical Trials as TopicDatabases, BibliographicGeneral SurgeryGermanyHumansInformation Storage and RetrievalMEDLINEPeriodicals as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicUnited States

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.