MDPH 6203: Critical Reading

Redmond AC, Keenan AM. Understanding statistics. Putting p-values into perspective. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2002 May;92(5):297-305.

DeGroot H 3rd, Uzunishvili S, Weir R, Al-omari A, Gomes B. Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid is not superior to saline solution injection for ankle arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012 Jan 4;94(1):2-8. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.J.01763.

Lam SW, Teraa M, Leenen LP, van der Heijden GJ. Systematic review shows lowered risk of nonunion after reamed nailing in patients with closed tibial shaft fractures. Injury. 2010 Jul;41(7):671-5. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2010.02.020.

Wukich DK, Lowery NJ, McMillen RL, Frykberg RG. Postoperative infection rates in foot and ankle surgery: a comparison of patients with and without diabetes mellitus. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010 Feb;92(2):287-95. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.I.00080.

Flick RP, Katusic SK, Colligan RC, Wilder RT, Voigt RG, Olson MD, Sprung J, Weaver AL, Schroeder DR, Warner DO. Cognitive and behavioral outcomes after early exposure to anesthesia and surgery. Pediatrics. 2011 Nov;128(5):e1053-61. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0351.

Iqbal CW, St Peter SD, Tsao K, Cullinane DC, Gourlay DM, Ponsky TA, Wulkan ML, Adibe OO; Pancreatic Trauma in Children (PATCH) Study Group. Operative vs nonoperative management for blunt pancreatic transection in children:
multi-institutional outcomes. J Am Coll Surg. 2014 Feb;218(2):157-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2013.10.012.

For the Armstrong article please address the following further questions (a sentence or two each is fine):

1. How is everything in the article phrased in terms of probability?
   
2. What are the events of interest?


3. Where (in what populations) are the events taking place?


4. Are the populations in the studies comparable? Did he account for that?


5. What is the fundamental flaw of the paper?

For the fascial closure article please address the following further questions (a sentence or two each is fine):

1. The study population is those needing closure, among whom some followed protocol and some didn’t. How many followed protocol and how many didn’t, and what were success rates in the two groups?


2. Was it the right protocol for all patients? Did we know that going in? Did we only know it after failing?


3. The protocol was used at physician discretion. Could this impact results?


4. Could there be legitimate reasons for delaying OR return?


5. What is the fundamental flaw of the paper?