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Decline in effectiveness of antenatal corticosteroids with time to birth : real or artefact?
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Gates, Simon and Brocklehurst, Peter (2010) Decline in effectiveness of antenatal corticosteroids with time to birth : real or artefact? BMJ, Vol.335 (No.7610). pp. 77-79. doi:10.1136/bmj.39225.677708.80 ISSN 0959-535X.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39225.677708.80
Abstract
The effectiveness of antenatal corticosteroids to prevent neonatal lung disease in women at risk of preterm birth was established by systematic reviews. In addition, subgroup analyses suggested that treatment was most effective in babies born one to seven days after administration. This belief led to widespread use of repeated courses of corticosteroids in women who did not deliver within a week or two of initial treatment. However, the notion that effectiveness declines after seven days may be incorrect, as the analyses that it is based on are unreliable. Here, we discuss the methodological problems of these analyses and their relevance to current randomised controlled trials of repeated versus single courses.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics | ||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Adrenocortical hormones, Premature infants -- Diseases, Fetus -- Effect of drugs on, Lungs -- Diseases, Pulmonary pharmacology | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | BMJ | ||||
Publisher: | BMJ Group | ||||
ISSN: | 0959-535X | ||||
Official Date: | 14 July 2010 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Vol.335 | ||||
Number: | No.7610 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 77-79 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1136/bmj.39225.677708.80 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||
Funder: | Great Britain. Dept. of Health (DoH) |
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