title: A systematic overview (meta-analysis) of outcome measures in Helicobacter pylori gastritis trials and functional dyspepsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To critically appraise the use of outcome measures in treatment trials of Helicobacter pylori positive non-ulcer dyspepsia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meta-analysis of published randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant methodological problems were detected in all seven retrieved studies. There is marked variation in measurement of: symptoms, scales used to assess severity of dyspepsia, use of global assessments and methods used to determine whether a change occurred in symptom severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Much more attention needs to be paid to outcome measures in non-ulcer dyspepsia trials and consensus on this should be reached by investigators in this area.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Dalhousie University, Victoria General Hospital, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Veldhuyzen van Zanten
mesh_terms: D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic