Treatment of surgical patients is evidence-based.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the type of evidence that supported our management of surgical patients.


METHODS
Retrospective audit.


METHODS
Teaching hospital, Republic of Ireland.


METHODS
All 222 patients admitted by two surgical teams during one month. Patients admitted for diagnostic procedures were included if they were treated as a result.


METHODS
Diagnosis and treatment were established from the notes. Evidence for each intervention was then sought in MEDLINE 1986-1999, Best Evidence 1991-1999, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 3, 1999, and graded into one of five categories: systematic review, meta-analysis, randomised controlled trial, prospective study, or retrospective study.


RESULTS
Treatment was supported by systematic review in 14, by meta-analysis in 12, by randomised controlled trial in 75, by prospective studies in 55, by retrospective studies in 58, and by no evidence in 8.


CONCLUSIONS
Everyday surgical practice in our unit is supported by good quality evidence from recent publications.
Kingston
R
R
Department of Surgery, Mid-Western Regional General Hospital, and the University of Limerick, Ireland.
Barry
M
M
Tierney
S
S
Drumm
J
J
Grace
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative