The critical appraisals have been written using CATmaker, developed by Douglas Badenoch at the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM). This software is highly recommended (no financial interest!) and may be ordered on the CEBM website. There is also a limited life version available free from the same site (called CATNipper- 9 lives, of course). Click here to download.

For Douglas Badenoch's full explanation of 'What is a CAT?', click here

The appraisals present critical information about each trial to enable a quick appreciation of the methodology and results. They are an introduction to each trial and should not be viewed as a substitute for a careful appraisal of the whole article. The structure and aims of the CAT approach are discussed more fully on the CEBM site and I recommend a visit there.

Note: The views expressed in the CATs and discussion groups are those of the individual authors concerned. While each CAT has been peer-reviewed, the owners of this site do not accept any responsibility for omissions or errors of fact contained in these pages.

The expiry date of the CAT is a projected date of review. Once a CAT has passed the expiry date, sufficient time has elapsed (in the author's opinion) for further work to be published.