Hu S, Dong HL, Li YZ, Luo ZJ, Sun L, Yang QZ, Yang LF, Xiong L Effects of remote ischemic preconditioning on biochemical markers and neurologic outcomes in patients undergoing elective cervical decompression surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2010 Jan;22(1):46-52. doi: 10.1097/ANA.0b013e3181c572bd. Erratum in: J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2010 Apr;22(2):157.
Lim SY, Hausenloy DJ Remote ischemic conditioning: from bench to bedside. Front Physiol. 2012 Feb 20;3:27. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00027. eCollection 2012.
Munk K, Andersen NH, Schmidt MR, Nielsen SS, Terkelsen CJ, Sloth E, Bøtker HE, Nielsen TT, Poulsen SH Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Patients With Myocardial Infarction Treated With Primary Angioplasty: Impact on Left Ventricular Function Assessed by Comprehensive Echocardiography and Gated Single-Photon Emission CT. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010 Nov;3(6):656-62. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.110.957340. Epub 2010 Sep 8.
Sahebally SM, Healy D, Coffey JC, Walsh SR Should patients taking aspirin for secondary prevention continue or discontinue the medication prior to elective, abdominal surgery? Best evidence topic (BET). Int J Surg. 2014;12(5):16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2013.11.004. Epub 2013 Nov 15. Review.
Saxena P, Newman MA, Shehatha JS, Redington AN, Konstantinov IE Remote ischemic conditioning: evolution of the concept, mechanisms, and clinical application. J Card Surg. 2010 Jan-Feb;25(1):127-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8191.2009.00820.x. Epub 2009 Jun 22. Review.
Steiger HJ, Hänggi D Ischaemic preconditioning of the brain, mechanisms and applications. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2007 Jan;149(1):1-10. Epub 2006 Dec 14. Review.
Wei M, Xin P, Li S, Tao J, Li Y, Li J, Liu M, Li J, Zhu W, Redington AN Repeated remote ischemic postconditioning protects against adverse left ventricular remodeling and improves survival in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Circ Res. 2011 May 13;108(10):1220-5. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.236190. Epub 2011 Apr 7.
Werner C, Engelhard K Pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury. Br J Anaesth. 2007 Jul;99(1):4-9. Review.
The Effect of Remote Ischemic Conditioning (RIC) on Inflammatory Biomarkers and Outcomes in Patients With TBI
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.