Reducing bias and increasing surgical knowledge: multicentre prospective breast cancer studies

In the March issue of BJS several hot topics within the breast surgery field are highlighted in beautifully planned and executed prospective multicentre trials. BJS encourages the surgical communities in most fields to move towards prospective collaborative and multicentre studies, thereby increasing both power and generalizability as well as reducing the risk of bias.

Relief of acute cough by cough syrup with mucoprotection

Two randomised, blind, controlled, multicentre studies investigated the therapeutic effect of a chemical and mechanical barrier in the upper airways produced by polysaccharide-resin-honey based cough syrup in children with acute cough associated with a common cold. The mucoprotection led to a significant alleviation of the paediatric cough compared with carbocysteine syrup or placebo. The beneficial effect was especially apparent in children with severe cough and/or episodes of nocturnal coughing.