Incomplete evidence: the inadequacy of databases in tracing published adverse drug reactions in clinical trials

Table 2 "Adverse Effects" Textwords in Titles or Abstracts^*

Drug	AE term as	Terms used
(no. of papers)	textword^*	[frequency]
Aspirin	18	bleed(s/ing) [11], side effects [5], haemorrhag(e/ic) [4], adverse effects [3], safe(ty) [2], adverse event [1], gastrotoxic [1]
(37)		haematemesis [1], melaena [1]
Antihypertensive drugs	8	adverse effects [3], side effects [3], adverse reactions [1], risks [1]
(13)
Ibuprofen	20	tolerability/tolerance/well tolerated [9], adverse effects [8], safe(ty) [6], side effect(s) [5], adverse events [2], unwanted
(29)		effects [1]
Paracetamol	16	side effects [7], adverse effects [5], tolerability/tolerance/well tolerated [4], safe(r/ty) [3], adverse reactions [2], adverse
(28)		events [1]

^*Abstracts from seven of the 107 papers were missing from the electronic databases; in these cases, the printed abstracts were analysed.

ISSN: 1471-2288