The Oxford Handbook of Key Clinical Evidence provides an alternative to the burgeoning repositories of trial data for students, trainees and researchers looking for the key evidence affecting medical practice. Recognising the growing importance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to both study and practice of medicine and surgery, the editors have aimed to provide a quick-reference text which presents the key data, facts and evidence informing medical and surgical practice on a daily basis. Introductory chapters give the 'uninitiated' reader a firm footing in the history of EBM and its current importance within medical science. Readers are introduced to the current statistical methods and tools which are needed to analyse and critically assess trial data, providing a key for the terms and statistical methods encountered in the book and within medical research as a whole. Leading figures in the major specialties have selected and summarised the most important modern trials, creating a two-page format for each study which distils the key information. Highlighted boxes identify the study type and evidence-level attained, while analysis of the key message and impacts of the trial firmly place the evidence into a practical setting for the reader. Key study features and results are examined, while the difficulties or problems associated with the trials are outlined. This is essential reading for all medics with an interest in the fundemental evidence underpinning modern practice. Readership : Advanced undergraduate medical students through to specialist trainees (ST1-2) will wish to use this book to quickly assess the fundamentals of key evidence within medicine and surgery. Medical researchers and advanced practitioners wishing to broaden their knowledge will also find this a valuable resource.