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Some critics of evidence and science based practice and randomized controlled trials like to point out that there is no scientific evidence that parachutes actually work when jumping out of planes, but we still insist on using them - no one has done a randomized trial to see if they do actually work. The critics use this analogy to justify the lack of evidence for {whatever} they use in their clinical practice.

This was even pointed out in a systematic review in the BMJ which could find no actual evidence that parachutes work: Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials

But now we have this study:

Does usage of a parachute in contrast to free fall prevent major trauma: a prospective randomised-controlled trial in rag dolls
Patrick Czorlich, Till Burkhardt , Jan Hendrik Buhk, Jakob Matschke, Marc Dreimann, Nils Ole Schmidt, Sven Oliver Eicker
European Spine Journal; May 2016, Volume 25, Issue 5, pp 1349-1354

There you have it, they do work!

Hat tip @RodWhitley

 

Hi Craig,

just to bugger your theory.

There are recorded cases of people departing aircraft and not coming to grief.

One that comes to mind was a tail gunner in world war two that decided to depart the burning Lancaster without his parachute. Apparently he fell from 20,000 feet. only to land in a fir tree bounce through the Branches and end up in a snow drift unharmed.

The second instance I can remember if quite a few of the workers survived the West Gate bridge collapse as well. And they all fell from a great height.

Regards Mr T

 

BUT, they are just anecdotes. The results from an RCT usurp an anecdote! :boxing:

 

Yeah, but have they done research to show that when it rains on people, people get wet?! That's the burning question that I often suggest to the EBM police where it seems that nothing can be accepted anymore as being factual unless double-blind controlled research has been done on it.:craig:

 

if we removed the button eyes on half the rag dolls would that do for the double blind Study?