International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for pregnancy complications. Most studies to date are in... more Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for pregnancy complications. Most studies to date are in large cohorts, with results presented in a way that assumes all women living with obesity are at equal risk. This study investigates which women living with obesity are at higher risk of specific pregnancy complications. A systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase identified 7894 prospective or retrospective cohort studies exploring predictors of adverse outcomes among pregnant women living with obesity. Following screening, 61 studies were deemed eligible. Studies were selected if the effects of exposure to any predictor amongst pregnant women living with obesity could be collected. Maternal characteristics assessed for association with adverse outcomes included maternal age, race/ethnicity, maternal height, mode of conception, complement activation factors, and history of various comorbidities/procedures. Gestational diabetes mellitus was the most studied outcome (n = 32), followed by p...
ABSTRACTBackgroundWe believe there is a large number of checklists to help authors detect predato... more ABSTRACTBackgroundWe believe there is a large number of checklists to help authors detect predatory journals. It is uncertain whether these checklists contain similar content.PurposePerform a systematic review to identify checklists to detect potential predatory journals and to examine their content and measurement properties.Data SourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC, Web of Science and Library, Information Science & Technology s (January 2012 to November 2018), university library websites (January 2019), YouTube (January 2019).Study SelectionOriginal checklists used to detect potential predatory journals published in English, French or Portuguese, with instructions in point form, bullet form, tabular format or listed items, not including lists or guidance on recognizing “legitimate” or “trustworthy” journals.Data ExtractionPairs of reviewers independently extracted study data and assessed checklist quality and a third reviewer resolved conflicts.Data SynthesisOf 1528 records scre...
The intrathecal drug-delivery system (IDDS) is one mode of infusing analgesic medications directl... more The intrathecal drug-delivery system (IDDS) is one mode of infusing analgesic medications directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in close proximity to their site of action. This modality has been employed in patients with refractory pain either due to malignant or non-malignant causes for over 30 years. Unfortunately, and despite the number of years it has been in use, there is still a scarcity of rigorous evidence to guide its integration into clinical practice. Current best evidence is inconclusive as to the comparative effectiveness and harms of the IDDS relative to routine medical care of patients. There are far more systematic reviews than high-quality primary comparative studies of the IDDS vs. conventional pain treatment. Existing clinical practice recommendations are best viewed as expert opinion with competing interests. This article will review the existing literature for indications, contraindications, consensus statements, different technologies, and complications of the IDDS. Although approved analgesics for IDDS delivery are limited to morphine and ziconotide, many other analgesics, alone or in combination, are routinely used in this setting. This review will also focus on the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of intrathecal medications extensively used in clinical practice; including agents approved, unapproved, and under development.
Both experts stated the original reviews' recommendations are still valid. Both experts were awar... more Both experts stated the original reviews' recommendations are still valid. Both experts were aware of new evidence that would strengthen the findings of the original review. • Literature evidence: No signal was identified.
The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for i... more The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients. This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied. This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission except those copyrighted materials that are clearly noted in the document. Further reproduction of those copyrighted materials is prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders. Persons using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in this report. For assistance contact [email protected]. None of the investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report. Preface The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), sponsors the development of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public-and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States. The reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies and strategies. The EPCs systematically review the relevant scientific literature on topics assigned to them by AHRQ and conduct additional analyses when appropriate prior to developing their reports and assessments. To improve the scientific rigor of these evidence reports, AHRQ supports empiric research by the EPCs to help understand or improve complex methodologic issues in systematic reviews. These methods research …
Background: In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common ca... more Background: In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common cause of disability worldwide, with over 300 million people currently living with depression. Depression affects an individual's physical health and well-being, impacts psychosocial functioning, and has specific negative short-and long-term effects on maternal health, child health, developmental trajectories, and family health. The aim of these reviews is to identify evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in the general adult population and in pregnant and postpartum women.
Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the char... more Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe its epidemiological characteristics, and to extract empirical descriptions of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Methods: We searched five bibliographic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic + Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 2nd, 2018. A related grey literature search was conducted March 27th, 2018. Eligible studies were those published in English after 2012 that discuss predatory journals. Titles and abstracts of records obtained were screened. We extracted epidemiological characteristics from all search records discussing predatory journals. Subsequently, we extracted statements from the empirical ...
Preventable adverse drug reactions (PADRs) in inpatients are associated with harm, including incr... more Preventable adverse drug reactions (PADRs) in inpatients are associated with harm, including increased length of stay and potential loss of life, and result in elevated costs of care. We conducted an overview of reviews (i.e., a systematic review of systematic reviews) to determine the incidence of PADRs experienced by inpatients. Secondary review objectives were related to assessment of the effects of patient age, setting, and clinical specialty on PADR incidence. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42016043220). We performed a search of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, limiting languages of publication to English and French. We included published systematic reviews that reported quantitative data on the incidence of PADRs in patients receiving acute or ambulatory care in a hospital setting. The full texts of all primary studies for which PADR data were reported in the included reviews were obtained and data relevant to review objectives were extracted. Quality of...
Pediatric epilepsy, including treatment-resistant forms, has a major effect on the quality of lif... more Pediatric epilepsy, including treatment-resistant forms, has a major effect on the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality of affected children. Interest has been growing in the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy, yet there has been no comprehensive review of the benefits and harms of cannabis use in this population. In this systematic review, we will search for, synthesize, and assess the published and gray literature in order to provide usable and relevant information to parents, clinicians, and policy makers. We will perform a living systematic review of studies involving the use of cannabis to treat pediatric epilepsy. We will search the published and gray literature for studies involving children with any type of epilepsy taking any form of cannabis. Studies will be selected for inclusion by two independent reviewers. The primary outcome is seizure freedom. Secondary outcomes are seizure frequency, quality of life (child, caregiver), quality and qua...
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a common cause of death globally. A regimen of 12 doses of isoniazid (I... more Tuberculosis (TB) remains a common cause of death globally. A regimen of 12 doses of isoniazid (INH) and rifapentine given once weekly (INH/RPT-3) has recently been recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI). We aimed to determine whether the INH/RPT-3 regimen had similar or lesser rates of adverse events compared to other LTBI regimens, namely INH for 9 months, INH for 6 months, rifampin for 3 to 4 months, and rifampin plus INH for 3 to 4 months. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, PubMed, ICTRP, clinicaltrials.gov, and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health's Gray Matters Light for randomized, postmarketing, and comparative nonrandomized studies of patients with confirmed LTBI that reported the frequency of at least 1 adverse event of relevance for a regimen of interest. The search included studies published until March 2017. The frequencies of adverse events were extracted and are presented descriptively. Data ...
The objective of this review was to perform a rapid evidence summary to determine the prevalence ... more The objective of this review was to perform a rapid evidence summary to determine the prevalence of subaneurysmal aortic aneurysms, growth rates, and risk factors that modulate growth in average-risk men aged 65 years and older. Secondary objectives were to evaluate benefits and harms of lifelong ultrasound (US) surveillance and treatment outcomes for any large aneurysms that develop in the screened population. We searched multiple databases (eg, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic and Embase, and the Cochrane Library) on February 16, 2016. Using a liberal accelerated method, two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for relevance and subsequently screened full-text studies. General study characteristics (eg, country, study design, number of participants) and data (eg, number of men with subaneurysmal aortas, quality of life [QoL], mortality) were extracted. One reviewer performed data extraction and risk of bias assessments, and a second reviewer verified 100% of studies. Any disagreeme...
This study is to perform a systematic review of existing guidance on quality of reporting and met... more This study is to perform a systematic review of existing guidance on quality of reporting and methodology for systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) in order to compile a list of potential items that might be included in a reporting guideline for such reviews: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (PRISMA-DTA). Study protocol published on EQUATOR website. Articles in full text or abstract form that reported on any aspect of reporting systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy were eligible for inclusion. We used the Ovid platform to search Ovid MEDLINE®, Ovid MEDLINE® In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Embase Classic+Embase through May 5, 2016. The Cochrane Methodology Register in the Cochrane Library (Wiley version) was also searched. Title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening of all search results was performed independently by two investigators. Guideline organization websites, ...
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) therapy in ST-elevation myoca... more Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have reported conflicting results. Our main objective was to critically appraise and meta-analyze best-available evidence on efficacy and safety of intracoronary administration of autologous BMSC therapy in STEMI patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We conducted a search of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Global Health, CINAHL, and conference proceedings in February 2017. Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary and safety outcomes included cardiac death, heart failure, arrhythmias, repeat myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularizations; or improved health-related quality of life, left ventricular ejection fraction, or infarct size. Summary relative and absolute risks were obtained using random effects models. We also evaluated the strength of evidence. A comprehensive database search identified 42 RCTs (3...
Inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) are a large group of rare single-gene disorders that are typic... more Inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) are a large group of rare single-gene disorders that are typically diagnosed early in life. There are important evidence gaps related to the comparative effectiveness of therapies for IMD, which are in part due to challenges in conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for rare diseases. Registry-based RCTs present a unique opportunity to address these challenges provided the registries implement standardized collection of outcomes that are important to patients and their caregivers and to clinical providers and healthcare systems. Currently there is no core outcome set (COS) for studies evaluating interventions for paediatric IMD. This protocol outlines a study that will establish COS for each of two relatively common IMD in children, phenylketonuria (PKU) and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency. This two-part study is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative. Part 1 includes a rap...
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is an aggressive disease ... more Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is an aggressive disease that makes up about 20% of all invasive breast cancers. HER2+ breast cancer is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rates, but the development of HER2-targeted therapies, such as originator trastuzumab (Herceptin®), has substantially improved patient survival. Numerous clinical trials and reviews have investigated the efficacy of HER2-targeted therapies over the past few decades; however, no study has specifically investigated the vast body of evidence on trastuzumab in comparison to chemotherapy regimens, endocrine therapies, and other targeted therapies. This systematic review and cumulative network meta-analysis (NMA) will synthesize available evidence to evaluate the survival benefit conferred by the addition of originator trastuzumab to standard chemotherapy and to compare the most widely used trastuzumab regimens in patients with HER2+ early breast cancer, based on res...
To assess the relative effects of individual testosterone products among hypogonadal men. Systema... more To assess the relative effects of individual testosterone products among hypogonadal men. Systematic review and network meta-analysis. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and grey literature (25 May 2017) for randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies (NRS) that involved hypogonadal men given testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for ≥3 months. Comparators were placebo, another TRT, or the same product at a different dose. Outcomes were quality of life, depression, libido, erectile function, activities of daily living and testosterone levels, as well as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, serious adverse events, withdrawals due to adverse events and erythrocytosis. RCT data were pooled via meta-analysis and network meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias tool (RCTs) andScottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)50 (NRS). Eighty-seven RCTs and 51 NRS we...
Background: Guidelines for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews (... more Background: Guidelines for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews (SRs) were developed to contribute to implementing evidence-based health care and the reduction of research waste. As SRs assessing a cohort of SRs is becoming more prevalent in the literature and with the increased uptake of SR evidence for decision-making, methodological quality and standard of reporting of SRs is of interest. The objective of this study is to evaluate SR adherence to the Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses (QUOROM) and PRISMA reporting guidelines and the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) and Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ) quality assessment tools as evaluated in methodological overviews. Methods: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE®, and EMBASE® databases were searched from January 1990 to October 2014. Title and abstract screening and full-text screening were conducted independently by two reviewers. Reports assessing the quality or reporting of a cohort of SRs of interventions using PRISMA, QUOROM, OQAQ, or AMSTAR were included. All results are reported as frequencies and percentages of reports and SRs respectively. Results: Of the 20,765 independent records retrieved from electronic searching, 1189 reports were reviewed for eligibility at full text, of which 56 reports (5371 SRs in total) evaluating the PRISMA, QUOROM, AMSTAR, and/or OQAQ tools were included. Notable items include the following: of the SRs using PRISMA, over 85% (1532/1741) provided a rationale for the review and less than 6% (102/1741) provided protocol information. For reports using QUOROM, only 9% (40/449) of SRs provided a trial flow diagram. However, 90% (402/449) described the explicit clinical problem and review rationale in the introduction section. Of reports using AMSTAR, 30% (534/1794) used duplicate study selection and data extraction. Conversely, 80% (1439/1794) of SRs provided study characteristics of included studies. In terms of OQAQ, 37% (499/1367) of the SRs assessed risk of bias (validity) in the included studies, while 80% (1112/1387) reported the criteria for study selection. Conclusions: Although reporting guidelines and quality assessment tools exist, reporting and methodological quality of SRs are inconsistent. Mechanisms to improve adherence to established reporting guidelines and methodological assessment tools are needed to improve the quality of SRs.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for pregnancy complications. Most studies to date are in... more Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for pregnancy complications. Most studies to date are in large cohorts, with results presented in a way that assumes all women living with obesity are at equal risk. This study investigates which women living with obesity are at higher risk of specific pregnancy complications. A systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase identified 7894 prospective or retrospective cohort studies exploring predictors of adverse outcomes among pregnant women living with obesity. Following screening, 61 studies were deemed eligible. Studies were selected if the effects of exposure to any predictor amongst pregnant women living with obesity could be collected. Maternal characteristics assessed for association with adverse outcomes included maternal age, race/ethnicity, maternal height, mode of conception, complement activation factors, and history of various comorbidities/procedures. Gestational diabetes mellitus was the most studied outcome (n = 32), followed by p...
ABSTRACTBackgroundWe believe there is a large number of checklists to help authors detect predato... more ABSTRACTBackgroundWe believe there is a large number of checklists to help authors detect predatory journals. It is uncertain whether these checklists contain similar content.PurposePerform a systematic review to identify checklists to detect potential predatory journals and to examine their content and measurement properties.Data SourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC, Web of Science and Library, Information Science & Technology s (January 2012 to November 2018), university library websites (January 2019), YouTube (January 2019).Study SelectionOriginal checklists used to detect potential predatory journals published in English, French or Portuguese, with instructions in point form, bullet form, tabular format or listed items, not including lists or guidance on recognizing “legitimate” or “trustworthy” journals.Data ExtractionPairs of reviewers independently extracted study data and assessed checklist quality and a third reviewer resolved conflicts.Data SynthesisOf 1528 records scre...
The intrathecal drug-delivery system (IDDS) is one mode of infusing analgesic medications directl... more The intrathecal drug-delivery system (IDDS) is one mode of infusing analgesic medications directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in close proximity to their site of action. This modality has been employed in patients with refractory pain either due to malignant or non-malignant causes for over 30 years. Unfortunately, and despite the number of years it has been in use, there is still a scarcity of rigorous evidence to guide its integration into clinical practice. Current best evidence is inconclusive as to the comparative effectiveness and harms of the IDDS relative to routine medical care of patients. There are far more systematic reviews than high-quality primary comparative studies of the IDDS vs. conventional pain treatment. Existing clinical practice recommendations are best viewed as expert opinion with competing interests. This article will review the existing literature for indications, contraindications, consensus statements, different technologies, and complications of the IDDS. Although approved analgesics for IDDS delivery are limited to morphine and ziconotide, many other analgesics, alone or in combination, are routinely used in this setting. This review will also focus on the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of intrathecal medications extensively used in clinical practice; including agents approved, unapproved, and under development.
Both experts stated the original reviews' recommendations are still valid. Both experts were awar... more Both experts stated the original reviews' recommendations are still valid. Both experts were aware of new evidence that would strengthen the findings of the original review. • Literature evidence: No signal was identified.
The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for i... more The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients. This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied. This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission except those copyrighted materials that are clearly noted in the document. Further reproduction of those copyrighted materials is prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders. Persons using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in this report. For assistance contact [email protected]. None of the investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report. Preface The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), sponsors the development of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public-and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States. The reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies and strategies. The EPCs systematically review the relevant scientific literature on topics assigned to them by AHRQ and conduct additional analyses when appropriate prior to developing their reports and assessments. To improve the scientific rigor of these evidence reports, AHRQ supports empiric research by the EPCs to help understand or improve complex methodologic issues in systematic reviews. These methods research …
Background: In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common ca... more Background: In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common cause of disability worldwide, with over 300 million people currently living with depression. Depression affects an individual's physical health and well-being, impacts psychosocial functioning, and has specific negative short-and long-term effects on maternal health, child health, developmental trajectories, and family health. The aim of these reviews is to identify evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in the general adult population and in pregnant and postpartum women.
Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the char... more Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe its epidemiological characteristics, and to extract empirical descriptions of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Methods: We searched five bibliographic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic + Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 2nd, 2018. A related grey literature search was conducted March 27th, 2018. Eligible studies were those published in English after 2012 that discuss predatory journals. Titles and abstracts of records obtained were screened. We extracted epidemiological characteristics from all search records discussing predatory journals. Subsequently, we extracted statements from the empirical ...
Preventable adverse drug reactions (PADRs) in inpatients are associated with harm, including incr... more Preventable adverse drug reactions (PADRs) in inpatients are associated with harm, including increased length of stay and potential loss of life, and result in elevated costs of care. We conducted an overview of reviews (i.e., a systematic review of systematic reviews) to determine the incidence of PADRs experienced by inpatients. Secondary review objectives were related to assessment of the effects of patient age, setting, and clinical specialty on PADR incidence. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42016043220). We performed a search of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, limiting languages of publication to English and French. We included published systematic reviews that reported quantitative data on the incidence of PADRs in patients receiving acute or ambulatory care in a hospital setting. The full texts of all primary studies for which PADR data were reported in the included reviews were obtained and data relevant to review objectives were extracted. Quality of...
Pediatric epilepsy, including treatment-resistant forms, has a major effect on the quality of lif... more Pediatric epilepsy, including treatment-resistant forms, has a major effect on the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality of affected children. Interest has been growing in the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy, yet there has been no comprehensive review of the benefits and harms of cannabis use in this population. In this systematic review, we will search for, synthesize, and assess the published and gray literature in order to provide usable and relevant information to parents, clinicians, and policy makers. We will perform a living systematic review of studies involving the use of cannabis to treat pediatric epilepsy. We will search the published and gray literature for studies involving children with any type of epilepsy taking any form of cannabis. Studies will be selected for inclusion by two independent reviewers. The primary outcome is seizure freedom. Secondary outcomes are seizure frequency, quality of life (child, caregiver), quality and qua...
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a common cause of death globally. A regimen of 12 doses of isoniazid (I... more Tuberculosis (TB) remains a common cause of death globally. A regimen of 12 doses of isoniazid (INH) and rifapentine given once weekly (INH/RPT-3) has recently been recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI). We aimed to determine whether the INH/RPT-3 regimen had similar or lesser rates of adverse events compared to other LTBI regimens, namely INH for 9 months, INH for 6 months, rifampin for 3 to 4 months, and rifampin plus INH for 3 to 4 months. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, PubMed, ICTRP, clinicaltrials.gov, and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health's Gray Matters Light for randomized, postmarketing, and comparative nonrandomized studies of patients with confirmed LTBI that reported the frequency of at least 1 adverse event of relevance for a regimen of interest. The search included studies published until March 2017. The frequencies of adverse events were extracted and are presented descriptively. Data ...
The objective of this review was to perform a rapid evidence summary to determine the prevalence ... more The objective of this review was to perform a rapid evidence summary to determine the prevalence of subaneurysmal aortic aneurysms, growth rates, and risk factors that modulate growth in average-risk men aged 65 years and older. Secondary objectives were to evaluate benefits and harms of lifelong ultrasound (US) surveillance and treatment outcomes for any large aneurysms that develop in the screened population. We searched multiple databases (eg, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic and Embase, and the Cochrane Library) on February 16, 2016. Using a liberal accelerated method, two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for relevance and subsequently screened full-text studies. General study characteristics (eg, country, study design, number of participants) and data (eg, number of men with subaneurysmal aortas, quality of life [QoL], mortality) were extracted. One reviewer performed data extraction and risk of bias assessments, and a second reviewer verified 100% of studies. Any disagreeme...
This study is to perform a systematic review of existing guidance on quality of reporting and met... more This study is to perform a systematic review of existing guidance on quality of reporting and methodology for systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) in order to compile a list of potential items that might be included in a reporting guideline for such reviews: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (PRISMA-DTA). Study protocol published on EQUATOR website. Articles in full text or abstract form that reported on any aspect of reporting systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy were eligible for inclusion. We used the Ovid platform to search Ovid MEDLINE®, Ovid MEDLINE® In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Embase Classic+Embase through May 5, 2016. The Cochrane Methodology Register in the Cochrane Library (Wiley version) was also searched. Title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening of all search results was performed independently by two investigators. Guideline organization websites, ...
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) therapy in ST-elevation myoca... more Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have reported conflicting results. Our main objective was to critically appraise and meta-analyze best-available evidence on efficacy and safety of intracoronary administration of autologous BMSC therapy in STEMI patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We conducted a search of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Global Health, CINAHL, and conference proceedings in February 2017. Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary and safety outcomes included cardiac death, heart failure, arrhythmias, repeat myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularizations; or improved health-related quality of life, left ventricular ejection fraction, or infarct size. Summary relative and absolute risks were obtained using random effects models. We also evaluated the strength of evidence. A comprehensive database search identified 42 RCTs (3...
Inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) are a large group of rare single-gene disorders that are typic... more Inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) are a large group of rare single-gene disorders that are typically diagnosed early in life. There are important evidence gaps related to the comparative effectiveness of therapies for IMD, which are in part due to challenges in conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for rare diseases. Registry-based RCTs present a unique opportunity to address these challenges provided the registries implement standardized collection of outcomes that are important to patients and their caregivers and to clinical providers and healthcare systems. Currently there is no core outcome set (COS) for studies evaluating interventions for paediatric IMD. This protocol outlines a study that will establish COS for each of two relatively common IMD in children, phenylketonuria (PKU) and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency. This two-part study is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative. Part 1 includes a rap...
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is an aggressive disease ... more Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is an aggressive disease that makes up about 20% of all invasive breast cancers. HER2+ breast cancer is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rates, but the development of HER2-targeted therapies, such as originator trastuzumab (Herceptin®), has substantially improved patient survival. Numerous clinical trials and reviews have investigated the efficacy of HER2-targeted therapies over the past few decades; however, no study has specifically investigated the vast body of evidence on trastuzumab in comparison to chemotherapy regimens, endocrine therapies, and other targeted therapies. This systematic review and cumulative network meta-analysis (NMA) will synthesize available evidence to evaluate the survival benefit conferred by the addition of originator trastuzumab to standard chemotherapy and to compare the most widely used trastuzumab regimens in patients with HER2+ early breast cancer, based on res...
To assess the relative effects of individual testosterone products among hypogonadal men. Systema... more To assess the relative effects of individual testosterone products among hypogonadal men. Systematic review and network meta-analysis. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and grey literature (25 May 2017) for randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies (NRS) that involved hypogonadal men given testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for ≥3 months. Comparators were placebo, another TRT, or the same product at a different dose. Outcomes were quality of life, depression, libido, erectile function, activities of daily living and testosterone levels, as well as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, serious adverse events, withdrawals due to adverse events and erythrocytosis. RCT data were pooled via meta-analysis and network meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias tool (RCTs) andScottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)50 (NRS). Eighty-seven RCTs and 51 NRS we...
Background: Guidelines for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews (... more Background: Guidelines for assessing methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews (SRs) were developed to contribute to implementing evidence-based health care and the reduction of research waste. As SRs assessing a cohort of SRs is becoming more prevalent in the literature and with the increased uptake of SR evidence for decision-making, methodological quality and standard of reporting of SRs is of interest. The objective of this study is to evaluate SR adherence to the Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses (QUOROM) and PRISMA reporting guidelines and the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) and Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ) quality assessment tools as evaluated in methodological overviews. Methods: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE®, and EMBASE® databases were searched from January 1990 to October 2014. Title and abstract screening and full-text screening were conducted independently by two reviewers. Reports assessing the quality or reporting of a cohort of SRs of interventions using PRISMA, QUOROM, OQAQ, or AMSTAR were included. All results are reported as frequencies and percentages of reports and SRs respectively. Results: Of the 20,765 independent records retrieved from electronic searching, 1189 reports were reviewed for eligibility at full text, of which 56 reports (5371 SRs in total) evaluating the PRISMA, QUOROM, AMSTAR, and/or OQAQ tools were included. Notable items include the following: of the SRs using PRISMA, over 85% (1532/1741) provided a rationale for the review and less than 6% (102/1741) provided protocol information. For reports using QUOROM, only 9% (40/449) of SRs provided a trial flow diagram. However, 90% (402/449) described the explicit clinical problem and review rationale in the introduction section. Of reports using AMSTAR, 30% (534/1794) used duplicate study selection and data extraction. Conversely, 80% (1439/1794) of SRs provided study characteristics of included studies. In terms of OQAQ, 37% (499/1367) of the SRs assessed risk of bias (validity) in the included studies, while 80% (1112/1387) reported the criteria for study selection. Conclusions: Although reporting guidelines and quality assessment tools exist, reporting and methodological quality of SRs are inconsistent. Mechanisms to improve adherence to established reporting guidelines and methodological assessment tools are needed to improve the quality of SRs.
Uploads
Papers by Becky Skidmore