Clinical practice guidelines for the foot and ankle in rheumatoid arthritis: a critical appraisal

Background: Clinical practice guidelines are recommendations systematically developed to assist clinical decision-making and inform healthcare. In current rheumatoid arthritis (RA) guidelines, management of the foot and ankle is under-represented and the quality of recommendation is uncertain. This study aimed to identify and critically appraise clinical practice guidelines for foot and ankle management in RA. Methods: Guidelines were identified electronically and through hand searching. Search terms 'rheumatoid arthritis', 'clinical practice guidelines' and related synonyms were used. Critical appraisal and quality rating were conducted using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Results: Twenty-four guidelines were included. Five guidelines were high quality and recommended for use. Five high quality and seven low quality guidelines were recommended for use with modifications. Seven guidelines were low quality and not recommended for use. Five early and twelve established RA guidelines were recommended for use. Only two guidelines were foot and ankle specific. Five recommendation domains were identified in both early and established RA guidelines. These were multidisciplinary team care, foot healthcare access, foot health assessment/review, orthoses/insoles/splints, and therapeutic footwear. Established RA guidelines also had an 'other foot care treatments' domain. Conclusions: Foot and ankle management for RA features in many clinical practice guidelines recommended for use. Unfortunately, supporting evidence in the guidelines is low quality. Agreement levels are predominantly 'expert opinion' or 'good clinical practice'. More research investigating foot and ankle management for RA is needed prior to inclusion in clinical practice guidelines

Determinantes da mortalidade neonatal: estudo caso-controle em Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil Determinants of neonatal mortality: a case-control study in Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil

Este trabalho objetivou determinar os fatores preditores da mortalidade neonatal utilizando modelagem hierarquizada. Trata-se de estudo caso-controle, com 132 casos e 264 controles. Foram considerados casos os recém-nascidos que morreram antes de completar 28 dias, e os controles os sobreviventes, nascidos e filhos de mães residentes em Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. O modelo de análise de regressão logística hierarquizada identificou fatores associados ao óbito neonatal: raça materna com efeito protetor para raça parda/negra (OR = 0,23; IC95%: 0,09-0,56), tempo gasto entre o deslocamento de casa ao hospital > 30 minutos (OR = 3,12; IC95%: 1,34-7,25), tempo < 1h ou > 10h entre a internação e o parto (OR = 2,43; IC95%: 1,24-4,76) e pré-natal inadequado (OR = 2,03; IC95%: 1,03-3,99), baixo peso ao nascer (OR = 14,75; IC95%: 5,26-41,35), prematuridade (OR = 3,41; IC95%: 1,29-8,98) e sexo masculino (OR = 2,09; IC95%: 1,09-4,03). Nessa casuística, as mortes neonatais foram associadas à qualidade da assistência pré-natal e da assistência direta ao trabalho de parto.<br>This case-control study with 132 cases and 264 controls aimed to determine predictors of neonatal mortality using hierarchical modeling. Cases were defined as newborns that died within 28 days of birth, and controls as the survivors, among infants of mothers living in Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil. Hierarchical logistic regression identified factors associated with neonatal death: maternal race, with brown/black race showing a protective effect (OR = 0.23; IC95%: 0.09-0.56), time spent from home to the hospital > 30 minutes (OR = 3.12; 95%CI: 1.34-7.25), time < 1h or > 10 hours between hospital admission and delivery (OR = 2.43; 95%CI: 1.24-4.76), inadequate prenatal care (OR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.03-3.99), low birth weight (OR = 14.75; 95%CI: 5.26-41.35), prematurity (OR = 3.41; 95%CI: 1.29-8.98), and male gender (OR = 2.09; 95%CI: 1.09-4.03). In this case series, neonatal deaths were associated with the quality of prenatal care and direct care during labor