a systematic review

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.OBJECTIVES: Current guidelines do not recommend direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to treat cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) despite their benefits over standard therapy. We performed a systematic review to summarise the published experience of DOAC therapy in CVT. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase and COCHRANE databases up to 18 November 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All published articles of patients with CVT treated with DOAC were included. Studies without follow-up information were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers screened articles and extracted data. A risk of bias analysis was performed. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Safety data included mortality, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) or other adverse events. Efficacy data included recurrent CVT, recanalisation rates and disability by modified Rankin Scales (mRS). RESULTS: 33 studies met inclusion criteria. One randomised controlled trial, 5 observational cohorts and 27 case series or studies reported 279 patients treated with DOAC for CVT: 41% dabigatran, 47% rivaroxaban, 10% apixaban and 2% edoxaban, in addition to 315 patients treated with standard therapy. The observational cohorts showed a similar risk of death in DOAC and standard therapy arms (RR 2.12, 95% CI 0.29 to 15.59). New ICH was reported in 2 (0.7%) DOAC-treated patients and recurrent CVT occurred in 4 (1.5%). A favourable mRS between 0 and 2 was reported in 94% of DOAC-treated patients, more likely than standard therapy in observational cohorts (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.25). CONCLUSION: The evidence for DOAC use in CVT is limited although suggests sufficient safety and efficacy despite variability in timing and dose of treatment. This systematic review highlights that further rigorous trials are needed to validate these findings and to determine optimal treatment regimens.publishersversionpublishe

Knowledge translation to fitness trainers: A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study investigates approaches for translating evidence-based knowledge for use by fitness trainers. Specific questions were: Where do fitness trainers get their evidence-based information? What types of interventions are effective for translating evidence-based knowledge for use by fitness trainers? What are the barriers and facilitators to the use of evidence-based information by fitness trainers in their practice?</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We describe a systematic review of studies about knowledge translation interventions targeting fitness trainers. Fitness trainers were defined as individuals who provide exercise program design and supervision services to the public. Nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, school teachers, athletic trainers, and sport team strength coaches were excluded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 634 citations, two studies were eligible for inclusion: a survey of 325 registered health fitness professionals (66% response rate) and a qualitative study of 10 fitness instructors. Both studies identified that fitness trainers obtain information from textbooks, networking with colleagues, scientific journals, seminars, and mass media. Fitness trainers holding higher levels of education are reported to use evidence-based information sources such as scientific journals compared to those with lower education levels, who were reported to use mass media sources. The studies identified did not evaluate interventions to translate evidence-based knowledge for fitness trainers and did not explore factors influencing uptake of evidence in their practice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Little is known about how fitness trainers obtain and incorporate new evidence-based knowledge into their practice. Further exploration and specific research is needed to better understand how emerging health-fitness evidence can be translated to maximize its use by fitness trainers providing services to the general public.</p

A post-merger hospital library collection survey and data analysis indicated better resource allocation and user satisfaction

This article follows a previous article in "Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana" describing the original merger of this library. Library Services at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) was created as the result of a series of hospital mergers. It supports a large teaching hospital serving the city of Ottawa, Ontario, and the surrounding area. TOH was formed in 1999 with the amalgamation of three hospitals: the Ottawa Civic, Ottawa General, and Riverside Hospitals. Before the first merger, there were three separate libraries. Library Services serves primarily staff from TOH and its affiliated research institute, the Ottawa Health Research Institute

Efficacy and safety of CD22 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in patients with B cell malignancies: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has had great success in treating patients with relapsed or refractory B cell malignancies, with CD19-targeting therapies now approved in many countries. However, a subset of patients fails to respond or relapse after CD19 CAR T cell therapy, in part due to antigen loss, which has prompted the search for alternative antigen targets. CD22 is another antigen found on the surface of B cells. CARs targeting CD22 alone or in combination with other antigens have been investigated in several pre-clinical and clinical trials. Given the heterogeneity and small size of CAR T cell therapy clinical trials, systematic reviews are needed to evaluate their efficacy and safety. Here, we propose a systematic review of CAR T cell therapies targeting CD22, alone or in combination with other antigen targets, in B cell malignancies. Methods: We will perform a systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, clinicaltrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Ongoing and completed clinical trials will be identified and cataloged. Interventional studies investigating CD22 CAR T cells, including various multi-antigen targeting approaches, in patients with relapsed or refractory B cell malignancies will be eligible for inclusion. Only full-text articles, conference abstracts, letters, and case reports will be considered. Our primary outcome will be a complete response, defined as absence of detectable cancer. Secondary outcomes will include adverse events, overall response, minimal residual disease, and relapse, among others. Quality assessment will be performed using a modified Institute of Health Economics tool designed for interventional single-arm studies. We will report a narrative synthesis of clinical studies, presented in tabular format. If appropriate, a meta-analysis will be performed using a random effects model to synthesize results. Discussion: The results of the proposed review will help inform clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders of the risks and benefits of CD22 CAR T cell therapies. It will identify gaps or inconsistencies in outcome reporting and help to guide future clinical trials investigating CAR T cells. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020193027Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacult

Respiratory inhalers: designs, drug delivery efficiency, carbon footprints and costs a systematic review

This systematic review evaluates the efficiency of drug deposition to the lungs via inhalers, the environmental impact of inhaler systems, and their financial costs to individuals with chronic diseases. It follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with a comprehensive methodology that includes specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, a detailed search strategy across major databases, and a rigorous analysis of data collection, risk of bias, effect measures, and synthesis methods. Conducted to inform better clinical practices, policy-making, and future research, this review aims to provide a holistic understanding of the implications of inhaler use in treating asthma and COPD, focusing on efficacy, environmental sustainability, and affordability

Prevalence of spontaneous recanalisation of complete internal carotid occlusion: protocol for a systematic scoping review

Introduction Although previously thought to be a rare occurrence, spontaneous recanalisation is not uncommon, with a growing number of reports describing this phenomenon. However, the frequency, time course and mechanism of spontaneous recanalisation remain unknown. A better characterisation of these events is essential to ensuring adequate identification and proper future trial design for treatment.Objective To describe the current body of literature around spontaneous recanalisation following internal carotid occlusion.Methods and analysis With the assistance of an information specialist, we will search MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials and Web of Science for studies of adults with spontaneous recanalisation or transient occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Two reviewers will independently collect data on included studies pertaining to publication data, study population information, timepoints of initial presentation, recanalisation and subsequent follow-up.Ethics and dissemination Primary data will not be collected; therefore, formal ethics is not required. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at academic conferences

Effects of living kidney donation on arterial stiffness: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Kidney donors have been reported to have accelerated progression of aortic stiffness and decreased glomerular filtration compared with healthy non-donors. This is a concern because increased aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of overall cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the general population. To confirm if arterial stiffness increases after donation, we will systematically review all studies that evaluated indices of arterial stiffness in healthy individuals who underwent unilateral nephrectomy for kidney donation compared with age-matched healthy non-nephrectomised controls.Methods/analysis We will comprehensively search for studies published between 1 January 1960 and 15 March 2021 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, OVID and EBM reviews. All prospective (cohort, case–control, case series and before-and-after studies) and retrospective non-randomised studies reporting indices of arterial stiffness in nephrectomised and non-nephrectomised healthy participants will be included. Primary outcome will be the difference in the functional metrics of arterial stiffness between donors and non-donors. Secondary outcomes will be the differences in systolic/diastolic blood pressures, serum creatinine, glomerular filtration, carotid artery intima–media thickness and vascular calcification. Study screening, selection and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias will be independently assessed with the ROBINS-I tool and confidence in evidence by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation recommendations. Qualitative and quantitative data syntheses as well as clinical and statistical heterogeneity (Forest plots, I2 and Cochran’s Q statistics) will be evaluated. If clinical and statistical heterogeneity are acceptable, inverse variance-weighted effects will be analysed by random effect models.Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is necessary. Our results will be disseminated through peer-review publication and presentations to guide stakeholders on the evaluation and follow-up care of kidney donors.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020185551