Ethics Dumping – How not to do research in resource-poor settings

Ethics dumping is a global phenomenon involving the ‘off-shoring’of research. Research that would be prohibited, severely restrictedor regarded as highly patronizing in high-income regions is instead conducted inresource-poor settings. Twenty-eight case studies of ethics dumping were examined through inductive thematic analysis to reveal predisposing factors from the perspective of researchers from high-income regions. Six categories were agreed and further illuminated: Patronizing conduct, unfair distribution of benefits and/or burdens, culturally inappropriate conduct, double standards, lack of due diligence and lack of transparency. The ultimate aim of the paper is to deepen understanding of thesehighly unethical practicesamongst academics who stand against poverty, leading to theirfurther reduction

Sustained moderate reductions in arterial CO2 after brain trauma Time-course of cerebral blood flow velocity and intracranial pressure

Objective: In healthy volunteers cerebral blood flow starts to recover towards baseline within a few minutes of continued hyperventilation due to normalisation of perivascular pH. We investigated the time-course of changes in middle cerebral artery mean flow velocity (FVm) and intracranial pressure (ICP) in head-injured patients during sustained moderate reductions in arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2). Design: Observational study. Patients: Twenty-seven sedated, mechanically ventilated patients with severe head injury. Interventions: Measurements were made during and after routine determination of CO2-reactivity: an acute 20% increase in respiratory minute volume was followed by a 10-min stabilisation period and 50min of continued moderate hyperventilation at a constant PaCO2 (>3.5kPa). Measurements and results: FVm was monitored with transcranial Doppler, ICP was monitored with intraparenchymal probes. During the 50-min period with stable PaCO2 FVm increased in 36% of patients. All other patients showed a decline in FVm over the same time period. Overall FVm recovery was −0.03±0.14%·min-1. The time-course of ICP changes was significantly different from that of FVm, with ICP reaching its lowest value earlier than FVm (23±12 vs 37±20min; P = 0.001) and returning more rapidly towards baseline than FVm (0.23±0.23 vs −0.03±0.14%·min-1; P< 0.0001). Conclusions: Head-injured patients may adapt differently to hyperventilation than healthy volunteers. Potentially harmful reductions in cerebral blood flow may persist beyond the duration of useful ICP reductio

Equitable Research Partnerships A Global Code of Conduct to Counter Ethics Dumping

This open access book offers insights into the development of the ground-breaking Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) and the San Code of Research Ethics. Using a new, intuitive moral framework predicated on fairness, respect, care and honesty, both codes target ethics dumping – the export of unethical research practices from a high-income setting to a lower- or middle-income setting. The book is a rich resource of information and argument for any research stakeholder who opposes double standards in research. It will be indispensable for applicants to European Union framework programmes, as the GCC is now a mandatory reference document for EU funding

Vulnerability Revisited: Leaving No One Behind in Research

This open-access book discusses vulnerability and the protection-inclusion dilemma of including those who suffer from serious poverty, severe stigma, and structural violence in research. Co-written with representatives from indigenous peoples in South Africa and sex workers in Nairobi, the authors come down firmly on the side of inclusion. In the spirit of leaving no one behind in research, the team experimented with data collection methods that prioritize research participant needs over researcher needs. This involved foregoing the collection of personal data and community researchers being involved in all stages of the research. In the process, the term ‘vulnerability’ was illuminated across significant language barriers as it was defined by indigenous peoples and sex workers themselves. The book describes a potential alternative to exclusion from research that moves away from traditional research methods. By ensuring that the research is led by vulnerable groups for vulnerable groups, it offers an approach that fosters trust and collaboration with benefits for the community researchers, the wider community as well as research academics

Dynamic Changes in White Matter Abnormalities Correlate With Late Improvement and Deterioration Following TBI: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not a single insult with monophasic resolution, but a chronic disease, with dynamic processes that remain active for years. We aimed to assess patient trajectories over the entire disease narrative, from ictus to late outcome. METHODS: Twelve patients with moderate-to-severe TBI underwent magnetic resonance imaging in the acute phase (within 1 week of injury) and twice in the chronic phase of injury (median 7 and 21 months), with some undergoing imaging at up to 2 additional time points. Longitudinal imaging changes were assessed using structural volumetry, deterministic tractography, voxel-based diffusion tensor analysis, and region of interest analyses (including corpus callosum, parasagittal white matter, and thalamus). Imaging changes were related to behavior. RESULTS: Changes in structural volumes, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity continued for months to years postictus. Changes in diffusion tensor imaging were driven by increases in both axial and radial diffusivity except for the earliest time point, and were associated with changes in reaction time and performance in a visual memory and learning task (paired associates learning). Dynamic structural changes after TBI can be detected using diffusion tensor imaging and could explain changes in behavior. CONCLUSIONS: These data can provide further insight into early and late pathophysiology, and begin to provide a framework that allows magnetic resonance imaging to be used as an imaging biomarker of therapy response. Knowledge of the temporal pattern of changes in TBI patient populations also provides a contextual framework for assessing imaging changes in individuals at any given time point

Assessment of the Caradyne WhisperFlow for administration of continuous positive airway pressure in a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner

Demand for magnetic resonance investigations in critically ill patients is increasing. While these patients frequently need ventilatory support, not all of them require controlled ventilation and many may be treated with continuous positive airway pressure. Controlled ventilation, with the concurrent need for sedation, may be inappropriate when airway physiology is being studied and may retard weaning. No commercially available ventilator designed for the magnetic resonance environment can deliver high flow continuous positive airway pressure. We tested the Caradyne Whisperflow flow generator and five Whisperflow valves (2.5-15 cmH2O airway pressure) within a 3 Tesla environment for safety and possible dysfunction. All components had minimal ferromagnetic properties and tests showed no clinically relevant change in flow delivery or oxygen concentration in the magnetic field. In addition, the airway pressure generated by the valves was not affected by the magnetic field. We conclude that the tested system can be safely used in a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance environment

Use of T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the optic nerve sheath to detect raised intracranial pressure.

INTRODUCTION: The dural sheath surrounding the optic nerve communicates with the subarachnoid space, and distends when intracranial pressure is elevated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often performed in patients at risk for raised intracranial pressure (ICP) and can be used to measure precisely the diameter of optic nerve and its sheath. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), as measured using MRI, and ICP. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective blinded analysis of brain MRI images in a prospective cohort of 38 patients requiring ICP monitoring after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and in 36 healthy volunteers. ONSD was measured on T2-weighted turbo spin-echo fat-suppressed sequence obtained at 3 Tesla MRI. ICP was measured invasively during the MRI scan via a parenchymal sensor in the TBI patients. RESULTS: Measurement of ONSD was possible in 95% of cases. The ONSD was significantly greater in TBI patients with raised ICP (>20 mmHg; 6.31 +/- 0.50 mm, 19 measures) than in those with ICP of 20 mmHg or less (5.29 +/- 0.48 mm, 26 measures; P < 0.0001) or in healthy volunteers (5.08 +/- 0.52 mm; P < 0.0001). There was a significant relationship between ONSD and ICP (r = 0.71, P < 0.0001). Enlarged ONSD was a robust predictor of raised ICP (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.94), with a best cut-off of 5.82 mm, corresponding to a negative predictive value of 92%, and to a value of 100% when ONSD was less than 5.30 mm. CONCLUSIONS: When brain MRI is indicated, ONSD measurement on images obtained using routine sequences can provide a quantitative estimate of the likelihood of significant intracranial hypertension

Equitable Research Partnerships

This open access book offers insights into the development of the ground-breaking Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) and the San Code of Research Ethics. Using a new, intuitive moral framework predicated on fairness, respect, care and honesty, both codes target ethics dumping – the export of unethical research practices from a high-income setting to a lower- or middle-income setting. The book is a rich resource of information and argument for any research stakeholder who opposes double standards in research. It will be indispensable for applicants to European Union framework programmes, as the GCC is now a mandatory reference document for EU funding

Equitable Research Partnerships

This open access book offers insights into the development of the ground-breaking Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (GCC) and the San Code of Research Ethics. Using a new, intuitive moral framework predicated on fairness, respect, care and honesty, both codes target ethics dumping – the export of unethical research practices from a high-income setting to a lower- or middle-income setting. The book is a rich resource of information and argument for any research stakeholder who opposes double standards in research. It will be indispensable for applicants to European Union framework programmes, as the GCC is now a mandatory reference document for EU funding