Evidence-based clinical guidelines for immigrants and refugees.

CMAJ. 2011 Jul 27;

Authors: Pottie K, Greenaway C, Feightner J, Welch V, Swinkels H, Rashid M, Narasiah L, Kirmayer LJ, Ueffing E, Macdonald NE, Hassan G, McNally M, Khan K, Buhrmann R, Dunn S, Dominic A, McCarthy AE, Gagnon AJ, Rousseau C, Tugwell P, , Assayag D, Barnett E, Blake J, Brockest B, Burgos G, Campbell G, Chambers A, Chan A, Cheetham M, Delpero W, Deschenes M, Dharamsim S, Duggan A, Durand N, Eyre A, Grant J, Gruner D, Harris S, Harris SB, Harvey E, Heathcote J, Heidebrecht C, Hodge W, Hone D, Hui C, Hum S, Janakiram P, Jivani K, Jurcik T, Keystone J, Kitai I, Krishnamurthy S, Kuhn S, Kutcher S, Laroche R, Logie C, Martin M, Massenat DE, Matthews D, Maze B, Menzies D, Munoz M, Murangira F, Nolen A, Plourde P, Sandoe A, Sears J, Rousseau H, Ryder AG, Schwartzman K, Stauffer W, Thombs BD, Topp P, Toren A, Torres S, Ullah A, Varghese S, Vissandjee B, Welt M, Wobeser W, Wong D, Zelkowitz P, Zhong J, Zlotkin S

PMID: 20530168 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Screening for overt diabetes by oral glucose tolerance test: Stratification by fasting blood glucose and patients’ age improve practicability of guidelines in cardiological routine.

Int J Cardiol. 2011 Jul 15;150(2):201-5

Authors: Kempf K, Füth R, Dinh W, Bansemir L, Köhler T, Bufe A, Scheffold T, Standl E, Martin S, Lankisch M

Guidelines recommend screening all patients with cardiovascular disease by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Due to its time-consuming protocol, costs and overall inconvenience performance of OGTT is limited in cardiological routine. Thus, we aimed to identify easily available parameters that could help to reduce the numbers of OGTT needed.

PMID: 20542339 [PubMed - in process]

Evaluation of evidence-based literature and formulation of recommendations for the clinical preventive guidelines for immigrants and refugees in Canada.

CMAJ. 2011 Jul 25;

Authors: Tugwell P, Pottie K, Welch V, Ueffing E, Chambers A, Feightner J,

BACKGROUND: This article describes the evidence review and guideline development method developed for the Clinical Preventive Guidelines for Immigrants and Refugees in Canada by the Canadian Collaboration for Immigrant and Refugee Health Guideline Committee. METHODS: The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) best-practice framework was combined with the recently developed Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to produce evidence-based clinical guidelines for immigrants and refugees in Canada. RESULTS: A systematic approach was designed to produce the evidence reviews and apply the GRADE approach, including building on evidence from previous systematic reviews, searching for and comparing evidence between general and specific immigrant populations, and applying the GRADE criteria for making recommendations. This method was used for priority health conditions that had been selected by practitioners caring for immigrants and refugees in Canada. INTERPRETATION: This article outlines the 14-step method that was defined to standardize the guideline development process for each priority health condition.

PMID: 20573711 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

European Palliative Care Research collaborative pain guidelines. Central side-effects management: what is the evidence to support best practice in the management of sedation, cognitive impairment and myoclonus?

Palliat Med. 2011 Jul;25(5):431-41

Authors: Stone P, Minton O

This is a systematic review examining the management of opioid-induced central side effects. It has been conducted as part of a larger European Palliative Care Research collaborative review into the use and role of opioids in cancer pain. The review process identified 26 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The overall quality of the data was low and the few recommendations that can be made are weak and require confirmatory studies. The main central side effects examined were sedation, cognitive failure, sleep disturbance and myoclonus. Overall there is limited evidence for the use of methylphenidate in counteracting opioid-induced sedation and cognitive disturbance. No clear recommendations can be made concerning other individual drugs for the management of any of the central side effects examined. Given the lack of available data from this review there need to be further prospective controlled trials to confirm or refute these findings.

PMID: 20870687 [PubMed - in process]

Has the quality of abstracts for randomised controlled trials improved since the release of Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trial guideline for abstract reporting? A survey of four high-profile anaesthesia journals.

Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2011 Jul;28(7):485-92

Authors: Can OS, Yilmaz AA, Hasdogan M, Alkaya F, Turhan SC, Can MF, Alanoglu Z

Randomised controlled trial (RCT) abstracts published in journal articles have traditionally been deficient of crucial information. To improve the quality of RCT abstracts, in January 2008, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trial (CONSORT) group published a checklist of essential information for inclusion. The current study assessed whether there has been an improvement in the quality of RCT abstracts published in main anaesthesia journals since this new guideline was introduced.

PMID: 21037480 [PubMed - in process]

Implementation of osteoporosis guidelines: a survey of five large fracture liaison services in the Netherlands.

Osteoporos Int. 2011 Jul;22(7):2129-35

Authors: Huntjens KM, van Geel TA, Blonk MC, Hegeman JH, van der Elst M, Willems P, Geusens PP, Winkens B, Brink P, van Helden SH

Implementation of case findings according to guidelines for osteoporosis in fracture patients presenting at a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) was evaluated. Despite one guideline, all FLSs differed in the performance of patient selection and prevalence of clinical risk factors (CRFs) indicating the need for more concrete and standardised guidelines.

PMID: 21052640 [PubMed - in process]

Using field data to assess the effects of pesticides on crustacea in freshwater aquatic ecosystems and verifying the level of protection provided by water quality guidelines.

Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2011 Jul;7(3):426-36

Authors: Guy M, Singh L, Mineau P

The purpose of this study was to investigate how well single-species laboratory data predict real-world pesticide toxicity effects on Crustacea. Data from field pesticide exposures from experimental mesocosm and small pond studies were converted into toxicity units (TUs) by dividing measured pesticide concentrations by the L(E)C50 for Daphnia or acute 5% hazard concentration for Crustacea (HC5-C). The proportion of crustacean taxa significantly affected by the pesticide treatment, called the count ratio of effect, was used in logistic regression models. Of 200 possible logistic model combinations of the TUs, fate, physicochemical variables, and structural variables versus the count ratio of effect for the mesocosm data, the best model was found to incorporate log(TU HC5-C). This model was used to convert pesticide water quality guidelines from around the world into estimates of the proportion of crustacean taxa predicted to be impacted by exposure to a pesticide at the water quality guideline concentration. This analysis suggests 64% of long-term water quality guidelines and 88% of short-term pesticide water quality guidelines are not protective of the aquatic life they are designed to protect. We conclude that empirically derived data from mesocosm studies should be incorporated into water quality guideline derivation for pesticides where available. Also, interspecific differences in susceptibility should be accounted for more accurately to ensure water quality guidelines are adequately protective against the adverse effects of pesticide exposure. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:426-436. © 2011 SETAC.

PMID: 21082666 [PubMed - in process]

Clinical practice guidelines: what they are, why we need them and how they should be developed through rigorous evaluation.

Eur J Pediatr. 2011 Jul;170(7):831-6

Authors: Cecamore C, Savino A, Salvatore R, Cafarotti A, Pelliccia P, Mohn A, Chiarelli F

The number of available clinical practice guidelines has grown enormously in the recent years, therefore requiring a correct approach and use of them. We present a revision of what guidelines are and serve, how to correctly develop and find them, and how to develop and evaluate them through rigorous scientific methods. Limits and benefits of guidelines are also discussed. An overview about the use of paediatrics’ guidelines is finally reported.

PMID: 21132571 [PubMed - in process]

Adherence to a guideline on cardiovascular prevention: A comparison between general practitioners and practice nurses.

Int J Nurs Stud. 2011 Jul;48(7):798-807

Authors: Voogdt-Pruis HR, Van Ree JW, Gorgels AP, Beusmans GH

Patient non-compliance with prescribed treatment is an important factor in the lack of success in cardiovascular prevention. Another important cause is non-adherence of caregivers to the guidelines. It is not known how doctors and nurses differ in the application of guidelines. Patient compliance to treatment may vary according to the type of caregiver.

PMID: 21176903 [PubMed - in process]

Adherence to national guidelines for initiation of antiretroviral regimens in HIV patients: a Danish nationwide study.

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2011 Jul;72(1):116-24

Authors: Petersen TS, Andersen SE, Gerstoft J, Thorsteinsson K, Larsen CS, Pedersen G, Pedersen C, Obel N

To determine the adherence to the national guidelines for start of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in HIV infected patients.

PMID: 21306418 [PubMed - in process]