A scoping review of comparisons between abstracts and full reports in primary biomedical research

Mas-related G protein-coupled receptors in gastrointestinal dysfunction and inflammatory bowel disease: A review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic debilitating condition, hallmarked by persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite recent advances in clinical treatments, the aetiology of IBD is unknown, and a large proportion of patients are refractory to pharmacotherapy. Understanding IBD immunopathogenesis is crucial to discern the cause of IBD and optimise treatments. Mas-related G protein-coupled receptors (Mrgprs) are a family of approximately 50 G protein-coupled receptors that were first identified over 20 years ago. Originally known for their expression in skin nociceptors and their role in transmitting the sensation of itch in the periphery, new reports have described the presence of Mrgprs in the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we consider the impact of these findings and assess the evidence that suggests that Mrgprs may be involved in the disrupted homeostatic processes that contribute to gastrointestinal disorders and IBD. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue Therapeutic Targeting of G Protein-Coupled Receptors: hot topics from the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists 2021 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.14/issuetoc.

REporting quality of PilOt randomised controlled trials in surgery (REPORTS): a methodological survey protocol

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this methodological review is to evaluate the completeness of reporting of surgical pilot and feasibility randomised trials as per the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extension to randomised pilot and feasibility trials. Moreover, we aim to assess for the presence of spin reporting and inconsistency between abstract and main text reporting in surgical pilot and feasibility randomised trials.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A comprehensive, electronic search strategy will be used to identify studies indexed in Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases. Studies will be included if they are pilot or feasibility randomised trials of surgical interventions. The primary outcome will be overall CONSORT statement extension to randomised pilot and feasibility trials checklist completeness. This will be defined as trials reporting each of the 40 items in the CONSORT statement extension to randomised pilot and feasibility trials checklist. Secondary outcomes will include the reporting of individual studies as per the CONSORT extension to randomised pilot and feasibility trials, the use of spin reporting strategies, trial factors associated with reporting quality and spin strategy use, and consistency between abstract and main text reporting. Poisson and logistic regressions will be performed to explore the association between trial factors and completeness of reporting as measured by the number of reported CONSORT items.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This is a methodological survey that has been registered a priori on the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42023475512). Local ethics approval is not required. We plan to disseminate study results through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.

Methotrexate treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis: a scoping review on doses and administration routes

BACKGROUND

To describe the evidence of methotrexate (MTX) initiation strategies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and, in the case of non-responders, analyse the efficacy and safety of route and dose optimisation.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive scoping review of randomised controlled trials according to PRISMA Scoping Reviews Checklist and the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched without language restriction, and hand searches of relevant articles were examined.

RESULTS

We identified 1,367 potentially eligible studies, of which 12 were selected based on the titles and abstracts and then on the full-length articles. In naïve-MTX patients, a linear dose-response relationship for starting dose was found between 5 mg/m2/week (7.5-10 mg/week) and 10 mg/m2/week (15-22 mg/week), without toxicity correlation. A higher initial dose of MTX (25 mg vs. 15 mg) was more effective, resulting in fewer dose increases due to ineffectiveness and more dose reductions due to higher remission rates. There was also a trend towards increased gastrointestinal toxicity. Comparing different routes of administration of MTX, subcutaneous MTX showed a statistically higher ACR20 response (85%) in comparison with oral MTX (77%) (p < 0.05). The clinical efficacy and safety of accelerated and conventional start MTX regimens were comparable between 7.5 and 15 mg with a 2,5 mg dose increase every two weeks. In RA patients who have failed the initial treatment with MTX, the stepwise increase in MTX doses is associated with a higher ACR20 response and sustained remission rate than other strategies. In MTX non-responders, optimisation to SC MTX was associated with improvements in ACR20 and ACR50 rates with similar toxicity between groups. In the early RA patients subgroup, SC MTX showed higher ACR20 response rates than oral MTX, and intensive oral methods have a much higher sustained remission rate, shorter mean time to remission, and better clinical disease activity measures than conventional treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher starting doses of MTX and initial subcutaneous MTX made better performance in improving the ACR20 response, although the clinical effectiveness and safety of other MTX start regimens are comparable. This scoping review provides evidence in support of optimising MTX treatment in terms of route and dose prior to concluding that MTX treatment in RA patients has failed.

Reporting quality of abstracts and inconsistencies with full text articles in pediatric orthopedic publications

BACKGROUND

Abstracts should provide a brief yet comprehensive reporting of all components of a manuscript. Inaccurate reporting may mislead readers and impact citation practices. It was our goal to investigate the reporting quality of abstracts of interventional observational studies in three major pediatric orthopedic journals and to analyze any reporting inconsistencies between those abstracts and their corresponding full-text articles.

METHODS

We selected a sample of 55 abstracts and their full-text articles published between 2018 and 2022. Included articles were primary therapeutic research investigating the results of treatments or interventions. Abstracts were scrutinized for reporting quality and inconsistencies with their full-text versions with a 22-itemized checklist. The reporting quality of titles was assessed by a 3-items categorical scale.

RESULTS

In 48 (87%) of articles there were abstract reporting inaccuracies related to patient demographics. The study's follow-up and complications were not reported in 21 (38%) of abstracts each. Most common inconsistencies between the abstracts and full-text articles were related to reporting of inclusion or exclusion criteria in 39 (71%) and study correlations in 27 (49%) of articles. Reporting quality of the titles was insufficient in 33 (60%) of articles.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study we found low reporting quality of abstracts and noticeable inconsistencies with full-text articles, especially regarding inclusion or exclusion criteria and study correlations. While the current sample is likely not representative of overall pediatric orthopedic literature, we recommend that authors, reviewers, and editors ensure abstracts are reported accurately, ideally following the appropriate reporting guidelines, and that they double check that there are no inconsistencies between abstracts and full text articles. To capture essential study information, journals should also consider increasing abstract word limits.

Application of diffusion tensor-based tractography in treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations: a systematic review

There is no systematic review investigating the utility of Diffusion tensor-based tractography findings for treating brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). This systematic review aims to investigate the outcomes following bAVM treatment when tractography data is incorporated into treatment planning. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, were searched for published studies. Prospective or retrospective studies involving at least one patient with confirmed bAVM and available data on tractography and clinical outcomes were included. A total of 16 studies were eligible for this review, consisting of 298 patients. 48.2% of patients were female. The mean age of the patients was 27.5 years (range: 5-77). Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and microsurgical resection each were the treatment of choice in eight studies, respectively. Two-hundred forty-eight patients underwent SRS as the primary treatment, while microsurgery was used to resect the bAVMs in 50 patients. The corticospinal tract, optic pathway, and arcuate fasciculus were the most widely investigated white matter tracts. Tractography disruption and failure frequencies were 19.1% and 1.8%, respectively. The pooled proportions (95% CI) of obliteration rates were 88.78% (73.51-95.76) for microsurgery and 51.45% (13-17-88.10) following SRS. Treatment-related non-hemorrhagic complications rates occurred in 24.2% and 9.9% of patients who underwent microsurgical resection and SRS, respectively. Tractography findings can contribute to providing a more accurate dosimetry analysis of functional white matter tracts at risk prior to SRS and minimizing the surgical morbidity following microsurgical resection.

Identifying spin bias of nonsignificant findings in biomedical studies

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research note is to share a technique for the identification of spin bias that we developed as part of a living systematic review on the cardiovascular testing of e-cigarette substitution for cigarette smoking. While some researchers have remarked on the subjective nature of ascertaining spin bias, our technique objectively documents forms of spin bias arising from the misrepresentation of nonsignificant findings and from the omission of data.

RESULTS

We offer a two-step process for the identification of spin bias consisting of tracking data and findings and recording of data discrepancies by describing how the spin bias was produced in the text. In this research note, we give an example of the documentation of spin bias from our systematic review. Our experience was that nonsignificant results were presented as causal or even as significant in the Discussion of studies. Spin bias distorts scientific research and misleads readers; therefore it behooves peer reviewers and journal editors to make the effort to detect and correct it.

Consistency between trials presented at conferences, their subsequent publications and press releases

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the extent to which trials presented at major international medical conferences in 2016 consistently reported their study design, end points and results across conference abstracts, published article abstracts and press releases.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of clinical trials presented at 12 major medical conferences in the USA in 2016. Conferences were identified from a list of the largest clinical research meetings aggregated by the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association and were included if their abstracts were publicly available. From these conferences, all late-breaker clinical trials were included, as well as a random selection of all other clinical trials, such that the total sample included up to 25 trial abstracts per conference.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

First, it was determined if trials were registered and reported results in an International Committee of Medical Journal Editors-approved clinical trial registry. Second, it was determined if trial results were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Finally, information on trial media coverage and press releases was collected using LexisNexis. For all published trials, the consistency of reporting of the following characteristics was examined, through comparison of the trials' conference and publication abstracts: primary efficacy endpoint definition, safety endpoint identification, sample size, follow-up period, primary end point effect size and characterisation of trial results. For all published abstracts with press releases, the characterisation of trial results across conference abstracts, press releases and publications was compared. Authors determined consistency of reporting when identical information was presented across abstracts and press releases. Primary analyses were descriptive; secondary analyses included χ2 tests and multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 240 clinical trials presented at 12 major medical conferences, 208 (86.7%) were registered, 95 (39.6%) reported summary results in a registry and 177 (73.8%) were published; 82 (34.2%) were covered by the media and 68 (28.3%) had press releases. Among the 177 published trials, 171 (96.6%) reported the definition of primary efficacy endpoints consistently across conference and publication abstracts, whereas 96/128 (75.0%) consistently identified safety endpoints. There were 107/172 (62.2%) trials with consistent sample sizes across conference and publication abstracts, 101/137 (73.7%) that reported their follow-up periods consistently, 92/175 (52.6%) that described their effect sizes consistently and 157/175 (89.7%) that characterised their results consistently. Among the trials that were published and had press releases, 32/32 (100%) characterised their results consistently across conference abstracts, press releases and publication abstracts. No trial characteristics were associated with reporting primary efficacy end points consistently.

CONCLUSIONS

For clinical trials presented at major medical conferences, primary efficacy endpoint definitions were consistently reported and results were consistently characterised across conference abstracts, registry entries and publication abstracts; consistency rates were lower for sample sizes, follow-up periods, and effect size estimates.

REGISTRATION

This study was registered at the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VGXZY).

Spin and fragility in randomised controlled trials in the anaesthesia literature: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Given variable frequency of misleading reports and the potential for spin (a way of describing results that can mislead readers) to influence interpretation of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), we have undertaken a spin reassessment. We evaluated the quality of recent literature in anaesthesia journals by assessing the presence of spin and calculating the fragility index.

METHODS

This systematic review of randomised trials was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We searched via PubMed® from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2021 to identify all RCTs published in one of the 20 anaesthesia journals with the highest journal impact factors during this time. Four pairs of reviewers assessed articles independently for eligibility using a piloted electronic data extraction form. They assessed the presence of spin in statistically negative RCTs and calculated the fragility index for statistically positive RCTs.

RESULTS

Of the 802 screened records, 162 (20%) articles were analysed for spin, and 65 (8%) trials were analysed for fragility index. For the statistically negative studies, 66 articles (40%) presented spin; 89% of these occurrences of spin were described in the conclusion of the abstract. The primary type of spin was the highlight of secondary outcomes (67%). For statistically positive trials, the median fragility index was 4 [1-8].

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review showed that 40% of statistically negative trials in high-impact anaesthesia journals could mislead readers. For statistically positive RCTs, the results relied on few subjects, with a median fragility index of 4 [1-8]. Efforts must be continued to reduce spin and fragility in the medical literature.

Clinical characterization of non-ketotic hyperglycemia-related seizures: A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis

New-onset epileptic seizures and status epilepticus (SE) are the most frequent neurological manifestations of non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH), an acute complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Treatment consists of the correction of the underlying metabolic disorder, whereas anti-seizure medications (ASMs) may even worsen seizures. Evidence on NKH-related seizures is currently restricted to case reports and small case-series. We conducted a systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to provide a comprehensive description of NKH-related seizures. Statistical analyses were performed to explore possible associations of glycemic and osmolarity levels with clinical variables. We selected 130 publications and 332 patients (186 males, mean age: 61.1 years). DM was newly-diagnosed in 40%. Mean glycemia and osmolarity levels at presentation were 529.7 mg/dL and 309.6 mmol/mol, respectively; 22.6% showed other neurological symptoms besides seizures. Focal motor seizures were the prominent seizure type (49.4%); non-motor focal seizures (23.2%) most commonly manifested as visual symptoms. Reflex seizures occurred in 10.5%. Brain MRI in 48.7% of cases showed focal T2 subcortical hypodensity and/or overlying cortical T2 hyperintensity with DWI restriction. ASMs were administered in 54.2% of cases, achieving seizure control in just 18.3%. Higher osmolarity levels were associated with newly-diagnosed DM (p = 0.002) and other symptoms at presentation (p < 0.001). Glycemic values were higher in patients with focal aware seizures with motor onset compared to those with focal seizures without motor onset (p = 0.0046) or focal seizures with impaired awareness (p = 0.0306). Lower glycemic values were associated with reflex seizures (p = 0.036) and ASM administration (p < 0.001). NKH-related seizures should be suspected in adults with new-onset clustering focal seizures arising from the motor or posterior cortices, even in the absence of a history of DM. Typical focal changes on brain MRI, while not pathognomonic, can drive the clinical diagnosis. Statistical associations suggest a key role of hyperglycemia in the excitability of higher-energy-demanding cortical areas.

Self-reported experiences of siblings of children with life-threatening conditions: A scoping review

Sibling relationships are one of the most long-lasting and influential relationships in a human's life. Living with a child who has a life-threatening condition changes healthy siblings' experience. This scoping review summarized and mapped research examining healthy siblings' experience of living with a child with a life-threatening condition to identify knowledge gaps and provide direction for future research. Studies were identified through five electronic databases. Of the 34 included studies, 17 used qualitative methods, four gathered data longitudinally and 24 focused on children with cancer. Four broad themes of sibling experience were identified across studies: family functioning, psychological well-being, social well-being, and coping. Siblings experienced challenges and difficulties over the course of the child's illness. Future research should incorporate longitudinal designs to better understand the trajectory of siblings' experiences and focus on a wider variety of life-threatening conditions.

Spin of information and inconsistency between abstract and full text in RCTs investigating upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: An overview study

BACKGROUND

Researchers may be tempted to favorably distort the interpretation of their findings when reporting the abstract (i.e., spin). Spin bias overemphasizes the beneficial effects of the intervention compared with the results shown in the full text.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the occurrence of spin bias and incompleteness in reporting abstracts in post-stroke upper limb (UL) rehabilitation randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

METHODS

A sample of 120 post-stroke UL rehabilitation RCTs (indexed in PEDro database), published in English between 2012 and 2020, was included. The completeness of reporting and spin were assessed using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials for Abstracts (CONSORT-A) and the spin checklist. The relationship between CONSORT-A and spin checklist scores with RCT and journal characteristics was assessed.

RESULTS

CONSORT-A and spin checklist scored 5.3±2.4 (max 15-points, higher scores indicating better reporting) and 5.5±2.0 (max 7-points, higher scores indicating presence of spin), respectively; Significant differences were detected between abstract and full-text scores in the CONSORT-A checklist (p < 0.01) and the spin checklist (p < 0.01). Items of the CONSORT-A checklist in the abstracts and full text showed a fair agreement (k = 0.31), while a moderate agreement (k = 0.59) for the spin checklist was detected. Completeness of abstract was associated (R2 = 0.46) with journal Impact Factor (p < 0.01), CONSORT Guideline endorsement (p = 0.04), and abstract word number (p = 0.02). A lower spin was associated with a higher journal Impact Factor (p = 0.01) and CONSORT Guideline endorsement (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Post-stroke UL rehabilitation RCTs abstracts were largely incomplete showing spin. Authors, reviewers, publishers, and stakeholders should be aware of this phenomenon. Publishers should consider allowing more words in abstracts to improve the completeness of reporting abstracts. Although we have investigated only stroke rehabilitation, our results suggest that health care professionals of all disciplines should avoid clinical decision-making based solely upon abstracts.

Patient factors associated with left ventricular assist device infections: A scoping review

Infections are widely prevalent in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients and associated with adverse events including mortality and rehospitalizations. Current evidence examining factors associated with infections in this setting predominantly comprises single-center observational data. We performed a scoping review to systematically summarize all existing studies examining patient-related factors associated with infections after LVAD implantation. Studies published between 01/06 and 02/19 were identified through searching 5 bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection. Inclusion criteria required examination of patient-related factors associated with infections among recipients of contemporary implantable, continuous flow LVADs. Key study characteristics were extracted by four independent reviewers and current literature described narratively. All analyses took place between February 2019 and May 2021. A total of 31 studies met inclusion criteria. All included studies were observational, and most commonly focused on driveline infections (n = 17). Factors studied most commonly included body composition (n = 8), diabetes and other comorbidities (n = 8), and psychosocial/socio-economic factors (n = 6). Studies were frequently single-center with heterogeneity in definition of infectious outcomes as well as exposure variables. Patient race and sex did not correlate with infection risk. There was no consistent association noted between obesity, diabetes, or psychosocial/socio-economic factors and infections in LVAD recipients. Two studies reported a significant association between malnutrition and hypoalbuminemia and post implant infections. This review summarizes 31 studies that described patient-related factors associated with infection after LVAD implantation. Patient related comorbidities, especially body composition and diabetes, were most commonly evaluated, but were not consistently associated with infections after LVAD implantation.

Effect of spin in the abstract of a randomised controlled trial on physiotherapists' perception of treatment benefit: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of spin in the abstract of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) on physiotherapists' perception of treatment benefit evaluated in the trial.

DESIGN

Parallel-group RCT.

SETTING

Physiotherapy departments in hospitals and clinics in India.

PARTICIPANTS

Physiotherapists working in clinical settings.

INTERVENTIONS

We selected one abstract with high level of spin published in one of the core journals of physiotherapy and created two versions of the abstract, that is, with and without spin. We randomly assigned physiotherapists working in clinical settings (N=128) to read one version of the selected abstract, with or without spin. Participants were blinded to the study design, objectives and randomisation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Physiotherapists' interpretation of beneficial effect of the experimental treatment (0-10 scale) reported in the abstract. The secondary outcomes were clinicians' perception of methodological rigour and the study importance, their interest in reading the full text, and their interest in running another trial evaluating this treatment.

RESULTS

We found a medium reduction in confidence of beneficial effect of the experimental treatment among physiotherapists who read the abstract without spin (mean score 4.3±2.8) compared with those who read the abstract with spin (mean score 6.14±2.6). The mean difference in scores between abstracts with and without spin was 1.8 (95% CI 0.8 to 2.8; p<0.001). For other outcomes measures studied there was no statistically significant effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Removal of spin in the abstract of RCT reporting statistically non-significant results have medium effect in improving physiotherapists' accuracy of interpretation of study results. Spin contributes to clinicians' positive perception about the benefit of experimental intervention tested in the trial despite the evidence showing no superiority of experimental intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CTRI/2020/02/023557.

The Effect of Yoga on Health-Related Fitness among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is a need for a type of physical activity that could address the challenging cycle of physical inactivity, impaired health-related fitness, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) conditions. Yoga could be one type of exercise to overcome the barriers to adhere to regular physical activity. The current study aimed to systematically review the effect of yoga on health-related fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, body composition, balance, and flexibility, among patients with T2DM.

METHODS

We systematically searched four databases and two registries (Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, WHO-ITCRP, and Clinicaltrials.gov) in September 2021, following a registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022276225). Study inclusion criteria were T2DM patients with or without complication, yoga intervention as a single component or as a complement compared to other kinds of exercise or an inactive control, health-related fitness, and a randomized, controlled trial or quasi-experimental with control group design. The ROBINS-I tool and ROB 2.0 tool were used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. A vote-counting analysis and meta-analysis computed using random effects' models were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 10 records from 3 quasi-experimental and 7 randomized, controlled trials with 815 participants in total were included. The meta-analysis favored yoga groups compared to inactive controls in improving muscle strength by 3.42 (95% confidence interval 2.42 to 4.43), repetitions of chair stand test, and improving cardiorespiratory fitness by 6.6% (95% confidence interval 0.4 to 12.8) improvement of baseline forced vital capacity. The quality of evidence for both outcomes was low.

CONCLUSION

Low-quality evidence favored yoga in improving health-related fitness, particularly muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, among patients with T2DM.

FUNDING

All authors in this systematic review received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

11 ESMO 2021 breakthroughs: practicing oncologist’s perceptions on data presentation

Background

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2021 conference provided a high number of randomized phase III trial reports, many of which were claimed to be practice changing. Given the short time available for conference presentations, results and conclusions tend to have greatest priority with less time remaining for study background and study methodology.

Purpose

On behalf of the ESMO Practicing Oncologists Working Group, 11 potentially practice-changing reports were selected and screened for three main questions: (i) Did the investigators provide sufficient details with regard to Patients and Methods to make the results comprehensible? (ii) Were there any reasons to consider bias? (iii) To which extent did the results presented translate to clinical benefit?

Results

In 2 out of 11 trials, the study design presented differed considerably from the study design described at ClinicalTrials.gov. Allocation concealment was not carried out in 6 out of 11 trials. In none of the trials reporting progression-free survival was informative censoring considered an issue. In none of the trials reporting overall survival was desirable crossover considered an issue. Defined trial outcome measures depicted at ClinicalTrials.gov, which could boost or weaken the ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale score, were often lacking in the presentation. Study success was claimed in a heterogeneous manner, which was often not clearly linked to overall clinical benefit.

Conclusion

ESMO conference presentations can inform the scientific community and catalyze further research but cannot replace the full papers in peer-reviewed journals, which are needed to estimate the thoroughness of the results, the overall impact on clinical benefit and the consequences for future treatment guidelines.

•

An oncological peer-reviewed paper is lengthy and well structured.

•

An oncological conference presentation is short and less structured, but its impact can be high.

•

ESMO 2021 conference encompassed many possibly practice-shaping phase III trial reports.

•

A survey of 11 selected reports to ascertain if the conclusions made were adequately underlined by the provided information.

Non-patient factors associated with infections in LVAD recipients: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Infections are the most common complication in recipients of durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and expenditures. The existing literature examining factors associated with infection in LVAD recipients is limited and principally comprises single-center studies. This scoping review synthesizes all available evidence related to identifying modifiable, non-patient factors associated with infections among LVAD recipients.

METHODS

Published studies were identified through searching 5 bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection. Inclusion criteria required examination of factors associated with infections among recipients of contemporary, implantable, continuous flow LVADs. Key study characteristics were extracted by 4 independent reviewers and current literature described narratively. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model was used to develop a taxonomy for non-patient related factors (e.g., tasks, tools, technologies, organization, and environment) associated with infections following LVAD implantation. All analyses took place between February 2019 and May 2021.

FINDINGS

A total of 43 studies met inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies were observational (n = 37), single-center (n = 29), from the U.S. (n = 38), and focused on driveline infections (n = 40). Among the 22 evaluated sub-domains of non-patient related factors, only two: increasing center experience and establishing a silicone-skin interface at the driveline exit site, were identified as consistently being associated with a lower risk of infection.

CONCLUSION

This review identified 43 studies that described non-patient related factors associated with infection in LVAD recipients. Only two factors were consistently associated with lower infection risk in LVAD recipients: increasing experience and establishing a silicone-skin interface at driveline exit site. The large variability in reporting across multiple studied interventions limited the ability to discern their effectiveness.

Evaluating spin in the abstracts of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on cannabis use disorder

BACKGROUND

Clinicians rely upon abstracts to provide them quick synopses of research findings that may apply to their practice. Spin can exist within these abstracts that distorts or misrepresents the findings. Our goal was to evaluate the level of spin within systematic reviews (SRs) focused on the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methods: A systematic search was conducted in May 2020. To meet inclusion criteria, publications had to be either an SR or meta-analysis related to the treatment of cannabis use. Screening and data extraction was performed in a duplicate and masked fashion. Study quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2 Results: 16/24 SRs (66.7%) contained at least one form of spin in the abstract. The most common forms of spin identified were type 3-selective reporting of or overemphasis on efficacy outcomes or analysis favoring the beneficial effect of the experimental intervention (45.8%)-and type 8-the review's findings from a surrogate marker or a specific outcome to the global improvement of the disease (37.5%). No significant association between spin and intervention type, PRISMA requirements, or funding source was identified. Weak positive correlations were found between the presence of spin and abstract word count (r =.217) and between spin and AMSTAR-2 rating (r = 0.143). "Moderate" was the most common AMSTAR-2 rating (9/24, 37.5%), followed by "low" (7/24, 29.2%) and "critically low" (7/24, 29.2%). One systematic review received an AMSTAR-2 rating of "high" (1/24, 4.2%). Conclusions: Spin was common among abstracts from the SRs focused on the treatments for CUD. Higher quality studies may help reduce the overall rate as well as standardizing treatment outcomes. To facilitate this, we encourage all authors, peer-reviewers, and editors to be more aware of the various types of spin as they can help reduce the overall amount of spin seen within the literature.

Parkinson's Disease in Romania: A Scoping Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a significant cause of disability, with a fast-growing prevalence. This review summarizes the epidemiological and clinical data, research on the diagnostic approaches and the interventions available in the Eastern European country of Romania. This scoping review follows the recommendations on the scoping review methodology by Joanna Briggs Institute. We searched four databases (up to 27 January 2021). The data of eligible studies were extracted in standardized forms. We identified 149 unique studies from 1133 records, with 11 epidemiological studies, 52 studies investigating clinical aspects of PD, 35 studies on diagnostic tools, and 51 intervention studies. A narrative synthesis is provided and placed in a historical context. Our review revealed a considerable increase in the Romanian research on PD in the latest 15 years, which largely follows international trends. However, we also identified several research gaps that provide useful information for policymakers, public health specialists, and clinicians.

Do not make clinical decisions based on abstracts of healthcare research: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the reporting quality of healthcare abstracts and inconsistencies between abstracts and full texts.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

This systematic review included overviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews (SRs) that summarized data of healthcare abstracts on reporting of abstracts and consistency of abstracts with the full text. Searches were performed in PubMed, CENTRAL, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases from 1900 to February 2019. Two authors screened the overviews and extracted the data. All analyses were descriptive and divided into two main groups: abstracts' reporting quality and abstracts' consistency with the full text. Abstracts were considered poorly reported and inconsistent with the full text if more than 5% of abstracts' information was not fully reported or not consistent with the full text.

RESULTS

27 overviews analyzing 5,194 RCTs and 866 SRs were retrieved for reporting quality of abstracts. A total of 22 overviews analyzing 2,025 RCTs and 551 SRs were included for consistency of abstracts with the full text. Abstracts across all healthcare areas presented poor reporting quality and were inconsistent with the full texts, with results and conclusions as the most inconsistent sections.

CONCLUSION

Abstracts of healthcare RCTs and SRs have shown a large room for improvement in reporting quality and consistency with the full text. Authors, journal editors and reviewers need to give the highest priority to this matter.

Vaccination for Human Papillomavirus: an historic and bibliometric study

A systematic literature review was conducted to describe in a historical perspective the evolution of studies concerning HPV vaccination. The search identified 794 articles of which 568 were included. The first article was published in 2001, and the maximum annual number of publications was reached in 2014. The average number of authors per paper was 8.8. Papers originated from 49 different countries, with the USA accounted for the maximum number of publications (n = 217). Efficacy (46.5%) and safety (31.0%) were the most prevalent objectives. Clinical trials constituted the largest group of methods (37.9%). Chronological trends did not reveal any lasting curve-crossings, indicating that the priority topics have remained the same. The geographical origin of these studies raises questions about the transposability of the results to populations where HPV vaccination has been studied only a little. This study could help guide future research to less-studied research objectives, particularly for vaccines.

Efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with chronic phase CML resistant or intolerant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Approximately 15-20% of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients fail tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy secondary to resistance or intolerance. In the pre-TKI era, front-line allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) represented the standard approach for patients with chronic phase-CML (CP-CML) who were deemed fit to tolerate the procedure and had a human leukocyte antigen compatible donor available. Currently, CP-CML patients are eligible for allo-HCT only if they fail more than one TKI and/or are intolerant to the drug. We performed a systematic review/meta-analysis of the available literature to assess the evidence regarding allo-HCT efficacy in CP-CML patients. Data from eligible studies were extracted in relation to benefits (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival, disease-free survival [DFS], complete remission [CR], and molecular response [MR]) and harms (nonrelapse mortality [NRM], relapse, and acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease), and stratified by age into adult and pediatric groups. For adult allo-HCT recipients, the pooled OS, DFS, CR and, MR were 84% [95% confidence interval (CI) 59-99%], 66% (95% CI 59-73%), 56% (95% CI 30-80%), and 88% (95% CI 62-98%), respectively. Pooled NRM and relapse were 20% (95% CI 15-26%) and 19% (95% CI 10-28%), respectively. For the pediatric group, the OS rate was reported in one study and was 91% (95% CI 72-99%). Our results suggest that allo-HCT is an effective treatment for TKI-resistant or TKI-intolerant CP-CML. Post-transplant strategies are still needed to further mitigate the risk of relapse.

Reporting of methodological studies in health research: a protocol for the development of the MethodologIcal STudy reportIng Checklist (MISTIC)

INTRODUCTION

Methodological studies (ie, studies that evaluate the design, conduct, analysis or reporting of other studies in health research) address various facets of health research including, for instance, data collection techniques, differences in approaches to analyses, reporting quality, adherence to guidelines or publication bias. As a result, methodological studies can help to identify knowledge gaps in the methodology of health research and strategies for improvement in research practices. Differences in methodological study names and a lack of reporting guidance contribute to lack of comparability across studies and difficulties in identifying relevant previous methodological studies. This paper outlines the methods we will use to develop an evidence-based tool-the MethodologIcal STudy reportIng Checklist-to harmonise naming conventions and improve the reporting of methodological studies.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search for methodological studies in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, check reference lists and contact experts in the field. We will extract and summarise data on the study names, design and reporting features of the included methodological studies. Consensus on study terms and recommended reporting items will be achieved via video conference meetings with a panel of experts including researchers who have published methodological studies.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The consensus study has been exempt from ethics review by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board. The results of the review and the reporting guideline will be disseminated in stakeholder meetings, conferences, peer-reviewed publications, in requests to journal editors (to endorse or make the guideline a requirement for authors), and on the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network and reporting guideline websites.

REGISTRATION

We have registered the development of the reporting guideline with the EQUATOR Network and publicly posted this project on the Open Science Framework (www.osf.io/9hgbq).

Platelet activation in adult HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) alters platelet reactivity, and as a consequence, patients living with HIV may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The current evidence on platelet activation levels in patients with HIV remains inconclusive. We therefore aimed to systematically synthesise evidence on the association of platelet activation in HIV-infected patients on successful treatment.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched from inception until November 2019. Studies were included if the primary or secondary outcome of the study was to assess platelet activation in HIV-infected patients on ART. The primary outcome of this review included the levels of platelet activation. The pooled effect estimates were calculated using a random-effects meta-analysis model.

RESULTS

We identified 30 studies comprising of 2325 participants. The pooled estimates showed elevated levels of platelet activation in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients compared to uninfected controls (Hedges' g 2.00 [95%CI 1.05, 2.94]; z = 4.12, p < 0.0001). These remained elevated despite successful ART (Hedges' g 2.05 [95%CI 0.58, 3.52]; z = 2.71, p = 0.0067).

CONCLUSION

The levels of platelet activation are elevated in treatment-naïve HIV-infected patients, and these persist during successful ART. Further studies should assess the clinical relevance of monitoring the levels of platelet activation in HIV-infected patients on ART.

Factors associated with the reporting quality of low back pain systematic review abstracts in physical therapy: a methodological study

BACKGROUND

Abstracts of systematic reviews (SR) are frequently used to guide clinical decision-making. However, if the abstract is inadequately reported, key information may be missing and it may not accurately summarize the results of the review.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate 1) if abstracts are fully reported; 2) if abstract reporting is associated with review/journal characteristics in physical therapy for low back pain (LBP); and 3) if these abstracts are consistent with the corresponding full texts.

METHODS

We searched the Physiotherapy Evidence Database for SRs in physical therapy for LBP published between 2015 and 2017. Associations between abstract reporting quality and review/journal characteristics were explored with linear regression. Abstract reporting was assessed with the 12 item Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for abstracts (PRISMA-A) checklist. Consistency of reporting between abstracts and the full text was evaluated by comparing responses to each item of the PRISMA-A using Kappa coefficients. Methodological quality of the reviews was assessed with A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2).

RESULTS

We included 66 SRs, 9 Cochrane and 57 non-Cochrane. Review methodological quality ranged from 'high' (8%) to 'critically low' (76%). The mean ± SD of the "total number of PRISMA-A fully reported items" (range 0-12 points for fully reported items) was 4.1 ± 1.9 points for non-Cochrane review abstracts and 9.9 ± 1.1 points for Cochrane abstracts. Factors associated with reporting quality of abstracts were: journal impact factor (ß 0.20; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.35), number of words in abstract (ß 0.01; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.01) and review methodological quality ('critically low' with ß -3.06; 95% CI: -5.30, -0.82; with 'high' as reference variable). There was typically inconsistent reporting between abstract and full text, with most Kappa values lower than 0.60.

CONCLUSIONS

The abstracts of SRs in physical therapy for LBP were poorly reported and inconsistent with the full text. The reporting quality of abstracts was higher in journals with a higher impact factor, in abstracts with a greater number of words, and when the review was of higher methodological quality.

A tutorial on methodological studies: the what, when, how and why

BACKGROUND

Methodological studies - studies that evaluate the design, analysis or reporting of other research-related reports - play an important role in health research. They help to highlight issues in the conduct of research with the aim of improving health research methodology, and ultimately reducing research waste.

MAIN BODY

We provide an overview of some of the key aspects of methodological studies such as what they are, and when, how and why they are done. We adopt a "frequently asked questions" format to facilitate reading this paper and provide multiple examples to help guide researchers interested in conducting methodological studies. Some of the topics addressed include: is it necessary to publish a study protocol? How to select relevant research reports and databases for a methodological study? What approaches to data extraction and statistical analysis should be considered when conducting a methodological study? What are potential threats to validity and is there a way to appraise the quality of methodological studies?

CONCLUSION

Appropriate reflection and application of basic principles of epidemiology and biostatistics are required in the design and analysis of methodological studies. This paper provides an introduction for further discussion about the conduct of methodological studies.

Risk factors for the progression of finger interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis: a systematic review

Progressive hand interphalangeal joint (IPJ) osteoarthritis is associated with pain, reduced function and impaired quality of life. However, the evidence surrounding risk factors for IPJ osteoarthritis progression is unclear. Identifying risk factors for IPJ osteoarthritis progression may inform preventative strategies and early interventions to improve long-term outcomes for individuals at risk of IPJ osteoarthritis progression. The objectives of the study were to describe methods used to measure the progression of IPJ osteoarthritis and identify risk factors for IPJ osteoarthritis progression. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 19th February 2020 (PROSPERO CRD42019121034). Eligible studies assessed potential risk factor/s associated with IPJ osteoarthritis progression. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified QUIPS Tool, and a best evidence synthesis was performed. Of eight eligible studies, all measured osteoarthritis progression radiographically, and none considered symptoms. Eighteen potential risk factors were assessed. Diabetes (adjusted mean difference between 2.06 and 7.78), and larger finger epiphyseal index in males (regression coefficient β = 0.202) and females (β = 0.325) were identified as risk factors (limited evidence). Older age in men and women showed mixed results; 13 variables were not risk factors (all limited evidence). Patients with diabetes and larger finger epiphyseal index might be at higher risk of radiographic IPJ osteoarthritis progression, though evidence is limited and studies are biased. Studies assessing symptomatic IPJ osteoarthritis progression are lacking.

Abstracts presented at the European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) Congresses: Publication fate and discrepancies with full-length articles

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the full publication proportion (FPP) of abstracts presented at the 2010 and 2011 EAO Congresses, analyse the discrepancies between abstracts and their full publications, and explore potential predictors of FPP and discrepancies.

METHODS

Abstracts presented at the 2010 and 2011 EAO Congresses were retrieved. Associated full publications were identified by searching PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar. Discrepancies between abstracts and full publications were identified, classified and evaluated using a discrepancy score. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to describe cumulative FPP over time. Predictors for FPP and the discrepancy score were analysed using cox regression modelling and a linear regression model, respectively.

RESULTS

850 abstracts were included. The overall FPP was 36.4% with a median time lapse of 12 months. Higher FPP were significantly associated with oral presentation (HR=2.33; 95% CI: 1.68 to 3.22; p<0.001), multiple affiliations (HR =1.32; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.73; p=0.048) and presence of statistical tests (HR =1.78; 95% CI: 1.36 to 2.32; p<0.001). 91.3% pairs had at least one minor change from the abstract and 70.9% had at least one major change. Greater discrepancy score was significantly associated with longer time lapse (B=0.06; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.08; p<0.001) and being clinical research (B=1.30; 95% CI: 0.52 to 2.08; p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty-six percent of abstracts presented at the EAO Congresses were published. Among these, more than two-thirds showed at least one major change in their full publications. Abstracts presented in oral implantology conferences should not be relied upon to inform practice.

Reporting quality and spin in abstracts of randomized clinical trials of periodontal therapy and cardiovascular disease outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Poor reporting in randomized clinical trial (RCT) abstracts reduces quality and misinforms readers. Spin, a biased presentation of findings, could frequently mislead clinicians to accept a clinical intervention despite non-significant primary outcome. Therefore, good reporting practices and absence of spin enhances research quality. We aim to assess the reporting quality and spin in abstracts of RCTs evaluating the effect of periodontal therapy on cardiovascular (CVD) outcomes.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and 17 trial registration platforms were searched. Cohort, non-randomized, non-English studies, and pediatric studies were excluded. RCT abstracts were reviewed by 2 authors using the CONSORT for abstracts and spin checklists for data extraction. Cohen's Kappa statistic was used to assess inter-rater agreement. Data on the selected RCT publication metrics were collected. Descriptive analysis was performed with non-parametric methods. Correlation analysis between quality, spin and bibliometric parameters was conducted.

RESULTS

24 RCTs were selected for CONSORT analysis and 14 fulfilled the criteria for spin analysis. Several important RCT elements per CONSORT were neglected in the abstract including description of the study population (100%), explicitly stated primary outcome (87%), methods of randomization and blinding (100%), trial registration (87%). No RCT examined true outcomes (CVD events). A significant fraction of the abstracts appeared with at least one form of spin in the results and conclusions (86%) and claimed some treatment benefit in spite of non-significant primary outcome (64%). High-quality reporting had a significant positive correlation with reporting of trial registration (p = 0.04) and funding (p = 0.009). Spinning showed marginal negative correlation with reporting quality (p = 0.059).

CONCLUSION

Poor adherence to the CONSORT guidelines and high levels of data spin were found in abstracts of RCTs exploring the effects of periodontal therapy on CVD outcomes. Our findings indicate that journal editors and reviewers should consider strict adherence to proper reporting guidelines to improve reporting quality and reduce waste.

Care of the patient with invasive meningococcal disease by prehospital emergency medical service clinicians: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the literature to identify the scope, depth, key concepts and gaps in the evidence regarding care of the patient with invasive meningococcal disease by emergency medical service (EMS) clinicians.

DESIGN

Scoping review. This review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guideline.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Sources which focused on patients with invasive meningococcal disease (population), where the care of EMS clinicians was the focus (concept), in EMS systems worldwide (context) were eligible for inclusion.

SEARCH STRATEGY

This review utilised a comprehensive search strategy including MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and 'grey' literature databases from 1992 to January 2019. The search also included a Google search, a hand-search of relevant journals, screening of reference lists, contact with authors of included sources and use of social media in an attempt to locate all sources of evidence which fit the inclusion criteria of the review. Two reviewers independently screened sources for inclusion.

RESULTS

The search yielded 1803 unique records, of which 10 were included in the synthesis. No original research papers were identified, with all sources classed as either clinical audit or text and opinion literature. The dominant concept throughout the literature is that early antibiotic therapy is critical in the treatment of invasive meningococcal disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, there is a very narrow scope and shallow depth of literature on the topic of interest. There are gaps in the evidence regarding the care of the patient with invasive meningococcal disease by EMS clinicians. Despite these shortfalls, current consensus-based guidelines should direct clinical practice. Further research is planned to bridge the gaps in knowledge to support best practice.

What is known about paediatric nurse burnout: a scoping review

Burnout in healthcare providers has impacts at the level of the individual provider, patient, and organization. While there is a substantial body of literature on burnout in healthcare providers, burnout in pediatric nurses has received less attention. This subpopulation may be unique from adult care nurses because of the specialized nature of providing care to children who are typically seen as a vulnerable population, the high potential for empathetic engagement, and the inherent complexities in the relationships with families. Thus, the aim of this scoping review was to investigate, among pediatric nurses, (i) the prevalence and/or degree of burnout, (ii) the factors related to burnout, (iii) the outcomes of burnout, and (iv) the interventions that have been applied to prevent and/or mitigate burnout. This scoping review was performed according to the PRISMA Guidelines Scoping Review Extension. CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ASSIA, and The Cochrane Library were searched on 3 November 2018 to identify relevant quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies on pediatric nurse burnout. Our search identified 78 studies for inclusion in the analysis. Across the included studies, burnout was prevalent in pediatric nurses. A number of factors were identified as impacting burnout including nurse demographics, work environment, and work attitudes. Similarly, a number of outcomes of burnout were identified including nurse retention, nurse well-being, patient safety, and patient-family satisfaction. Unfortunately, there was little evidence of effective interventions to address pediatric nurse burnout. Given the prevalence and impact of burnout on a variety of important outcomes, it is imperative that nursing schools, nursing management, healthcare organizations, and nursing professional associations work to develop and test the interventions to address key attitudinal and environmental factors that are most relevant to pediatric nurses.

Antidepressant Prescribing and Suicide/Self-Harm by Young Australians: Regulatory Warnings, Contradictory Advice, and Long-Term Trends

In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controversially issued a black box warning that antidepressants were associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people aged under 18 years. In 2007, the warning was expanded to include young adults aged under 25 years. In 2005, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration responded to the FDA warning by requiring Product and Consumer Information leaflets to be updated to reflect the risk. However, there was considerable debate, and at times emotive backlash, in academic journals and the international media. Prominent US and Australian mental health organisations and psychiatrists challenged the FDA warning. They argued that, on balance, antidepressant use was likely to reduce the risk of suicide. Several ecological studies were cited misleadingly as evidence that decreasing antidepressant use increases suicide risk. From 2008 to 2018, Australian per-capita child, adolescent and young adult antidepressant dispensing (0-27 years of age) and suicide (0-24 years) rates have increased approximately 66% and 49%, respectively. In addition, there was a 98% increase in intentional poisonings among 5 to 19 year-olds in New South Wales and Victoria between 2006 and 2016, with substantial overlap between the most commonly dispensed psychotropics and the drugs most commonly used in self-poisoning. These results do not support claims that increased antidepressant use reduces youth suicide risk. They are more consistent with the FDA warning and the hypothesis that antidepressant use increases the risk of suicide and self-harm by young people. Causal relationships cannot be established with certainty until there is a vast improvement in post-marketing surveillance. However, there is clear evidence that more young Australians are taking antidepressants, and more young Australians are killing themselves and self-harming, often by intentionally overdosing on the very substances that are supposed to help them.

Comments on "Reporting quality of randomized controlled trial abstracts in the seven highest-ranking anesthesiology journals"

Randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard in assessing treatment regimens, and since abstracts may be the only part of a paper that a physician reads, accurate reporting of data in abstracts is essential. The CONSORT checklist for abstracts was designed to standardize data reporting; however, for papers submitted to anesthesiology journals, the level of adherence to the CONSORT checklist for abstracts is unknown. Therefore, we commend Janackovic and Puljak for their efforts in determining the adherence of reports of trials in the highest-impact anesthesiology journals between 2014 and 2016. The results of their study are extremely important; however, we believe that that study had some methodological limitations, which we discuss in this manuscript.

Conference abstracts describing systematic reviews on pain were selectively published, not reliable, and poorly reported

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to determine the reporting quality of systematic review (SR) abstracts presented at World Congresses on Pain (WCPs) and to quantify agreement in results presented in those abstracts with their corresponding full-length publications.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We screened abstracts of five WCPs held from 2008 to 2016 to find abstracts describing SRs. Two authors searched for corresponding full publications using PubMed and Google Scholar in April 2018. Methods and outcomes extracted from abstracts were compared with their corresponding full publications. The reporting quality of abstracts was evaluated against the PRISMA for Abstracts (PRISMA-A) checklist.

RESULTS

We identified 143 conference abstracts describing SRs. Of these, 90 (63%) were published as full-length articles in peer-reviewed journals by April 2018, with a median time from conference presentation to publication of 5 months (interquartile range: -0.25 to 14 months). Among 79 abstract-publication pairs evaluable for discordance, there was some form of discordance in 40% of pairs. Qualitative discordance (different direction of the effect) was found in 13 analyzed pairs (16%). The median adherence by abstracts to each PRISMA-A checklist item was 33% (interquartile range: 29% to 42%).

CONCLUSION

Conference abstracts of pain SRs are selectively published, not reliable, and poorly reported.

Abstracts of low back pain trials are poorly reported, contain spin of information and are inconsistent with the full text: An overview study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate trials abstracts evaluating treatments for low back pain with regards to completeness of reporting, spin (i.e., interpretation of study results that overemphasizes the beneficial effects of the intervention), and inconsistencies in data with the full text.

DATA SOURCES

The search was performed on Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) in February 2016.

STUDY SELECTION

This is an overview study of a random sample of 200 low back pain trials published between 2010 and 2015. The languages of publication were restricted to English, Spanish and Portuguese.

DATA EXTRACTION

Completeness of reporting was assessed using the CONSORT for Abstracts checklist (CONSORT-A). Spin was assessed using a SPIN-checklist. Consistency between abstract and full text were assessed by applying the assessment tools to both the abstract and full text of each trial and calculating inconsistencies in the summary score (paired t test) and agreement in the classification of each item (Kappa statistics). Methodological quality was analyzed using the total PEDro score.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The mean number of fully reported items for abstracts using the CONSORT-A was 5.1 (SD 2.4) out of 15 points and the mean number of items with spin was 4.9 (SD 2.6) out of 7 points. Abstract and full text scores were statistically inconsistent (P=0.01). There was slight to moderate agreement between items of the CONSORT-A in the abstracts and full text (mean Kappa 0.20 SD 0.13) and fair to moderate agreement for items of the SPIN-checklist (mean Kappa 0.47 SD 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

The abstracts were incomplete, with spin and inconsistent with the full text. We advise health care professionals to avoid making clinical decisions based solely upon abstracts. Journal editors, reviewers and authors are jointly responsible for improving abstracts, which could be guided by amended editorial policies.

Psychotraumatology on the move

Psychotraumatology is on the move. Worldwide, there is an increasing awareness of the negative impact of psychotrauma, which is reflected in the number of publications on the topic. These publications become more and more available to the public (Open Access), even more so than in other fields, and thus lead to quicker implementation of research findings. In this editorial, the editor of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT) provides a brief review of how the journal has been doing, including recent accomplishments, some metrics and the ESTSS EJPT award for best paper of 2017, and identifies a number of priorities for the next year.