scholarly journals Effectiveness of mass testing for control of COVID-19: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e040413
Author(s):  
Luís Carlos Lopes-Júnior ◽  
Emiliana Bomfim ◽  
Denise Sayuri Calheiros da Silveira ◽  
Raphael Manhães Pessanha ◽  
Sara Isabel Pimentel Carvalho Schuab ◽  
...  

IntroductionSince March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak has been deemed a pandemic by the WHO, the SARS-CoV-2 spreading has been the focus of attention of scientists, authorities, public health agencies and communities around the world. One of the great concerns and challenges, mainly in low-income and middle-income countries, is the identification and monitoring of COVID-19 cases. The large-scale availability of testing is a fundamental aspect of COVID-19 control, but it is currently the biggest challenge faced by many countries around the world. We aimed to synthesise and critically evaluate the scientific evidence on the influence of the testing capacity for symptomatic individuals in the control of COVID-19.Methods and analysisA systematic review will be conducted in eight databases, such as Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, ISI-of-Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, SCOPUS, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, PsycINFO and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, from inception to 30 July 2020. No restriction regarding the language, publication date or setting will be employed. Primary outcomes will include the sensitivity as well as the specificity of the tests for COVID-19. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Methodological assessment of the studies will be evaluated by the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomised controlled trials, the MINORS for non-randomised studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort or case–control studies. Findings will be structured according to the test type and target population characteristics and focused on the primary outcomes (sensitivity and specificity). Moreover, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be performed. Pooled standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be calculated. Heterogeneity between the studies will be determined by I2 statistics. Subgroup analyses will also be conducted. Publication bias will be assessed with funnel plots and Egger’s test. Heterogeneity will be explored by random effects analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated widely via peer-reviewed publication and presentations at conferences related to this field.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020182724.

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e025043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bey-Marrié Schmidt ◽  
Solange Durão ◽  
Ingrid Toews ◽  
Charlotte M Bavuma ◽  
Joerg J Meerpohl ◽  
...  

IntroductionIt is unclear whether early detection of hypertension, through screening, leads to healthier behaviours and better control of blood pressure levels. There is a need to learn from studies that have assessed the impact of different screening approaches on patient important outcomes. This systematic review protocol outlines the methods that will be used to assess the comparative effectiveness of different screening strategies (mass, targeted or opportunistic) for hypertension to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension.Methods and analysisWe will primarily search Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS). Relevant randomised controlled trials, controlled before and after, interrupted time series and prospective analytic cohort studies regardless of publication date, language and geographic location, will be included. We are interested in clinical, adverse event and health system outcomes. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts and full-text articles against inclusion criteria; perform data extraction and assess risk of bias in included studies. We will assess the certainty of the overall evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach and report findings accordingly.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval will be sought, as only secondary studies will be used. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018093046.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Juan Zhong ◽  
Shuqin Liu ◽  
Dan Lai ◽  
Tao Lu ◽  
Yifeng Shen ◽  
...  

Background. The treatment effects and safety of ear acupressure (EAP) for patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have yet to be clarified. Objective. To evaluate the effects and safety of EAP in AR patients. Design. Systematic review of published studies. Methods. A total of 24 English and Chinese databases (PubMed, EMBASE (Excerpta Medical Database), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Informit, ScienceDirect, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences), ProQuest, AMED, Blackwell Synergy, PsycINFO, Panteleimon, AcuBriefs, KoreaMed, IndMed, Ingenta, mRCT, ISI Web of Knowledge, ERIC, VIP Information (http://www.cqvip.com), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (http://www.cnki.net), Cochrane Library, Chinese Cochrane Centre Controlled Trials Register Platform, and Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database) were searched from their respective inceptions to August 2020 to collect randomized controlled trials of ear acupressure for allergic rhinitis. We performed literature inclusion, data extraction, and trial quality evaluations. Methodological quality was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook. Revman5.3 was used for all analyses. Results. A total of 203 trials were identified and eleven studies involved 1094 participants aged 3–70 years. EAP was better than control group interventions in terms of effectiveness (risk ratio (RR): 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36–0.70; P < 0.0001 ). EAP was superior to sham EAP in terms of improvement of the total nasal symptom score (RR: −0.50; 95% CI: −0.96–0.05; P = 0.03), sneezing score (RR: −0.36; 95% CI: −0.59–0.12; P = 0.003), global QoL score (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.04–0.08; P = 0.03), and eye symptom score (RR: −0.36; 95% CI: −0.67–0.05; P = 0.02). Conclusions. Despite the positive results, it is premature to confirm the efficacy of EAP for treating AR. More high-quality studies are needed to confirm safety and efficacy.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e039426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Jose Guedes da Silva Junior ◽  
Jaqueline Carvalho e Silva Sales ◽  
Claudete Ferreira de Souza Monteiro ◽  
Ana Paula Cardoso Costa ◽  
Luana Ruth Braga Campos ◽  
...  

IntroductionSince the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, the spread of the new coronavirus has been the focus of attention of scientists, governments and populations. One of the main concerns is the impact of this pandemic on health outcomes, mainly on mental health. Even though there are a few empirical studies on COVID-19 and mental health, so far, there is no systematic review about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of young people and adults yet. We aim to critically synthesise the scientific evidence about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people and adults.Methods and analysisA systematic review will be performed through eight databases: MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), ISI-of-Knowledge, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), SCOPUS, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), PsycINFO (Psychology Information) and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure), from inception until 30 June 2020. No restriction regarding the publication date, setting or languages will be considered. Preliminary search strategies were carried out on 29 March 2020 and will be updated in June 2020. The primary outcomes will be the prevalence and the severity of psychological symptoms in young people and adults (>18 years old) resulting from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Pooled standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be calculated. The risk of bias of the observational studies will be assessed through the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies (MINORS). Additionally, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Heterogeneity between the studies will be determined by the I2 statistics. Subgroup analyses will also be performed. Publication bias will be checked with funnel plots and Egger’s test. Heterogeneity will be explored by random-effects analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthical assessment was not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and will be presented at conferences related to this field.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020177366.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. e017638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Girish Deshpande ◽  
Gayatri Jape ◽  
Shripada Rao ◽  
Sanjay Patole

ObjectiveAlthough there is an overall reduction in underfive mortality rate, the progress in reducing neonatal mortality rate has been very slow. Over the last 20 years, preterm births have steadily increased in low-income and medium-income countries (LMICs) particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Preterm birth is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, particularly in LMICs. Based on systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), many neonatal units in high-income countries have adopted probiotics as standard of care for preterm neonates. We aimed to systematically review the safety and efficacy of probiotics in reducing mortality and morbidity in preterm neonates in LMICs.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.Data sourcesMedline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and E-abstracts from Pediatric Academic Society meetings and other paediatric and neonatal conference proceedings were searched in January 2017.Eligibility criteriaRCTs comparing probiotics versus placebo/no probiotic in preterm neonates (gestation<37 weeks) conducted in LMICs.ResultsTotal 23 (n=4783) RCTs from 4 continents and 10 LMICs were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis using fixed effect model. The risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC greater than or equal to stage II) (risk ratio (RR) 0.46 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.61), P<0.00001, numbers needed to treat (NNT) 25 (95% CI 20 to 50)), late-onset sepsis (LOS) (RR 0.80 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.91), P=0.0009, NNT 25 (95% CI 17 to 100)) and all-cause mortality (RR 0.73 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.90), P=0.003, NNT 50 (95% CI 25 to 100)) were significantly lower in probiotic supplemented neonates. The results were significant on random effects model analysis and after excluding studies with high risk of bias. No significant adverse effects were reported.ConclusionProbiotics have significant potential to reduce mortality and morbidity (eg, NEC, LOS) in preterm neonates in LMICs.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e034481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Giacomini Oliveira Ferreira Leite ◽  
Luísa Rocco Banzato ◽  
Julia Simões Corrêa Galendi ◽  
Adriana Lucia Mendes ◽  
Fernanda Bolfi ◽  
...  

IntroductionDespite the increasing number of drugs and various guidelines on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), several patients continue with the disease uncontrolled. There are several non-pharmacological treatments available for managing T2DM, but various of them have never been compared directly to determine the best strategies.ObjectiveThis study will evaluate the comparative effects of non-pharmacological strategies in the management of T2DM in primary care or community settings.Methods and analysisWe will perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), and will include randomised controlled trials if one of the following interventions were applied in adult patients with T2DM: nutritional therapy, physical activity, psychological interventions, social interventions, multidisciplinary lifestyle interventions, diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), technology-enabled DSMES, interventions delivered only either by pharmacists or by nurses, self-blood glucose monitoring in non-insulin-treated T2DM, health coaching, benchmarking and usual care. The primary outcome will be glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (%)), and the secondary outcomes will be weight loss, quality of life, patient satisfaction, frequency of cardiovascular events and deaths, number of patients in each group with HbA1c <7, adverse events and medication adherence. We have developed search strategies for Embase, Medline, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Trip database, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Australasian Medical Index and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Four reviewers will assess the studies for their eligibility and their risk of bias in pairs and independently. An NMA will be performed using a Bayesian hierarchical model, and the treatment hierarchy will be obtained using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. To determine our confidence in an overall treatment ranking from the NMA, we will follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.Ethics and disseminationAs no primary data collection will be undertaken, no formal ethical assessment is required. We plan to present the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, conferences and the popular press.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019127856.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e030450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Simões Corrêa Galendi ◽  
Renata Giacomini Occhiuto Ferreira Leite ◽  
Adriana Lúcia Mendes ◽  
Vania dos Santos Nunes-Nogueira

IntroductionDespite the increasing number of drugs available and various guidelines on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension, an expressive number of patients continue with these diseases uncontrolled. Nutrition therapy (NT) plays a fundamental role in the prevention and management of these comorbidities, as well as in the prevention of complications related to them. The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of NT strategies in the management of patients with T2DM and/or hypertension in primary care. The selected strategies did not substitute pharmaceutical treatment but instead focused on preventing a sedentary lifestyle and stimulating healthy nutrition.Methods and analysisWe will perform a systematic review according to Cochrane methodology of randomised controlled trials, wherein patients with T2DM and/or hypertension were allocated into one of the two groups: NT strategy, which may be of dietary quality or energy restriction, and conventional treatment. The primary outcomes will be glycaemic and blood pressure (BP) control, measured by final glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%) and BP (mm Hg), respectively. Four general and adaptive search strategies have been created for the Embase, Medline, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) electronic databases. Two reviewers will independently select eligible studies, assess the risk of bias and extract data from the included studies. Similar outcomes measured in at least two trials will be plotted in the meta-analysis using Review Manager V.5.3. The quality of evidence of the effect estimate of the intervention will be generated according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group.Ethics and disseminationAs no primary data collection will be undertaken, formal ethical assessment is not required. We plan to present the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, conferences and the popular press.PROSPERO registration numberOur systematic review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 20 December 2018 (Registration number CRD42018118117).


2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 564-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jilei Lin ◽  
Yin Zhang ◽  
Limei Xiong ◽  
Sha Liu ◽  
Caihui Gong ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo review the effects and safety of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) for bronchiolitis.MethodsSix electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, CQ VIP Database and Wanfang Data were searched from their inception to 1 June 2018. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which investigated the effects of HFNC versus other forms of oxygen therapies for bronchiolitis were included.ResultsNine RCTs with 2121 children met the eligibility criteria. There was no significant difference in length of stay in hospital (LOS), length of oxygen supplementation (LOO), transfer to intensive care unit, incidence of intubation, respiratory rate, SpO2 and adverse events in HFNC group compared with standard oxygen therapy (SOT) and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) groups. A significant reduction of the incidence of treatment failure (risk ratio (RR) 0.50, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.62, p<0.01) was observed in HFNC group compared with SOT group, but there was a significant increase of the incidence of treatment failure (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.42, p0.02) in HFNC group compared with nCPAP group. In subgroup analysis, LOS was significantly decreased in HFNC group compared with SOT group in low-income and middle-income countries.ConclusionThe systematic review suggests HFNC is safe as an initial respiratory management, but the evidence is still lacking to show benefits for children with bronchiolitis compared with SOT or nCPAP.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Raj ◽  
Halimatus Sakdiah Minhat ◽  
Nor Afiah Mohd. Zulkefli ◽  
Norliza Ahmad

BACKGROUND The increasing screen time exposure among young children in general and the reported negative consequences associated with excessive ST, calls for focused strategies to reduce ST, especially among young children. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to identify effective parental intervention strategies to reduce ST among preschool children. METHODS A total of five databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Medline Complete, PubMed, and Scopus, were searched for randomised controlled trials that involved intervention strategies in ST reduction among preschool children. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were used. RESULTS A total of nine studies were assessed. The results showed that besides providing knowledge and awareness regarding ST, having restrictive practices, offering alternative activities to parents, and removal of screen from child’s bedroom were the most common strategies used by studies that reported successful intervention. Intervention duration of between six to eight weeks was sufficient to produce ST reduction. Face-to-face method was the commonest mode of delivery. Theoretical constructs that aimed at increasing parental self-efficacy, listing outcome expectations, and offering reinforcement of strategies that targeted both the parents and home environment were beneficial in reducing ST. CONCLUSIONS By offering appropriate strategies to parents, a reduction in the amount of ST was observed among the children. Future intervention studies could benefit in exploring culturally adapted strategies, especially in developing countries. Trials of higher quality would also facilitate the drawing of conclusions in future research. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO No: CRD42020199398


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Najmeh Seifi ◽  
Ali Jafarzadeh Esfahani ◽  
Alireza Sedaghat ◽  
Reza Rezvani ◽  
Majid Khadem-Rezaiyan ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics on feeding tolerance of enterally fed critically ill adult patients. Methods MEDLINE, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to November 2019. English language randomized controlled trials reporting the effect of pre, pro or synbiotics on the feeding tolerance of enterally fed critically ill adult patients were included. Results Overall, 15 papers were selected for review. Among six studies reporting the energy intake, only two studies showed significantly higher energy intake in the prebiotic-receiving groups. Among four RCTs reporting frequency or time to achieve the target calorie, only one found a significant effect of probiotics to reduce the time to achieve a target dose of calorie. About the prevalence or duration of diarrhea, 7 out of 12 RCTs reported a beneficial effect. All but one study found no beneficial effects for gut microbiota manipulation on clinical endpoints including length of stay (LOS) in hospital and intensive care unit (ICU). Conclusion It should be noticed that the heterogeneity in study designs, product format, and ICU patient populations makes it difficult to draw any general conclusion. Overall, it seems that pre, pro, or synbiotics have no significant beneficial effect on feeding tolerance and clinical endpoints in critically ill adults, but they may reduce the prevalence or duration of diarrhea.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e042597
Author(s):  
Xinyuan Liu ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
Zhongning He ◽  
Shukun Yao

IntroductionFunctional constipation (FC) is a common digestive system disease, with an uptrend in morbidity and mortality, resulting in huge social and economic losses. Although the guidelines recommend lifestyle intervention as a first-line treatment, lifestyle intervention is not widely used in clinic. Inulin can be used as the basic material of functional food. Clinical studies have shown that inulin supplementation is associated with increased frequency of bowel movements, but has certain side effects. Therefore, the efficacy and safety of inulin in the treatment of FC need to be further evaluated.Methods and analysisWe will search Medline, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database and China Biomedical Literature Database. We will also search the China Clinical Trial Registry, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and related conference summaries. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RevMan V.5.3.5 will be used for analysis.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of inulin supplementation for the treatment of FC. All included data will be obtained from published articles, there is no need for the ethical approval, and it will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Due to lack of a new systematic review in this field, this study will combine relevant randomised controlled trials to better explore the evidence of inulin supplementation in the treatment of FC and guide clinical practice and clinical research.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020189234.


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