All Posts
Vector control gets new impetus and direction
29 Jun, 2017 | 15:39h | UTCEditorial: Vector control gets new impetus and direction – Nature Microbiology (free) (RT @Onisillos see Tweet)
Related: Draft Global vector control response 2017–2030 – World Health Organization (free PDF)
Higher IQ in childhood is linked to a longer life
29 Jun, 2017 | 13:54h | UTCChildhood intelligence in relation to major causes of death in 68 year follow-up: prospective population study – The BMJ (free)
Editorial: Higher IQ in childhood is linked to a longer life (free)
Why do those with higher IQs live longer? A new study points to answers – STAT News (free) Higher childhood IQ associated with lower adult mortality – OnMedica (free) AND People with higher IQs are more likely to live to their 80s – New Scientist (free)
Variability in the diagnosis of invasive melanoma
29 Jun, 2017 | 12:38h | UTCThe BMJ Opinion: Joann Elmore: When diagnostic uncertainty hits home (free)
Commentaries: Concern over huge diagnostic variability for melanoma – OnMedica (free) Pathologists Often Misclassify Melanoma – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Antibiotics for acute bronchitis
29 Jun, 2017 | 14:01h | UTCAntibiotics for acute bronchitis – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
“There is limited evidence of clinical benefit to support the use of antibiotics in acute bronchitis”
Thu, June 29 – 10 Stories of The Day!
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:38h | UTC
Commentaries: Cardiovascular disease causes one-third of deaths worldwide – American College of Cardiology, via EurekAlert (free) AND Global Cardiovascular Disease Burden – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Commentaries: Aspirin reduces risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women – University of Exeter, via Science Daily (free) AND Daily Aspirin Cuts Preterm Preeclampsia in High-Risk Women – MedPage Today (free registration required)
3 – Free Online Course: Measuring and Valuing Health – The University of Sheffield and FutureLearn (RT @Imperial_GHD see Tweet)
“Learn how Patient Reported Outcome Measures and Quality Adjusted Life Years can compare treatments and inform healthcare spending”.
4 – The safety, immunogenicity, and acceptability of inactivated influenza vaccine delivered by microneedle patch (TIV-MNP 2015): a randomised, partly blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Needle-Free Flu Vaccine Patch Works as Well as a Shot – NBC News (free) AND Microneedle Patch: Safe, Effective Flu Vaccination in First-in-Human Trial – Medscape (free registration required) AND Dissolvable patch offers radical pain-free alternative to flu injection, study finds – The Guardian (free) AND Skin patch may be the future of flu vaccines, study suggests – CNN (free text and video)
5 – The ABCs and Ds of Whether to Get Prostate Cancer Screening – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
See also the new USPSTF guidelines on prostate cancer screening and related commentaries in our April 12 issue (see #1) and in our April 13 issue (see #3)
“The upside (and downside) of prostate cancer screening” (RT @NYTHealth see Tweet)
6 – Stopping Pandemics Before They Start – New York Times (10 articles per month are free) (RT @wellcometrust see Tweet)
7 – Moisturisers improve eczema symptoms and lessen the need for corticosteroids – NIHR Signal (free)
Original Article: Emollients and moisturisers for eczema – Cochrane Library (link to summary – $ for full-text)
8 – A Reality Check for IBM’s AI Ambitions – MIT Technology Review (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
“IBM overhyped its Watson machine-learning system, but the company still could have the best access to the kind of data needed to make medicine much smarter”.
9 – Cardiovascular Testing and Clinical Outcomes in Emergency Department Patients With Chest Pain – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Cardiac Tests in ED Patients Not Tied to Better Outcomes – Medscape (free registration required) AND Cardiac Testing for Slight ACS Risk Just Means More Procedures – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Cardiac Testing in Emergency Room Chest Pain Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
10 – Trial of Electrical Direct-Current Therapy versus Escitalopram for Depression – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: A New Brain-Stimulation Treatment Disappoints – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“For depression, new transcranial direct current stimulation treatment is not as effective as escitalopram” (RT @JWatch see Tweet)
Is the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science?
29 Jun, 2017 | 15:35h | UTCIs the staggeringly profitable business of scientific publishing bad for science? – The Guardian (free)
“Interesting long read” (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Antibiotics for Smaller Skin Abscesses
29 Jun, 2017 | 13:34h | UTCA Placebo-Controlled Trial of Antibiotics for Smaller Skin Abscesses – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Adding Antibiotics to Incision-and-Drainage of Small Skin Abscesses Helps – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Antibiotics Improve Short-Term Outcomes for Simple Abscesses – Medscape (free registration required) AND Study finds benefit for antibiotic treatment of simple skin wounds – CIDRAP (free)
Air Pollution and Mortality
29 Jun, 2017 | 13:02h | UTCAir Pollution and Mortality in the Medicare Population – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Quick Take Video Summary: Air Pollution and Mortality
Editorial: Air Pollution Still Kills (free)
Commentary: Study of US seniors strengthens link between air pollution and premature death – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, via Science Daily (free)
Related: The cost of a polluted environment: 1.7 million child deaths a year, says WHO – World Health Organization (free) AND Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2015 – The Lancet (free) AND Death in the Air: Air Pollution Costs Money and Lives – World Bank (free infographic and report)
Recognizing Sepsis as a Global Health Priority
29 Jun, 2017 | 13:03h | UTCPerspective: Recognizing Sepsis as a Global Health Priority: A WHO Resolution – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Moisturisers improve eczema symptoms and lessen the need for corticosteroids
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:32h | UTCMoisturisers improve eczema symptoms and lessen the need for corticosteroids – NIHR Signal (free)
Original Article: Emollients and moisturisers for eczema – Cochrane Library (link to summary – $ for full-text)
Stopping Pandemics Before They Start
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:30h | UTCStopping Pandemics Before They Start – New York Times (10 articles per month are free) (RT @wellcometrust see Tweet)
Trial of Electrical Direct-Current Therapy versus Escitalopram for Depression
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:34h | UTCTrial of Electrical Direct-Current Therapy versus Escitalopram for Depression – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: A New Brain-Stimulation Treatment Disappoints – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“For depression, new transcranial direct current stimulation treatment is not as effective as escitalopram” (RT @JWatch see Tweet)
The ABCs and Ds of Whether to Get Prostate Cancer Screening
28 Jun, 2017 | 22:43h | UTCThe ABCs and Ds of Whether to Get Prostate Cancer Screening – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
See also the new USPSTF guidelines on prostate cancer screening and related commentaries in our April 12 issue (see #1) and in our April 13 issue (see #4)
Balanced point of view regarding prostate cancer screening.
Aspirin versus Placebo in Pregnancies at High Risk for Preterm Preeclampsia
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:26h | UTCCommentaries: Aspirin reduces risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women – University of Exeter, via Science Daily (free) AND Daily Aspirin Cuts Preterm Preeclampsia in High-Risk Women – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Free Online Course: Measuring and Valuing Health
28 Jun, 2017 | 22:27h | UTCFree Online Course: Measuring and Valuing Health – The University of Sheffield and FutureLearn (RT @Imperial_GHD see Tweet)
“Learn how Patient Reported Outcome Measures and Quality Adjusted Life Years can compare treatments and inform healthcare spending”.
Hospital Visits by Nurse Practitioners Prevent Readmission
28 Jun, 2017 | 22:46h | UTCHospital Visits by Nurse Practitioners Prevent Readmission – Medscape (free registration required)
Needle-Free Flu Vaccine Patch Works as Well as a Shot
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:29h | UTCThe safety, immunogenicity, and acceptability of inactivated influenza vaccine delivered by microneedle patch (TIV-MNP 2015): a randomised, partly blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Needle-Free Flu Vaccine Patch Works as Well as a Shot – NBC News (free) AND Microneedle Patch: Safe, Effective Flu Vaccination in First-in-Human Trial – Medscape (free registration required) AND Dissolvable patch offers radical pain-free alternative to flu injection, study finds – The Guardian (free) AND Skin patch may be the future of flu vaccines, study suggests – CNN (free text and video)
A Reality Check for IBM’s AI Ambitions
28 Jun, 2017 | 17:27h | UTCA Reality Check for IBM’s AI Ambitions – MIT Technology Review (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
“IBM overhyped its Watson machine-learning system, but the company still could have the best access to the kind of data needed to make medicine much smarter”.
Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases
29 Jun, 2017 | 00:24h | UTCCommentaries: Cardiovascular disease causes one-third of deaths worldwide – American College of Cardiology, via EurekAlert (free) AND Global Cardiovascular Disease Burden – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Asthma self-management programmes can reduce unscheduled care
27 Jun, 2017 | 20:39h | UTCAsthma self-management programmes can reduce unscheduled care – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Systematic meta-review of supported self-management for asthma: a healthcare perspective – BMC Medicine (free)
Wed, June 28 – 10 Stories of The Day!
28 Jun, 2017 | 00:44h | UTC
1 – Asthma self-management programmes can reduce unscheduled care – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Systematic meta-review of supported self-management for asthma: a healthcare perspective – BMC Medicine (free)
2 – The Impact of Whole-Genome Sequencing on the Primary Care and Outcomes of Healthy Adult Patients: A Pilot Randomized Trial – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: In healthy patients, genome sequencing raises alarms while offering few benefits – STAT News (free) AND Whole genome sequencing not ready for routine use: study – Reuters Health News (free) AND One in five ‘healthy’ adults may carry disease-related genetic mutations – Science (free) AND Whole-Genome Sequencing Possible in Clinic, but Value Unclear – Medscape (free registration required) AND Whole-genome sequencing finds rare genetic disease risk in 1 of 5 healthy adults – ACP Internist Weekly (free)
“While some primary care physicians may be able to manage genomic information appropriately, findings could prompt increased health care use with limited clinical value, the researchers said” (from ACP)
3 – Blinding: A detailed guide for students – Students 4 Best Evidence (free)
“New @Students4BE blog: Saul provides a detailed overview of ‘blinding’ in RCTs. What is it & why is it important?” (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Commentary: OB/GYN Group Revises Breast Screening Recommendations for Average-Risk Women Physician’s First Watch (free)
Related guideline with a more conservative approach: Breast Cancer: Screening – U.S.Preventive Services Task Force (free)
News release: Ob-Gyn Awareness of Sex Workers’ Health Risks During Routine Visits is Essential (free)
Commentary: Group Offers Guidance on Screening for Female Sex Workers – Physician’s First Watch (free)
6 – Tamiflu: an expensive lesson in panic stockpiling – Dr Justin Coleman Blog (RT @pash22 see Tweet)
7 – WHO guidelines on ethical issues in public health surveillance – World Health Organization (free)
Commentary: Ethics of public health surveillance: new guidelines – The Lancet Public Health (free)
“Public health surveillance: privacy, autonomy, equity, common good need to be balanced. New ethics guidelines” (RT @trished see Tweet)
8 – Report: Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward – The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (free PDF)
Commentaries: When it comes to preventing dementia, not much is proved to work, says expert committee – STAT News (free) AND National Academies Committee Sees Promising but Inconclusive Evidence on Interventions to Prevent Cognitive Decline, Dementia – National Institute on Aging (free)
Editorial: Cosmetics, Regulations, and the Public Health – Understanding the Safety of Medical and Other Products (free)
The JAMA Network – For the Media: How Many Adverse Events Are Reported to FDA for Cosmetics, Personal Care? (free)
Commentaries: More Health Problems Reported With Hair And Skin Care Products – NPR (free) AND The Hidden Dangers of Makeup and Shampoo – TIME (a few articles per month are free)
Cardiovascular Testing and Clinical Outcomes in Emergency Department Patients With Chest Pain
28 Jun, 2017 | 22:04h | UTCCardiovascular Testing and Clinical Outcomes in Emergency Department Patients With Chest Pain – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Cardiac Tests in ED Patients Not Tied to Better Outcomes – Medscape (free registration required) AND Cardiac Testing for Slight ACS Risk Just Means More Procedures – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Cardiac Testing in Emergency Room Chest Pain Patients – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Blinding: A detailed guide for students
27 Jun, 2017 | 19:15h | UTCBlinding: A detailed guide for students – Students 4 Best Evidence (free)
“New @Students4BE blog: Saul provides a detailed overview of ‘blinding’ in RCTs. What is it & why is it important?” (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Contact Precautions for Endemic MRSA and VRE: Time to Retire Legal Mandates
26 Jun, 2017 | 19:41h | UTCViewpoint: Contact Precautions for Endemic MRSA and VRE: Time to Retire Legal Mandates – JAMA (free)
“Contact precautions are easy to use w a single patient, but burdensome when applied to an entire hospital” (RT @JAMA_current see Tweet)
This viewpoint suggests a more selective use of contact precautions for the control of endemic pathogens.
Tue, June 27 – 10 Stories of The Day!
27 Jun, 2017 | 00:50h | UTC
Commentary: Update on the Statement on Brain AVMs: Despite New Data, Questions Still Unanswered (free)
Top Ten Things to Know: Management of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (free PDF)
Slide Set: Management of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (free PDF)
Original article: 2016 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) consensus guidelines: Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis: Executive summary (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: EvidenceAlerts (free resource to find articles of interest)
In this meta-analysis including 19 randomized trials, probiotics given within 2 days of the first antibiotic dose (more effective than if started later) reduced the risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) by >50% in hospitalized adults. 1 case of CDI would be prevented for every 23−144 patients treated with probiotics when antibiotics are started. “There was no convincing evidence of superior efficacy for any of the tested probiotic formulations, delivery methods (drink or capsule), or probiotic doses”.
4 – A Meta-analysis of the Impact of Aspirin, Clopidogrel, and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy on Bleeding Complications in Noncardiac Surgery – Annals of Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: EvidenceAlerts (free resource to find articles of interest)
“Antiplatelet therapy at the time of noncardiac surgery confers minimal bleeding risk with no difference in thrombotic complications. In many cases, it is safe to continue antiplatelet therapy in patients with important indications for their use”
5 – Policy lessons from health taxes: a systematic review of empirical studies – BMC Public Health (free)
Related: Proper debate on sugar tax needed in fight against obesity and diabetes – The AGE (free)
See more on Fiscal policies for the prevention of diseases in our June 8th issue (see #4) and in our April 20th issue (see #1)
“91 studies on health taxes show they change consumption: a systematic review of empirical studies” (RT @BoydSwinburn see Tweet)
6 – New Choosing Wisely Canada List: Respiratory medicine: Six things physicians and patients should question (free) (RT @ChooseWiselyCA see Tweet)
See more on the Choosing Wisely initiative in our April 5 issue, see #6.
7 – Richard Lehman’s journal review, 26 June 2017 – The BMJ Blogs (free)
Reviews on the latest research in the top medical journals.
8 – Better Medicine – Shared decisions, best evidence – The BMJ
Related article: Overdiagnosis and overtreatment: generalists — it’s time for a grassroots revolution (free)
“This Better Medicine resource page builds on the work of The BMJ’s Too Much Medicine initiative and the overdiagnosis group of the RCGP in helping health professionals worldwide to share knowledge with patients and jointly make better informed choices about their care”.
9 – Chinese courts call for death penalty for researchers who commit fraud – STAT News (free)
Related: China cracks down on fake data in drug trials – Nature (free)
10 – Viewpoint: Contact Precautions for Endemic MRSA and VRE: Time to Retire Legal Mandates – JAMA (free)
“Contact precautions are easy to use with a single patient, but burdensome when applied to an entire hospital” (RT @JAMA_current see Tweet)
This viewpoint suggests a more selective use of contact precautions for the control of endemic pathogens.