The effect of sample site and collection procedure on identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Sample collection is a key driver of accuracy in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral load may vary at different anatomical sampling sites and accuracy may be compromised by difficulties obtaining specimens and the expertise of the person taking the sample. It is important to optimise sampling accuracy within cost, safety and accessibility constraints.

Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes for preventing dengue infection.

Background: Dengue is a global health problem of high significance, with 3.9 billion people at risk of infection. The geographic expansion of dengue virus (DENV) infection has resulted in increased frequency and severity of the disease, and the number of deaths has increased in recent years.

Meta-DiSc 2.0: a web application for meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy data.

Background: Diagnostic evidence of the accuracy of a test for identifying a target condition of interest can be estimated using systematic approaches following standardized methodologies. Statistical methods for the meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies are relatively complex, presenting a challenge for reviewers without extensive statistical expertise. In 2006, we developed Meta-DiSc, a free user-friendly software to perform test accuracy meta-analysis.

Occurrence and transmission potential of asymptomatic and presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections: Update of a living systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Debate about the level of asymptomatic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues. The amount of evidence is increasing and study designs have changed over time. We updated a living systematic review to address 3 questions: (1) Among people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2, what proportion does not experience symptoms at all during their infection? (2) What is the infectiousness of asymptomatic and presymptomatic, compared with symptomatic, SARS-CoV-2 infection? (3) What proportion of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a population is accounted for by people who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic?

Methods And Findings: The protocol was first published on 1 April 2020 and last updated on 18 June 2021.

Use of benznidazole to treat chronic Chagas disease: An updated systematic review with a meta-analysis.

Background: Approximately 6 million people worldwide are affected by Chagas disease, with many in the chronic phase of the disease (CCD). It is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of benznidazole for CCD treatment.

Methods/principal Findings: We updated a meta-analysis published in 2009 up to February 2021, including controlled trials (RCT) and prospective observational studies (OBS) that compared benznidazole vs placebo/no-treatment (P/nT).

A Reporting Tool for Adapted Guidelines in Health Care: The RIGHT-Ad@pt Checklist.

Background: Adaptation of existing guidelines can be an efficient way to develop contextualized recommendations. Transparent reporting of the adaptation approach can support the transparency and usability of the adapted guidelines.

Objective: To develop an extension of the RIGHT (Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in HealThcare) statement for the reporting of adapted guidelines (including recommendations that have been adopted, adapted, or developed de novo), the RIGHT-Ad@pt checklist.

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for the early detection of dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Background: Dementia is a progressive global cognitive impairment syndrome. In 2010, more than 35 million people worldwide were estimated to be living with dementia. Some people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will progress to dementia but others remain stable or recover full function.

Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing: a scoping review of current guidance.

Background: Testing used in screening, diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 has been a subject of debate. Several organisations have developed formal advice about testing for COVID-19 to assist in the control of the disease. We collated, delineated and appraised current worldwide recommendations about the role and applications of tests to control SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.

False-negative results of initial RT-PCR assays for COVID-19: A systematic review.

Background: A false-negative case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is defined as a person with suspected infection and an initial negative result by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, with a positive result on a subsequent test. False-negative cases have important implications for isolation and risk of transmission of infected people and for the management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to review and critically appraise evidence about the rate of RT-PCR false-negatives at initial testing for COVID-19.

Adverse events associated with the use of recommended vaccines during pregnancy: An overview of systematic reviews.

Introduction: Maternal immunization is aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality in pregnant women and their newborns. Updated evidence synthesis of maternal-fetal outcomes is constantly needed to ensure that the risk-benefit of vaccination during pregnancy remains positive.

Methods: An overview of systematic reviews (OoSRs) was performed.

[Diagnostic accuracy of salivary biomarkers for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review protocol].

Introduction: Oral cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 50% because diagnosis is commonly performed at an advanced stage of the disease, so new diagnostic tools are needed. Nowadays, there is a vast number of publications suggesting the use of salivary biomarkers for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders diagnosis, but their diagnostic accuracy is unclear. Thus, the goal of this systematic review is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of salivary biomarkers for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders.

Current methods for development of rapid reviews about diagnostic tests: an international survey.

Background: Rapid reviews (RRs) have emerged as an efficient alternative to time-consuming systematic reviews-they can help meet the demand for accelerated evidence synthesis to inform decision-making in healthcare. The synthesis of diagnostic evidence has important methodological challenges. Here, we performed an international survey to identify the current practice of producing RRs for diagnostic tests.

Therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids: an evidence mapping and appraisal of systematic reviews.

Background: Although cannabis and cannabinoids are widely used with therapeutic purposes, their claimed efficacy is highly controversial. For this reason, medical cannabis use is a broad field of research that is rapidly expanding. Our objectives are to identify, characterize, appraise, and organize the current available evidence surrounding therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids, using evidence maps.

GRADE Guidelines 28: Use of GRADE for the assessment of evidence about prognostic factors: rating certainty in identification of groups of patients with different absolute risks.

Objective: The objective of this study was to provide guidance on the use of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to determine certainty in estimates of association between prognostic factors and future outcomes.

Study Design And Setting: We developed our guidance through an iterative process that involved review of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of prognostic factors, consultation with members, feedback, presentation, and discussion at the GRADE Working Group meetings.

Results: For questions of prognosis, a body of observational evidence (potentially including patients enrolled in randomized controlled trials) begins as high certainty in the evidence.

Rapid reviews of medical tests used many similar methods to systematic reviews but key items were rarely reported: a scoping review.

Background And Objectives: Rapid reviews provide an efficient alternative to standard systematic reviews in response to a high priority or urgent need. Although rapid reviews of interventions have been extensively evaluated, little is known about the characteristics of rapid reviews of diagnostic evidence.

Study Design And Setting: We performed a scoping review for rapid reviews of medical tests published from 2013 to 2018.

Defining ranges for certainty ratings of diagnostic accuracy: a GRADE concept paper.

Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify how the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) concept of certainty of evidence applies to certainty ratings of test accuracy.

Study Design And Setting: After initial brainstorming with GRADE Working Group members, we iteratively refined and clarified the approaches for defining ranges when assessing the certainty of evidence for test accuracy within a systematic review, health technology assessment, or guideline.

Results: Ranges can be defined both for single test accuracy and for comparative accuracy of multiple tests.

Challenges of rapid reviews for diagnostic test accuracy questions: a protocol for an international survey and expert consultation.

Background: Assessment of diagnostic tests, broadly defined as any element that aids in the collection of additional information for further clarification of a patient's health status, has increasingly become a critical issue in health policy and decision-making. Diagnostic evidence, including the accuracy of a medical test for a target condition, is commonly appraised using standard systematic review methodology. Owing to the considerable time and resources required to conduct these, rapid reviews have emerged as a pragmatic alternative by tailoring methods according to the decision maker's circumstances.

Plasma interleukin-6 concentration for the diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill adults.

Background: The definition of sepsis has evolved over time, along with the clinical and scientific knowledge behind it. For years, sepsis was defined as a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the presence of a documented or suspected infection. At present, sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection.

Interventions for preventing high altitude illness: Part 3. Miscellaneous and non-pharmacological interventions.

Background: High altitude illness (HAI) is a term used to describe a group of mainly cerebral and pulmonary syndromes that can occur during travel to elevations above 2500 metres (˜ 8200 feet). Acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude cerebral oedema (HACE), and high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) are reported as potential medical problems associated with high altitude ascent. In this, the third of a series of three reviews about preventive strategies for HAI, we assessed the effectiveness of miscellaneous and non-pharmacological interventions.

Leukodepleted Packed Red Blood Cells Transfusion in Patients Undergoing Major Cardiovascular Surgical Procedure: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Leukocytes contained in the allogeneic packed red blood cell (PRBC) are the cause of certain adverse reactions associated with blood transfusion. Leukoreduction consists of eliminating leukocytes in all blood products below the established safety levels for any patient type. In this systematic review, we appraise the clinical effectiveness of allogeneic leukodepleted (LD) PRBC transfusion for preventing infections and death in patients undergoing major cardiovascular surgical procedures.

GRADE guidelines: 22. The GRADE approach for tests and strategies-from test accuracy to patient-important outcomes and recommendations.

Objectives: This article describes the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group's framework of moving from test accuracy to patient or population-important outcomes. We focus on the common scenario when studies directly evaluating the effect of diagnostic and other tests or strategies on health outcomes are not available or are not providing the best available evidence.

Study Design And Setting: Using practical examples, we explored how guideline developers and other decision makers can use information from test accuracy to develop a recommendation by linking evidence that addresses downstream consequences.

Acetyl-L-carnitine for patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy is a common and devastating neuropsychiatric complication of acute liver failure or chronic liver disease. Ammonia content in the blood seems to play a role in the development of hepatic encephalopathy. Treatment for hepatic encephalopathy is complex.