Antibiotic dispensing practices among informal healthcare providers in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: The rise of antimicrobial resistance represents a critical threat to global health, exacerbated by the excessive and inappropriate dispensing and use of antimicrobial drugs, notably antibiotics, which specifically target bacterial infections. The surge in antibiotic consumption globally is particularly concerning in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where informal healthcare providers (IPs) play a vital role in the healthcare landscape. Often the initial point of contact for healthcare-seeking individuals, IPs play a crucial role in delivering primary care services in these regions.

Clinical Outcomes of Rapid Respiratory Virus Testing in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Rapid tests for respiratory viruses, including multiplex panels, are increasingly available in emergency departments (EDs). Their association with patient outcomes remains unclear.

Objective: To determine if ED rapid respiratory virus testing in patients with suspected acute respiratory infection (ARI) was associated with decreased antibiotic use, ancillary tests, ED length of stay, and ED return visits and hospitalization and increased influenza antiviral treatment.

Cardiovascular Disease-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Women With a History of Pregnancy Complications.

Background: Women with a history of certain pregnancy complications are at higher risk for cardiovascular (CVD) disease. However, most clinical guidelines only recommend postpartum follow-up of those with a history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, or preterm birth. This systematic review was undertaken to determine if there is an association between a broader array of pregnancy complications and the future risk of CVD.

Use of C-reactive protein to tailor antibiotic use: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been proposed to guide the use of antibiotics. However, study results are controversial regarding the benefits of such a strategy. We synthesised the evidence of CRP-based algorithms on antibiotic treatment initiation and on antibiotic treatment duration in adults, children and neonates, as well as their safety profile.

Decisional needs assessment of patients with complex care needs in primary care: a participatory systematic mixed studies review protocol.

Introduction: Patients with complex care needs (PCCNs) often suffer from combinations of multiple chronic conditions, mental health problems, drug interactions and social vulnerability, which can lead to healthcare services overuse, underuse or misuse. Typically, PCCNs face interactional issues and unmet decisional needs regarding possible options in a cascade of interrelated decisions involving different stakeholders (themselves, their families, their caregivers, their healthcare practitioners). Gaps in knowledge, values clarification and social support in situations where options need to be deliberated hamper effective decision support interventions.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Novel and Traditional Rapid Tests for Influenza Infection Compared With Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Rapid and accurate influenza diagnostics can improve patient care.

Purpose: To summarize and compare accuracy of traditional rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs), digital immunoassays (DIAs), and rapid nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) in children and adults with suspected influenza.

Data Sources: 6 databases from their inception through May 2017.

Efficacy and Safety of Smoking Cessation Interventions in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Although the efficacy and safety of smoking cessation interventions are well established, their efficacy and safety in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and behavioral smoking cessation interventions in CVD patients via a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Methods And Results: EMBASE, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Specialized Register were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and behavioral therapies in CVD patients.

Combination Therapies for Smoking Cessation: A Hierarchical Bayesian Meta-Analysis.

Context: Treatment guidelines recommend the use of combination therapies for smoking cessation, particularly behavioral therapy (BT) as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. However, these guidelines rely on previous reviews with important limitations. This study's objective was to evaluate the efficacy of combination therapies compared with monotherapies, using the most rigorous data available.

School injuries and preventive policies and programs.

Background: Injuries are a major source of morbidity and mortality throughout childhood and many occur on school premises. Differences in policies, programs and practises at the level of school boards or individual schools may account for some of the differences in injury rates among schools.

Methods: We used data from the Montreal Children's Hospital to identify children injured at school.