In patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, does the provision of dispatch cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructions as opposed to no instructions improve outcome: a systematic review of the literature.

Context: Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provides an essential bridge to successful defibrillation from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and there is a need to increase the prevalence and quality of bystander CPR. Emergency medical dispatchers can give CPR instructions to a bystander calling for an ambulance enabling even an inexperienced bystander to start CPR. The impact of these instructions has not been evaluated.

In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, does the description of any specific symptoms to the emergency medical dispatcher improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of cardiac arrest: a systematic review of the literature.

Aim: We sought to determine if, in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), the description of any specific symptoms to the emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) improved the accuracy of the diagnosis of cardiac arrest.

Methods: For this systematic review, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library with no restrictions, and hand-searched the gray literature. Eligible studies included dispatcher interaction with callers reporting OHCA, and reported diagnosis of cardiac arrest.

A survey of attitudes and factors associated with successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge transfer in an older population most likely to witness cardiac arrest: design and methodology.

Background: Overall survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rarely exceed 5%. While bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can increase survival for cardiac arrest victims by up to four times, bystander CPR rates remain low in Canada (15%). Most cardiac arrest victims are men in their sixties, they usually collapse in their own home (85%) and the event is witnessed 50% of the time.

An evaluation of 9-1-1 calls to assess the effectiveness of dispatch-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions: design and methodology.

Background: Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of mortality in Canada, and the overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rarely exceeds 5%. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been shown to increase survival for cardiac arrest victims. However, bystander CPR rates remain low in Canada, rarely exceeding 15%, despite various attempts to improve them.

Adjuvant chemotherapy following complete resection of soft tissue sarcoma in adults: a clinical practice guideline.

Purpose. To review the literature and make recommendations for the use of anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy in adult patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS).Patients.

Evaluating the role of quality assessment of primary studies in systematic reviews of cancer practice guidelines.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of study quality assessment of primary studies in cancer practice guidelines.

Methods: Reliable and valid study quality assessment scales were sought and applied to published reports of trials included in systematic reviews of cancer guidelines. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between quality scores and pooled odds ratios (OR) for mortality and need for blood transfusion.

Adjuvant therapy for stage II colon cancer: a systematic review from the Cancer Care Ontario Program in evidence-based care's gastrointestinal cancer disease site group.

Purpose: To develop a systematic review that would address the following question: Should patients with stage II colon cancer receive adjuvant therapy?

Methods: A systematic review was undertaken to locate randomized controlled trials comparing adjuvant therapy to observation.

Results: Thirty-seven trials and 11 meta-analyses were included. The evidence for stage II colon cancer comes primarily from a trial of fluorouracil plus levamisole and a meta-analysis of 1,016 patients comparing fluorouracil plus folinic acid versus observation.