Electrical impedance tomography for PEEP titration in ARDS patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To assess the efficacy of electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-guided positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration in improving outcomes for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies with a control group comparing EIT-guided PEEP titration to other strategies were included.

Early antibiotic de-escalation in patients with severe infections due to bloodstream infection by enterobacterales: A post hoc analysis of a prospective multicentre cohort.

Background: Data about antibiotic de-escalation in sepsis associated with the bloodstream and caused by Enterobacterales are scarce. The objectives of this study are to identify factors associated with early de-escalation and to analyse the impact of de-escalation on mortality in patients with Enterobacterales bloodstream infection (BSI) with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2.

Methods: A prospective, multicentre cohort study was performed including episodes of BSI due to Enterobacterales and a SOFA score ≥ 2 who were receiving an active antipseudomonal β-lactam; the isolate should be susceptible to at least 1 narrower-spectrum antibiotic.

A comprehensive, predictive mortality score for patients with bloodstream infections (PROBAC): a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Objectives: Bloodstream infections (BSI) are an important cause of mortality, although they show heterogeneity depending on patients and aetiological factors. Comprehensive and specific mortality scores for BSI are scarce. The objective of this study was to develop a mortality predictive score in BSI based on a multicentre prospective cohort.

Efficacy and safety of robotic spine surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Robotic surgery (RS) may offer benefits compared with freehand/conventional surgery (FS) in the treatment of patients with spinal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RS versus FS in spinal fusion.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed.

Study designs for clinical trials applied to personalised medicine: a scoping review.

Objective: Personalised medicine (PM) allows treating patients based on their individual demographic, genomic or biological characteristics for tailoring the 'right treatment for the right person at the right time'. Robust methodology is required for PM clinical trials, to correctly identify groups of participants and treatments. As an initial step for the development of new recommendations on trial designs for PM, we aimed to present an overview of the study designs that have been used in this field.

Neural responses to shot changes by cut in cinematographic editing: An EEG (ERD/ERS) study.

In order to analyze and detect neural activations and inhibitions in film spectators to shot changes by cut in films, we developed a methodology based on comparisons of recorded EEG signals and analyzed the event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS). The aim of the research is isolating these neuronal responses from other visual and auditory features that covary with film editing. This system of comparing pairs of signals using permutation tests, the Spearman correlation, and slope analysis is implemented in an automated way through sliding windows, analyzing all the registered electrodes signals at all the frequency bands defined.

Systematic review of the safety and effectiveness of peripheral neurostimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion for the treatment of refractory chronic cluster headache.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of peripheral neurostimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) in the treatment of refractory chronic cluster headache.

Development: Various medical databases were used to perform a systematic review of the scientific literature. The search for articles continued until 31 October 2016, and included clinical trials, systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, health technology assessment reports, and clinical practice guidelines that included measurements of efficiency/effectiveness or adverse effects associated with the treatment.

Postlaunch evidence-generation studies for medical devices in Spain: the RedETS approach to integrate real-world evidence into decision making.

The Monitoring Studies (MS) program, the approach developed by RedETS to generate postlaunch real-world evidence (RWE), is intended to complement and enhance the conventional health technology assessment process to support health policy decision making in Spain, besides informing other interested stakeholders, including clinicians and patients. The MS program is focused on specific uncertainties about the real effect, safety, costs, and routine use of new and insufficiently assessed relevant medical devices carefully selected to ensure the value of the additional research needed, by means of structured, controlled, participative, and transparent procedures. However, despite a clear political commitment and economic support from national and regional health authorities, several difficulties were identified along the development and implementation of the first wave of MS, delaying its execution and final reporting.

[Pharmacological treatment in uncertainty times: Hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine use in the COVID-19 treatment].

Background And Objectives: In this moments, of extreme gravity in which we find ourselves, and in the uncertainty face about the most effective treatment against COVID-19 disease and with the aim of find the evidence that support the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine use recommendation to treat COVID-19 disease, a systematic review of published studies and RCT studies publishes until April 28, 2020 was carried out.

Material And Methods: A systematic search was carried out in PubMed with the keywords COVID-19 and their synonyms and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine. The data selection and extraction was elaborated by two researchers, independently.

Polymerization of sarcoplasmic-reticulum calcium-binding proteins might explain observed reticulum kinetics-on-demand behavior.

Reported experimental results, in which transient elevations of sarcoplasmic calcium levels are induced by caffeine in smooth muscle cells, apparently contradict the principle of mass conservation. The commonly accepted model assumes that the total number of Ca binding sites is fixed. A former work dealing with this problem proved that assuming the presence within the reticulum of calcium sequestering proteins whose total number of calcium binding sites increases as the existent sites get occupied, is enough to explain the above referred counter-intuitive experimental results.

Development of a predictive model of hospitalization in primary care patients with heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over age 65. Predictive hospital admission models have been developed to help reduce the number of these patients.

Aim: To develop and internally validate a model to predict hospital admission in one-year for any non-programmed cause in heart failure patients receiving primary care treatment.

Disability and quality of life in heart failure patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although both hospitalization and mortality due to heart failure (HF) have been widely studied, less is known about the impact of HF on disability and quality of life.

Aim: To assess the degree of disability and quality of life in HF patients attended at family medicine centres.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional study of a cohort of HF patients attended at family medicine centres.

The Spanish Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment and Services of the National Health System (RedETS).

Earlier activities on health technology assessment (HTA) started in Spain around 1984, with the creation of a National Advisory Board on HTA, and the development of national and regional HTA organizations in the early 1990s. In 2012, the Spanish Health Ministry established the Spanish Network for Health Technology Assessment of the National Health System (RedETS); funded at national level and including all public HTA organizations at national and regional levels. RedETSis focused on the assessment of nondrug health technologies to inform the revision (approval and funding or disinvestment) of the Benefit Portfolio of the Spanish NHS.

[Healthcare and maternal morbidity and mortality: a hospital-based case-control study in two regions of Colombia (Bogotá and Antioquia), 2009-2011].

The study aimed to identify whether payment forms and insurance schemes are associated with severe obstetric complications and maternal mortality. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in two regions of Colombia, 2009-2011. Data were obtained from each woman's clinical history.

High-dose rate brachytherapy as monotherapy in prostate cancer: A systematic review of its safety and efficacy.

Context: High-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is an increasingly popular treatment for patients with localised prostate cancer (PC).

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of HDR-BT as monotherapy in PC.

Acquisition Of Evidence: A systematic literature review was conducted through searches on MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, CDR, ClinicalTrials and EuroScan.

Hypofractionated radiation therapy versus conventional radiation therapy in prostate cancer: A systematic review of its safety and efficacy.

Context: New therapeutic alternatives can improve the safety and efficacy of prostate cancer treatment.

Objectives: To assess whether hypofractionated radiation therapy results in better safety and efficacy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Acquisition Of Evidence: Systematic review of the literature through searches on PubMed, Cochrane Library, CRD, ClinicalTrials and EuroScan, collecting indicators of safety and efficacy.

Efficacy and safety of the urolift® system for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia symptoms: systematic review.

Context: Interest in having alternatives in the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of the Urolift® system for treating the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia.

Acquisition Of Evidence: Systematic review of the literature through searches on PubMed, Cochrane Library, CRD, Clinical Trials and EuroScan, collecting indicators of efficacy and safety.

A polypill strategy to improve adherence: results from the FOCUS project.

Background: Adherence to evidence-based cardiovascular (CV) medications after an acute myocardial infarction (MI) is low after the first 6 months. The use of fixed-dose combinations (FDC) has been shown to improve treatment adherence and risk factor control. However, no previous randomized trial has analyzed the impact of a polypill strategy on adherence in post-MI patients.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different immunization strategies against whooping cough to reduce child morbidity and mortality.

Introduction: In the last years there has been a significant increase in reported cases of pertussis in developed countries, in spite of high rates of childhood immunization. Health institutions have recommended different vaccination strategies to reduce child morbidity and mortality: vaccination of adolescents and adults, pregnant women, people in contact with the newborn (cocoon strategy) and health care workers. The aim of this paper is to review the scientific evidence supporting these recommendations.

Effect of oral nitrates on pulse pressure and arterial elasticity in patients aged over 65 years with refractory isolated systolic hypertension: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Isolated systolic hypertension is a highly prevalent disease among the elderly. The little available evidence on the efficacy of nitrates for treating the disease is based on small experimental studies.

Methods/design: We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase III, placebo-controlled trial in 154 patients aged over 65 years with refractory isolated systolic hypertension.

Hormone therapy for preventing cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women.

Background: Evidence from systematic reviews of observational studies suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HT) may have beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in post-menopausal women. This is an updated version of a Cochrane review first published in 2005 (Gabriel-Sanchez 2005).

Objectives: To assess the effects of HT for the prevention of CVD in post-menopausal women, and whether there are differential effects between use of single therapy alone compared to combination HT and use in primary or secondary prevention.

A cluster-randomised clinical trial comparing two cardiovascular health education strategies in a child population: the Savinghearts project.

Background: This paper describes a methodology for comparing the effects of an eduentertainment strategy involving a music concert, and a participatory class experience involving the description and making of a healthy breakfast, as educational vehicles for delivering obesity-preventing/cardiovascular health messages to children aged 7-8 years.

Methods/design: This study will involve a cluster-randomised trial with blinded assessment. The study subjects will be children aged 7-8 years of both sexes attending public primary schools in the Madrid Region.

Efficacy of a strategy for implementing a guideline for the control of cardiovascular risk in a primary healthcare setting: the SIRVA2 study a controlled, blinded community intervention trial randomised by clusters.

Unlabelled: This work describes the methodology used to assess a strategy for implementing clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for cardiovascular risk control in a health area of Madrid.

Background: The results on clinical practice of introducing CPGs have been little studied in Spain. The strategy used to implement a CPG is known to influence its final use.