Current recommendations/practices for anonymising data from clinical trials in order to make it available for sharing: A scoping review.

Background/aims: There are increasing pressures for anonymised datasets from clinical trials to be shared across the scientific community, and differing recommendations exist on how to perform anonymisation prior to sharing. We aimed to systematically identify, describe and synthesise existing recommendations for anonymising clinical trial datasets to prepare for data sharing.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science from inception to 8 February 2021.

Dealing with missing standard deviation and mean values in meta-analysis of continuous outcomes: a systematic review.

Background: Rigorous, informative meta-analyses rely on availability of appropriate summary statistics or individual participant data. For continuous outcomes, especially those with naturally skewed distributions, summary information on the mean or variability often goes unreported. While full reporting of original trial data is the ideal, we sought to identify methods for handling unreported mean or variability summary statistics in meta-analysis.

Correction: Supported Telemonitoring and Glycemic Control in People with Type 2 Diabetes: The Telescot Diabetes Pragmatic Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.

Supported Telemonitoring and Glycemic Control in People with Type 2 Diabetes: The Telescot Diabetes Pragmatic Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Self-monitoring of blood glucose among people with type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin does not appear to be effective in improving glycemic control. We investigated whether health professional review of telemetrically transmitted self-monitored glucose results in improved glycemic control in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

Methods And Findings: We performed a randomized, parallel, investigator-blind controlled trial with centralized randomization in family practices in four regions of the United Kingdom among 321 people with type 2 diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >58 mmol/mol.

Increased Hospital-Based Physical Rehabilitation and Information Provision After Intensive Care Unit Discharge: The RECOVER Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Critical illness results in disability and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL), but the optimum timing and components of rehabilitation are uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of increasing physical and nutritional rehabilitation plus information delivered during the post-intensive care unit (ICU) acute hospital stay by dedicated rehabilitation assistants on subsequent mobility, HRQOL, and prevalent disabilities.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A parallel group, randomized clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment at 2 hospitals in Edinburgh, Scotland, of 240 patients discharged from the ICU between December 1, 2010, and January 31, 2013, who required at least 48 hours of mechanical ventilation.

Hydrogel-coated coils versus bare platinum coils for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms (HELPS): a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Coated coils for endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysm were developed to reduce recurrence and retreatment rates, and have been in clinical use for 8-9 years without robust evidence to determine their efficacy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of hydrogel-coated coils.

Methods: This randomised trial was undertaken in 24 centres in seven countries.

Assessment of physiological parameters within glioblastomas in awake patients: a prospective clinical study.

Object: Multiparametric brain monitoring probes now make it possible to measure cerebral physiology. This prospective clinical study was designed to evaluate the pathophysiological environment of tumoural and peritumoural tissue O(2), CO(2), pH, HCO(3)- and temperature of awake patients with glioblastoma.

Methods: A Neurotrend multiparametric sensor was placed using intraoperative image guidance into glioblastoma after biopsy under general anesthetic.

No evidence of bias in the process of publication of diagnostic accuracy studies in stroke submitted as abstracts.

Objective: There is little empirical evidence on publication bias in diagnostic test accuracy studies. We evaluated the proportion of abstracts presented at international stroke meetings, which were later published in full, and investigated which study features characterized publication.

Methods: We reviewed all diagnostic abstracts presented at two international stroke conferences between 1995 and 2004.

Frequency and risk factors for spontaneous hemorrhagic transformation of cerebral infarction.

Objective: Hemorrhagic transformation of cerebral infarction (HTI) occurs spontaneously but its frequency and risk factors are uncertain with mixed results in previous studies. We aimed to determine the overall frequency of and risk factors for HTI.

Methods: We performed a systematic review according to Cochrane Collaboration methods of published reports of HTI with reliable, systematic follow-up with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

Cerebral microbleeds are associated with lacunar stroke defined clinically and radiologically, independently of white matter lesions.

Background And Purpose: Associations among microbleeds, white matter lesions (WMLs), and small deep infarcts on imaging have been reported. Because many of these imaging infarcts were asymptomatic, the relationship of microbleeds to clinical lacunar stroke is unclear. An association between microbleeds and clinically defined lacunar stroke might suggest a common causal microangiopathy.

Extensive haemorrhagic transformation of infarct: might it be an important cause of primary intracerebral haemorrhage?

Data from prior studies using serial imaging and post mortem data support the possibility that at least some cases of apparent primary intracerebral haemorrhage are due to early haemorrhagic transformation of infarct. If some primary intracerabral haemorrhage is actually early haemorrhagic transformation of infarct, then secondary stroke prevention for ischaemic stroke might be appropriate and so future studies should obtain data to determine the frequency of early major haemorrhagic transformation of infarct.

Comparison of risk factors in patients with transient and prolonged eye and brain ischemic syndromes.

Background And Purpose: Patients with ischemic stroke, cerebral transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), retinal artery occlusion (RAO), and amaurosis fugax are thought to have similar risk factors and underlying vascular disease. However, if risk factors are different in patients with eye compared with brain symptoms and in those whose symptoms last <24 hours (transient) compared with those lasting >24 hours (prolonged), more focused prevention strategies are possible in the future.

Methods: All patients with ischemic stroke, cerebral TIA, RAO, and amaurosis fugax presenting to our hospital from 1994 to 1999 were examined by a stroke physician.

Which Doppler velocity is best for assessing suitability for carotid endarterectomy?

Objective: To evaluate which velocity, or combination of velocities, from carotid Doppler ultrasonography (DU), achieved the closest agreement with an assessment of suitability for carotid endarterectomy from intra-arterial angiograms (IAA).

Methods: We prospectively collected data from 148 consecutive patients (288 carotids), who had DU and IAA (blinded assessment) before possible carotid endarterectomy. We halved our data by randomly selecting the left or right carotid artery for each patient.