Risk of repeat self-harm among individuals presenting to healthcare services: development and validation of a clinical risk assessment model (OxSET).

Background: A self-harm episode is a major risk factor for repeat self-harm. Existing tools to assess and predict repeat self-harm have major methodological limitations, and few are externally validated.

Objective: To develop and validate a risk assessment model of repeat self-harm up to 6 months after an episode of non-fatal self-harm that resulted in an emergency visit to hospital or specialised care.

A review of methods for the analysis of diagnostic tests performed in sequence.

Background: Many clinical pathways for the diagnosis of disease are based on diagnostic tests that are performed in sequence. The performance of the full diagnostic sequence is dictated by the diagnostic performance of each test in the sequence as well as the conditional dependence between them, given true disease status. Resulting estimates of performance, such as the sensitivity and specificity of the test sequence, are key parameters in health-economic evaluations.

Practical and analytical considerations when performing interim analyses in diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Interim analysis is a common methodology in randomised clinical trials but has received less attention in studies of diagnostic test accuracy. In such studies, early termination for futility may be beneficial if early evidence indicates that a diagnostic test is unlikely to achieve a clinically useful level of diagnostic performance, as measured by the sensitivity and specificity. In this paper, we describe relevant practical and analytical considerations when planning and performing interim analysis in diagnostic accuracy studies, focusing on stopping rules for futility.

Evidence for differences in patterns of temporal trends in meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies in the Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

Objectives: Temporal trends in comparative meta-analyses of interventions are well-recognized in the medical literature. For studies of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA), evidence of temporal trends is growing and the importance of assessing and reporting them has been highlighted in recent guidelines on postmarket surveillance in several jurisdictions. In this study, we evaluate the prevalence and patterns of time trends using a larger and more up-to-date set of DTA systematic reviews than has previously been examined, from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Serrated polyposis syndrome: defining the epidemiology and predicting the risk of dysplasia.

Background: Serrated polyposis syndrome is the most common polyposis syndrome that has neoplastic potential. However, the natural history, genetic basis, and risk of dysplasia and neoplasia of serrated polyposis syndrome are incompletely understood. The objective of this study is to define the epidemiology of serrated polyposis syndrome.

Infections diagnosed in children and young people screened for malaria in UK emergency departments: a retrospective multi-centre study.

Background: Data on imported infections in children and young people (CYP) are sparse.

Aims: To describe imported infections in CYP arriving from malaria-endemic areas and presenting to UK emergency departments (ED) who were screened for malaria.

Methods: This is a retrospective, multi-centre, observational study nested in a diagnostic accuracy study for malaria rapid diagnostic tests.

Epidemiology and microbiology of recurrent UTI in women in the community in Oxfordshire, UK.

Background: Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) contributes to significant morbidity and antibiotic usage.

Objectives: To characterize the age of women experiencing rUTI, the microbiology of rUTIs, and the risk of further rUTIs in Oxfordshire, UK.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analysed de-identified linked microbiology and hospital admissions data (Infections in Oxfordshire Research Database), between 2008 and 2019, including positive urine cultures from women aged ≥16 years in community settings.

Urine tenofovir and dried blood spot tenofovir diphosphate concentrations and viraemia in people taking efavirenz and dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether urine tenofovir (TFV) and dried blood spot (DBS) tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) concentrations are associated with concurrent HIV viraemia.

Design: Cross-sectional study among people with HIV (PWH) receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods: We used dual tandem liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to measure urine TFV and DBS TFV-DP concentrations, and evaluated their associations with concurrent viraemia at least 1000 copies/ml using logistic regression models.

Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses.

Background: Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease worldwide. Stopping smoking can reduce this harm and many people would like to stop. There are a number of medicines licenced to help people quit globally, and e-cigarettes are used for this purpose in many countries.

Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of two point-of-care tests for COVID-19 when used in symptomatic patients in community settings in the UK primary care COVID diagnostic accuracy platform trial (RAPTOR-C19).

Background And Objective: Point-of-care lateral flow device antigen testing has been used extensively to identify individuals with active SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of two point-of-care tests (POCTs) for SARS-CoV-2 in routine community care.

Methods: Adults and children with symptoms consistent with suspected current COVID-19 infection were prospectively recruited from 19 UK general practices and two COVID-19 testing centres between October 2020 and October 2021.

Evidence-based appraisal of two guidelines for the diagnosis of suspected, uncomplicated urinary tract infections in primary care: a diagnostic accuracy validation study.

Objectives: Given the lack of accurate rapid diagnostics for urinary tract infection (UTI) in women, many countries have developed guidelines aiming to support appropriate antibiotic prescribing, but some guidelines have not been validated. We performed a diagnostic accuracy validation study of two guidelines: Public Health England (GW-1263) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN160).

Methods: We used data from women with symptoms suggestive of uncomplicated UTI from a randomized controlled trial comparing urine collection devices.

Different doses, durations and modes of delivery of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation.

Background: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aims to replace nicotine from cigarettes. This helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and ease the transition from cigarette smoking to complete abstinence. Although there is high-certainty evidence that NRT is effective for achieving long-term smoking abstinence, it is unclear whether different forms, doses, durations of treatment or timing of use impacts its effects.

Nicotine receptor partial agonists for smoking cessation.

Background: Nicotine receptor partial agonists may help people to stop smoking by a combination of maintaining moderate levels of dopamine to counteract withdrawal symptoms (acting as an agonist) and reducing smoking satisfaction (acting as an antagonist). This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2007.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of nicotine receptor partial agonists, including varenicline and cytisine, for smoking cessation.

Prediction of violent reoffending in people released from prison in England: External validation study of a risk assessment tool (OxRec).

We aimed to externally validate the Oxford Risk of Recidivism (OxRec) tool to estimate 1- and 2-year risk of violent reoffending in people released from prison in England. We identified individuals using administrative data shared between official prison and police services. We extracted information on criminal history, clinical and sociodemographic risk predictors, and outcomes.

A Diagnostic Accuracy Study to Evaluate Standard Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Alone to Safely Rule Out Imported Malaria in Children Presenting to UK Emergency Departments.

Background: Microscopy is the gold standard for malaria diagnosis but is dependent on trained personnel. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) form the mainstay of diagnosis in endemic areas without access to high-quality microscopy. We aimed to evaluate whether RDT alone could rule out imported malaria in children presenting to UK emergency departments (EDs).

Diagnostic accuracy of natriuretic peptide screening for left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the community: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is a global health burden and new strategies to achieve timely diagnosis and early intervention are urgently needed. Natriuretic peptide (NP) testing can be used to screen for left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), but evidence on test performance is mixed, and international HF guidelines differ in their recommendations. Our aim was to summarize the evidence on diagnostic accuracy of NP screening for LVSD in general and high-risk community populations and estimate optimal screening thresholds.

Prediction of reoffending risk in men convicted of sexual offences: development and validation of novel and scalable risk assessment tools (OxRIS).

Background: Current risk assessment tools have a limited evidence base with few validations, poor reporting of outcomes, and rarely include modifiable factors.

Methods: We examined a national cohort of men convicted of sexual crimes in Sweden. We developed prediction models for three outcomes: violent (including sexual), any, and sexual reoffending.

The predictive performance of criminal risk assessment tools used at sentencing: Systematic review of validation studies.

Although risk assessment tools have been widely used to inform sentencing decisions, there is uncertainty about the extent and quality of evidence of their predictive performance when validated in new samples. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of validation studies of 11 commonly used risk assessment tools for sentencing. We identified 36 studies with 597,665 participants, among which were 27 independent validation studies with 177,711 individuals.

Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Background: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are handheld electronic vaping devices which produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. Some people who smoke use ECs to stop or reduce smoking, although some organizations, advocacy groups and policymakers have discouraged this, citing lack of evidence of efficacy and safety. People who smoke, healthcare providers and regulators want to know if ECs can help people quit smoking, and if they are safe to use for this purpose.