Medical Library Research Articles

Inclusion Body Myositis in Children: Does it Exist?

Context: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is a rare type of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIMs). It mainly affects skeletal muscles but can also affect the skin and other organs in the body. Sporadic inclusion body myositis prevalence in children under 18 years old is very rare. Objectives: This review provides an overview of the evidence of sIBM in children, discusses the possible clinical and pathological features, and explores the proposed pathogenesis. Methods: A literature review of over 44 articles in PubMed and other medical libraries, such as Google Scholar and Web of Science, was carried out using terms such as JIIM, IBM, Inflammatory Myopathies in Children, and Inherited IBM. Two documented reports for sIBM were found, and the rest included the disease pathogenesis, prevalence of inherited IBM, and other myopathies in children. Results: This review discussed the prevalence and incidence of JIIM, in particular sIBM in children. While IBM is typically sporadic, there have been rare cases where it is familial and inherited. Genetic susceptibility factors are believed to play a role in sIBM. Most patients with sIBM are over 50 years old and experience significant weakness in the quadriceps; however, patients with inherited IBM (h-IBM) typically present earlier in adulthood with a distinct pattern of weakness. Sporadic inclusion body myositis can be misdiagnosed as other forms of myopathies, such as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), during the early stages of the disease. The exact causes of sIBM are still unknown; however, environmental factors, genetic predispositions, and immune dysregulation might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Conclusions: Sporadic inclusion body myositis is a rare form of JIIMs. Its early diagnosis in children can be challenging due to the presence of other coexisting diseases. Discussions have revolved around potential environmental factors, such as viral infections, specific myositis-specific antibodies (MSAs), such as anti-Ro52, and possibly certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes. Given the rarity of reported cases of sIBM in children, it is important to encourage further studies to better understand the underdiagnosed instances of this condition.

Examining the relationship between the oral microbiome, alcohol intake and alcohol-comorbid neuropsychological disorders: protocol for a scoping review

IntroductionHeavy alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) continues to rise as a public health problem and increases the risk for disease. Elevated rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disruption and...

Outcomes of Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer Requiring Vein Grafting: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

To systematically review the literature to determine the prevalence of free flap failure in head and neck free flaps requiring vein grafting. Search strategies created in collaboration with a medical librarian were implemented using PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from inception to August 2022. The population of interest included adult and pediatric patients undergoing reconstruction of oncologic or traumatic head and neck defects with a free flap requiring a vein graft that presents the success/failure rate. The primary outcome was the flap failure rate, and the secondary outcome was the flap compromise/revision rate. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were designed to capture all study designs. Initially, 2778 articles were identified by the search strategy. Two reviewers independently performed the review, data extraction for analysis, and a quality assessment. Primary Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. Eleven studies of 789 flaps were included for data extraction. Random effects meta-analysis resulted in an estimated prevalence of free flap failure of 12.30% (95% confidence interval: 6.39%-19.49%, I2 = 77.4%). Taking into account that head and neck free tissue transfers that require a vein graft are typically associated with more challenging reconstructions and the lack of a suitable alternative, vein grafts appear to be a reliable method for bridging the gap between the flap and recipient vessels in head and neck free tissue transfer when indicated.

Role of prolonged packing in postoperative anorectal abscess management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Prolonged packing of anorectal abscess cavities with internal dressings after incision and drainage is frequently used, but the efficacy of this practice remains controversial. Some studies highlight its use in hemostasis and preventing fistula and abscess recurrence, whereas others describe its economic burden and increase in pain. In this systematic review, we examine current evidence on the impact of packing after incision and drainage for anorectal abscesses. The medical librarian conducted a comprehensive literature search on January 5, 2023. We conducted the meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4.1 software with a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model. We identified 3 randomized controlled trials, comprising 490 patients. Of those, 241 patients (49%) received postoperative packing; most patients were male (n = 158, 65.6%), with a median age of 40.5 years and a follow-up of 6 months. Meta-analysis showed that prolonged wound packing was associated with delayed wound healing and increased pain, but no difference in abscess recurrence or fistula formation. In this systematic review of current evidence highlighting the impact of packing after incision and drainage for anorectal abscesses, we found that the practice is not associated with significant differences in abscess recurrence and fistula formation, but is associated with increased postoperative pain and delayed wound healing.

Analyzing and Categorizing Knowledge Resources and Ranking of Knowledge Documentation Mechanisms in Iranian Medical Libraries

Background: Knowledge resources and documentation mechanisms are essential for managers' productivity. Thus, identifying and categorizing knowledge resources and developing documentation mechanisms are crucial organizational tasks. Objectives: This research aimed to analyze, categorize, and rank knowledge resources in Iranian medical science libraries. Methods: This exploratory and correlational study was conducted on 209 managers, heads, and deputies of central and hospital libraries in Iranian medical universities. Sampling was performed using a proportional stratified random sampling method, and a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the data. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized for data analysis. Results: Knowledge resources in medical science libraries were categorized into implicit, explicit, and web-based knowledge. Regarding the stages of knowledge documentation, the results indicated that the distribution stage and its related mechanisms received the highest scores. In contrast, the storage stage and its mechanisms received the lowest scores. The path coefficient test showed that the highest path coefficient was related to implicit knowledge (0.68), while the lowest was related to web-based knowledge (0.13). Regression coefficients and Cronbach's alpha were higher than 0.7, and the average extracted variance (AVE) was higher than 0.5, indicating the adequacy of the measurement and structural model evaluation. Conclusions: Based on the results, Iranian medical science libraries lack specific mechanisms for documentation and identifying and categorizing knowledge resources. Therefore, this research provided a suitable foundation for these libraries to employ knowledge documentation mechanisms and discover knowledge resources. These libraries' sources of implicit and explicit knowledge and necessary mechanisms for recording, capturing, and documenting knowledge are not clearly defined. Consequently, organizational knowledge documentation is not conducted formally based on a knowledge management model. Therefore, the present research enables the identification of important knowledge acquisition resources and the methods and mechanisms for extracting and documenting knowledge.

MEDICAL, ENDOSCOPIC, AND SURGICAL THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF RECTAL CUFFITIS IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS PATIENTS WITH AN ILEAL POUCH-ANAL ANASTOMOSIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients who undergo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) without mucosectomy are left with a rectal cuff, which can develop inflammation known as cuffitis. Treatment of cuffitis typically includes mesalamine suppositories or corticosteroids, but individuals with refractory cuffitis may require advanced therapies, endoscopic intervention, or surgical intervention. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing literature regarding treatments options for cuffitis. METHODS A broad search strategy was created by a medical librarian to capture rectal cuffitis in IPAA patients. The following databases were searched: Ovid Medline® ALL, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), and 3 indexes in Web of Science from Clarivate: Science Citation Index-Expanded, Conference Proceedings Citation Index, and BIOSIS Citation Index. A total of 1,652 citations were identified, and 836 studies remained after removal of 816 duplicates. Two reviewers screened all 836 abstracts and 241 full-text articles to determine if they were eligible for inclusion in this review. RESULTS A total of 21 studies (10 cohort studies, 9 case-series, 2 open-label clinical trials) met the inclusion criteria. Medical interventions were investigated in 15 studies (Table 1) with mesalamine being the most common (4 studies) followed by corticosteroids (3 studies), ustekinumab (3 studies), vedolizumab (2 studies), tofacitinib (1 study), and infliximab (1 study). Studies investigating mesalamine and corticosteroid use generally had larger sample sizes (ranging 4-120 patients) and showed symptomatic improvement in 51.7-100% of patients and decreases of 1.14-1.8 points in endoscopic disease activity indices. In contrast, studies investigating advanced therapies had small sample sizes (ranging 1-21 patients) and showed variable responses ranging from no clinical (tofacitinib) or endoscopic (ustekinumab, vedolizumab) improvements to clinical (ustekinumab) or endoscopic (vedolizumab) responses in 75% of patients. Endoscopic and surgical approaches were explored in 6 studies (Table 2) and included secondary mucosectomy (2 studies), endoscopic cuff resection, transanal minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic needle-knife therapy, and balloon dilation for cuffitis patients with concomitant outlet strictures (1 study each). These techniques generally resulted in resolution of symptoms but were limited by small sample sizes (ranging 3-16 patients). CONCLUSIONS Most studies evaluating therapies used to treat rectal cuffitis suggest beneficial effects of conventional mesalamine or corticosteroid-based therapies, whereas data regarding the efficacy of advanced therapies and interventional procedures are inconsistent given small sample sizes. Further research is needed to effectively characterize additional management options for this condition. Table 1. Medical therapies used for treatment of cuffitis. Abbreviations – BM: bowel movements, CRP: C-reactive protein, UST: ustekinumab, HBOT: hyperbaric oxygen therapy, mPDAI: modified Pouch Disease Activity Index, 5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylate, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, PDAI: Pouch Disease Activity Index, CGQOL: Cleveland Global Quality of Life score, IPS: Irritable Pouch Syndrome, CAI: Cuffitis Activity Index. Table 2. Endoscopic and surgical therapies used for treatment of cuffitis. Abbreviations – FISI: Fecal Incontinence Severity Index, CGQOL: Cleveland Global Quality of Life score, PDAI: Pouch Disease Activity Index, BM: bowel movements.

Medical library systems and services: Bangladesh scenario.

This study highlights the present status of medical libraries in Bangladesh. It mainly focuses on the four key areas of medical libraries: Medical Library Services, Research4Life from Bangladesh perspective, Institutional Repository (IR), and Library Automation status. The research study also explores the various key challenges faced by the medical libraries in Bangladesh and finally provides necessary recommendations like a sufficient library budget, implementation of an Integrated Library System (ILS), skilled manpower, more participation in information networking and resource sharing, sound ICT environment, online collection development for the overall development of medical libraries in Bangladesh.

Enhancing the quality and reproducibility of research: How to work effectively with medical and data librarians.

Enhancing the quality and reproducibility of research: How to work effectively with medical and data librarians.

One leg at a time: medical librarians and fake news.

While there has been recent media attention to the issue of "fake news," misinformation and disinformation has been a lasting part of human history. This Janet Doe Lecture presents the history of fake news, how it is spread and accepted, its impact on medical and health information, and medical librarian roles in limiting its spread and promoting correct health information.

Are Working Nurses Enrolled in Graduate School Aware of Medical Librarians at Their Workplace? A Survey to Close the Research-to-Bedside Gap

This article reports the results from an anonymous survey sent to working graduate nursing students. The survey asked about nurses’ awareness of medical librarians at the healthcare institutions where they work. Less than half of the survey respondents were aware that medical librarians were available to them at work. Less than half of the survey respondents claimed they consulted with a medical librarian at work or witnessed another nurse consulting with a medical librarian. The disconnect between academia and patient care is part of the 15-year research-to-bedside gap that exists in nursing. Medical librarians can help to close the gap.

SearchRxiv: A Resource for Sharing Database Search Strategies

Medical librarians can increase their work visibility and highlight their unique role on evidence synthesis teams with searchRxiv, an open access repository that makes librarian’s efforts easily citable and resolves longstanding challenges pertaining to reproducing full search strategies within literature review articles. This column will discuss how to navigate searchRxiv to find, reuse, and cite published search strategies, as well as the process of depositing search strategies.

Health Literacy in Graphic Medicine: Medical Comics and Graphic Pathologies

Long ago a child left a dentist office with a comic book on the proper way to brush their teeth. Over time, so many have read comics telling tales of their favorite Marvel hero or what is next for Snoopy and his colleagues or the political scene depicted in a Doonesbury comic strip. Today comics and graphic novels with pictures that look like us center on health topics to get us through a pandemic, being a caring caregiver, eating properly and learning about climate change. It is cliché, but pictures can represent a thousand words, especially when the topics may be complicated, but the images are comfortable for the reader. This Health Literacy column will define graphic medicine with its comics and graphic pathograhics, the elements needed for these tools to create a meaningful health related resource and illustrate it with examples. After an assessment of the services and populations served, health science librarians can use these suggestions and examples for collection development in their medical libraries and/or consumer health collections. The Librarian may even be involved in creating a comic or graphic pathographic.

The medical librarian's roles in the patient education process: A scoping review protocol.

The presence of medical librarians in the patient education team can greatly facilitate the patient education process. Expanding the role of medical librarians in patient education and using them in this process requires understanding the roles and services they can provide. This scoping review aims to identify different traditional and modern services and roles that medical librarians provide specifically in the patient education process. A scoping review protocol is reported, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols statement and guided by The Joanna Briggs Institute. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and LISTA (Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts) will be searched. A grey literature search and hand-searching of citations and reference lists of the included studies will also be undertaken. Studies with their full text are not available and are in languages other than English will be excluded. Two independent reviewers will screen titles/abstracts and full text of retrieved articles and eligibility disagreements within a pair will resolve by discussion or a third reviewer. Data charting will be done in accordance with the data extraction tool made in Excel. Findings will be presented as a narrative summary supported by tables and diagrams. Identifying the different services that medical librarians provide in the patient education process leads medical librarians to inform about the different services they can provide in the patient education process and to expand their roles as well as policymakers and hospital managers to be aware of these roles and use medical librarians in the patient education process appropriately. It also helps the general public and patients to learn about the services that medical librarians can provide them in this process.

Extracervical Approaches to Substernal Thyroid Goiter Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To evaluate the prevalence of extracervical approaches (ECAs) for substernal goiter (SSG) excision. Search strategies created in collaboration with a medical librarian were implemented using PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from inception to July 2021. Participants included adults ages >18 years undergoing SSG excision. The primary outcome was rate of ECA via sternotomy or thoracotomy. Studies were categorized into the 3 most common distinct definitions: goiter descending below the plane of the thoracic inlet (definition 1), ≥50% of thyroid mass extending below the sternal notch (definition 2), and goiter extending ≥3 cm below the suprasternal notch when the neck is hyperextended (definition 3). Two reviewers independently extracted data for analysis and performed a quality assessment using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria. Of the 551 studies identified, 69 studies were included for analysis. Definition 1 included 3441 patients from 31 studies; definition 2 included 2957 patients from 26 studies; and definition 3 included 2921 patients from 12 studies. A random-effect model estimating the pooled prevalence of ECA using definition 1 resulted in prevalence of 6.12% (95% confidence interval: 3.48-9.34, I 2 = 90.72%). Extension below the thoracic inlet is the most widely used definition of SSG. Approximately 6% of patients with a SSG undergo an ECA. Patients with SSG undergoing surgery should be counseled on the prevalence, risks, and morbidity of an ECA in the rare occurrence it is needed.

First and Second Stage Labor Management: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 8.

The purpose of this document is to define labor and labor arrest and provide recommendations for the management of dystocia in the first and second stage of labor and labor arrest. Pregnant individuals in the first or second stage of labor. This guideline was developed using an a priori protocol in conjunction with a writing team consisting of one maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist appointed by the ACOG Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines-Obstetrics and two external subject matter experts. ACOG medical librarians completed a comprehensive literature search for primary literature within Cochrane Library, Cochrane Collaboration Registry of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PubMed, and MEDLINE. Studies that moved forward to the full-text screening stage were assessed by the writing team based on standardized inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included studies underwent quality assessment, and a modified GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) evidence-to-decision framework was applied to interpret and translate the evidence into recommendation statements. This Clinical Practice Guideline includes definitions of labor and labor arrest, along with recommendations for the management of dystocia in the first and second stages of labor and labor arrest. Recommendations are classified by strength and evidence quality. Ungraded Good Practice Points are included to provide guidance when a formal recommendation could not be made because of inadequate or nonexistent evidence.

Use and Impact of Simulation in Family Caregiver Education: A Systematic Review.

Involving family caregivers in a team-based approach has become increasingly important. Simulation-based interventions in nursing have been effective. However, the effect of simulation on family caregiver education is not widely known and is limited. This study aimed to describe the current state of simulation-based interventions in family caregivers of patients with chronic diseases. This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane with a medical librarian's help. This review included quantitative, primary, peer-reviewed English-written research articles that reported outcomes for family caregivers. We focused on the data about purpose, design, setting, population, intervention characteristics, and outcomes. Before analyzing the selected studies, we evaluated the risk of bias using the revised Cochrane Risk-Of-Bias tool for randomized trials. Our search yielded 9 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the 9 articles analyzed were designed in a quasi-experimental design. In addition, most studies focused on certain diseases and used low-fidelity simulators. The simulation content mainly focused on technical simulations to help care for patients. Some simulations had a positive influence on family caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and skills. We expect more simulation-based interventions for caregivers, especially those targeting diverse populations, using appropriate modalities and randomized control designs.

Building Confidence & Competency: Assessing and Addressing New Hospital Librarians’ Professional Development Needs

ABSTRACT There is often a disparity for new hospital librarians between formal Library Information Science (LIS) education and the skills required for doing the job. To bridge the gap, new medical library professionals search out Medical Library Association (MLA) classes and webinars, find courses on the Internet, or link to National Library of Medicine (NLM) training. The MLA Hospital Library Caucus tasked an Education Task Force to ascertain what new librarians needed to help them in their early careers. The Task Force created a survey, which was sent to hospital librarians with less than 5 years’ experience. Respondents were asked to rate their top five duties and responsibilities and indicate with which they needed help. Using the results of the survey as a guide, the task force created a LibGuide for new hospital librarians.

The impact on quality-of-life following treatment of surgical facial scars with laser-based therapy: a scoping review.

Post-surgical scarring impacts quality of life (QOL) and is a significant source of morbidity. Existing treatments targeted at improving the appearance and morbidity of scarring include laser-based therapies. Although lasers are frequently used to improve scar appearance, the effects on QOL are unclear. A scoping review was conducted to assess the impact of laser-based therapy for patients with surgical facial scarring on QOL. Throughout literature review was conducted with the guidance of a medical librarian. Relevant articles underwent two rounds of screening by two, independent reviewers. Data were extracted from each article and later analyzed. Of the four articles analyzed, laser-based therapies were demonstrated as effective in improving QOL for patients with facial scars resultant from surgical intervention. Laser-based therapy should be considered when treating facial scarring resultant from surgical intervention, as it has been shown to improve patient QOL. Standardization of QOL assessment and further studies expanding scar inclusion should be pursued given the paucity of information found through this review.

Psychosomatic aspects of vitiligo. A review of the literature

The active interest of researchers in the topic of vitiligo is due to both the potential for optimizing the treatment of chronic dermatosis of unknown etiology and the high psychosocial significance of the problem, which goes beyond the purely medical sphere.
 The review deals with psychosomatic aspects of vitiligo: stressful manifestations; stigmatization and quality of life of patients with vitiligo; nosogenic (secondary) and comorbid vitiligo mental disorders; the article considers complex approaches to therapy, taking into account psychosomatic factors. The literature was searched in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, MedLine, Embase, Cochrane, Russian State Library, the Sechenov Central Science Medical Library.
 It seems extremely relevant and promising to develop a clinical typology of comorbid vitiligo psychosomatic disorders with the development of clinical recommendations for the identification, routing and therapy of an extensive contingent of patients with chronic dermatosis.

Возможности лучевых методов диагностики связочно-суставного аппарата коленного сустава в современных условиях

Relevance. This article is devoted to a review of current radiation methods for visualizing pathologies of the structures of the knee joint, which represent a topical problem in modern clinical practice and require close attention and in-depth study. The range of medical treatment depends entirely on the rational and necessary use of radiation imaging methods and the competence of diagnostic specialists. Objective of the review. Based on an analysis of the literature, to assess the current state of the problem and the effectiveness of the used radiation methods for diagnosing damage to the ligamentous-articular structure of the knee. Material and methods. The search was conducted in the open electronic scientific databases PubMed of the US National Electronic Medical Library and the databases of the Russian scientific electronic library e-library using keywords and phrases: radiodiagnosis, knee joint injury, standard radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, arthrography . Review results. In order to make an early diagnosis through radiation methods and provide the necessary assistance, standard radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound are used. Contrast x-ray arthrography, computed tomographic arthrography (CT arthrography) and magnetic resonance arthrography (MR arthrography) are also relevant methods for detecting knee joint injuries. One of the most commonly used primary methods of radiological imaging of pathologies of large joints is standard radiography in two projections. However, it is not possible to assess damage within the anatomical structures of the soft tissues and ligaments of the knee joint due to the low sensitivity of this method. The use of computed tomography in most cases is an additional way to clarify the correctness of the intended diagnosis and is of a secondary nature. Magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice for pathologies of both intra-articular and extra-articular structures of the knee. The advantages of magnetic resonance imaging include the safety and non-invasiveness of the study, the absence of ionizing radiation and high diagnostic value. The most promising and informative invasive radiation techniques for diagnosing knee joint pathologies using paramagnetic contrast agents in clinical practice are CT arthrography and MR arthrography. Conclusion. Each radiation imaging method has its own advantages and it is important to individually determine the need for the use of diagnostic tools for certain clinical cases. Also, in order to early identify pathological conditions of the knee joint structures and carry out the necessary surgical or therapeutic manipulations, it is necessary to use an integrated approach to diagnostic measures