Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Research Articles

Vaginal Birth at Term - Part 2. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S3-Level, AWMF Registry No. 015/083, December 2020).

Purpose This guideline aims to summarize the current state of knowledge about vaginal birth at term. The guideline focuses on definitions of the physiological stages of labor as well as differentiating between various pathological developments and conditions. It also assesses the need for intervention and the options to avoid interventions. The second part of this guideline presents recommendations and statements on care during the dilation and expulsion stages as well as during the placental/postnatal stage. Methods The German recommendations largely reproduce the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) CG190 guideline "Intrapartum care for healthy women and babies". Other international guidelines were also consulted in individual cases when compiling this guideline. In addition, a systematic search and analysis of the literature was carried out using PICO questions where necessary, and other systematic reviews and individual studies were taken into account. For easier comprehension, the assessment tools of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) were used to evaluate the quality of additionally consulted studies. Otherwise, the GRADE system was used for the NICE guideline, and the evidence reports of the IQWiG were used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Recommendations Recommendations and statements were formulated based on identified evidence and/or a structured consensus.

Vaginal Birth at Term - Part 1. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S3-Level, AWMF Registry No. 015/083, December 2020).

Purpose This guideline aims to summarize the current state of knowledge about vaginal birth at term. The guideline focuses on definitions of the physiological stages of labor as well as differentiating between various pathological developments and conditions. It also assesses the need for intervention and the options to avoid interventions. This first part presents recommendations and statements about patient information and counselling, general patient care, monitoring of patients, pain management and quality control measures for vaginal birth. Methods The German recommendations largely reproduce the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) CG 190 guideline "Intrapartum care for healthy women and babies". Other international guidelines were also consulted in specific cases when compiling this guideline. In addition, a systematic search and analysis of the literature was carried out using PICO questions, if this was considered necessary, and other systematic reviews and individual studies were taken into account. For easier comprehension, the assessment tools of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) were used to evaluate the quality of the additionally consulted studies. Otherwise, the GRADE system was used for the NICE guideline and the evidence reports of the IQWiG were used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Recommendations Recommendations and statements were formulated based on identified evidence and/or a structured consensus.

Multimodal interventions to optimize spinal cord perfusion in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injuries: a systematic review.

The authors systematically reviewed current evidence for the utility of mean arterial pressure (MAP), intraspinal pressure (ISP), and spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) as predictors of outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). PubMed, Cochrane Reviews Library, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were queried in December 2020. Two independent reviewers screened articles using Covidence software. Disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. The inclusion criteria for articles were 1) available in English; 2) full text; 3) clinical studies on traumatic SCI interventions; 4) involved only human participants; and 5) focused on MAP, ISP, or SCPP. Exclusion criteria were 1) only available in non-English languages; 2) focused only on the brain; 3) described spinal diseases other than SCI; 4) interventions altering parameters other than MAP, ISP, or SCPP; and 5) animal studies. Studies were analyzed qualitatively and grouped into two categories: interventions increasing MAP or interventions decreasing ISP. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network level of evidence was used to assess bias and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to rate confidence in the anticipated effects of each outcome. A total of 2540 unique articles were identified, of which 72 proceeded to full-text review and 24 were included in analysis. One additional study was included retrospectively. Articles that went through full-text review were excluded if they were a review paper (n = 12), not a full article (n = 12), a duplicate paper (n = 9), not a human study (n = 3), not in English (n = 3), not pertaining to traumatic SCI (n = 3), an improper intervention (n = 3), without intervention (n = 2), and without analysis of intervention (n = 1). Although maintaining optimal MAP levels is the current recommendation for SCI management, the published literature supports maintenance of SCPP as a stronger indicator of favorable outcomes. Studies also suggest that laminectomy and durotomy may provide better outcomes than laminectomy alone, although higher-level studies are needed. Current evidence is inconclusive on the effectiveness of CSF drainage for reducing ISP. This review demonstrates the importance of assessing how different interventions may vary in their ability to optimize SCPP.

Respiratory diseases in survivors of adult cancer compared with the general population: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionThere is concern that survivors of adult cancers may be at increased risk of respiratory infections and of exacerbations of pre-existing respiratory conditions. Considering the high prevalence of respiratory disease...

Evidence summary of early rehabilitation of adults with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

To evaluate and summarize the best evidence for early rehabilitation of adults with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). Evidence on early rehabilitation of adult VV-ECMO patients was searched by computer from 7 English literature databases [PubMed database, cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature (CINAHL), Embase database, Cochrane library database, UpToDate clinical consultant, BMJ best clinical practice, JBI database], 5 Chinese literature databases (China biomedical literature database, China Yimai Tong, China national knowledge infrastructure, Wanfang data, VIP database), 5 guideline networks [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), Guidelines International Network (GIN), China Guide Network] and 2 professional association websites [Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine]. The search period is from January 2011 to December 2021. The appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation II (AGREE ) and JBI 2014 quality assessment tools were used to evaluate the quality of inclusion guidelines, systematic reviews, expert consensus and original studies, respectively, and to extract and summarize the best evidence for early rehabilitation of adults with VV-ECMO. A total of 2 guidelines, 2 expert consensuses, 2 systematic reviews and 8 original studies [including 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT), 1 non-randomized controlled study, 3 cohort studies and 3 case reports] were included. The evidence was summarized from 9 aspects including the necessity of early rehabilitation, rehabilitation initiation time, rehabilitation location, pre-rehabilitation preparation, pre-rehabilitation assessment, rehabilitation method, rehabilitation frequency and duration, rehabilitation process monitoring and effect evaluation,and finally 24 pieces of the best evidence were summarized. Early rehabilitation of adults with VV-ECMO is safe and feasible. The summary of the best evidence can provide evidence-based guidance for clinical medical staff to reasonably carry out early rehabilitation.

Treatment of Infantile Spasm Syndrome: Update from the Interdisciplinary Guideline Committee Coordinated by the German-Speaking Society of Neuropediatrics.

The manuscript serves as an update on the current management practices for infantile spasm syndrome (ISS). It includes a detailed summary of the level of current evidence of different treatment options for ISS and gives recommendations for the treatment and care of patients with ISS. A literature search was performed using the Cochrane and Medline Databases (2014 to July 2020). All studies were objectively rated using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. For recommendations, the evidence from these studies was combined with the evidence from studies used in the 2014 guideline. If ISS is suspected, electroencephalography (EEG) should be performed within a few days and, if confirmed, treatment should be initiated immediately. Response to first-line treatment should be evaluated clinically and electroencephalographically after 14 days. The preferred first-line treatment for ISS consists of either hormone-based monotherapy (AdrenoCorticoTropic Hormone [ACTH] or prednisolone) or a combination of hormone and vigabatrin. Children with tuberous sclerosis complex and those with contraindications against hormone treatment should be treated with vigabatrin. If first-line drugs are ineffective, second-line treatment options such as ketogenic dietary therapies, sulthiame, topiramate, valproate, zonisamide, or benzodiazepines should be considered. Children refractory to drug therapy should be evaluated early for epilepsy surgery, especially if focal brain lesions are present. Parents should be informed about the disease, the efficacy and adverse effects of the medication, and support options for the family. Regular follow-up controls are recommended.

European Neuromuscular Centre consensus statement on anaesthesia in patients with neuromuscular disorders.

Patients with neuromuscular conditions are at increased risk of suffering perioperative complications related to anaesthesia. There is currently little specific anaesthetic guidance concerning these patients. Here, we present the European Neuromuscular Centre (ENMC) consensus statement on anaesthesia in patients with neuromuscular disorders as formulated during the 259th ENMC Workshop on Anaesthesia in Neuromuscular Disorders. International experts in the field of (paediatric) anaesthesia, neurology, and genetics were invited to participate in the ENMC workshop. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Embase, the main findings of which were disseminated to the participants and presented during the workshop. Depending on specific expertise, participants presented the existing evidence and their expert opinion concerning anaesthetic management in six specific groups of myopathies and neuromuscular junction disorders. The consensus statement was prepared according to the AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation) reporting checklist. The level of evidence has been adapted according to the SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) grading system. The final consensus statement was subjected to a modified Delphi process. A set of general recommendations valid for the anaesthetic management of patients with neuromuscular disorders in general have been formulated. Specific recommendations were formulated for (i) neuromuscular junction disorders, (ii) muscle channelopathies (nondystrophic myotonia and periodic paralysis), (iii) myotonic dystrophy (types 1 and 2), (iv) muscular dystrophies, (v) congenital myopathies and congenital dystrophies, and (vi) mitochondrial and metabolic myopathies. This ENMC consensus statement summarizes the most important considerations for planning and performing anaesthesia in patients with neuromuscular disorders.

SER-SEPAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease. Part 1: Epidemiology, risk factors and prognosis

ObjectiveTo develop multidisciplinary recommendations to improve the management of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). MethodsClinical research questions relevant to the objective of the document were identified by a panel of rheumatologists and pneumologists selected based on their experience in the field. Systematic reviews of the available evidence were conducted, and evidence was graded according to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria. Specific recommendations were made. ResultsSix PICO questions were selected, three of which analysed the incidence and prevalence of RA-ILD, associated risk factors, and predictors of progression and mortality. A total of 6 specific recommendations on these topics, structured by question, were formulated based on the evidence found and/or expert consensus. ConclusionsWe present the first official SER-SEPAR document with specific recommendations for RA-ILD management developed to resolve some common clinical questions and facilitate decision-making for patients.

SER-SEPAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease. Part 2: Treatment

ObjectiveTo develop multidisciplinary recommendations to improve the management of rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). MethodsClinical research questions relevant to the objective of the document were identified by a panel of rheumatologists and pneumologists selected based on their experience in the field. Systematic reviews of the available evidence were conducted, and evidence was graded according to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria. Specific recommendations were made. ResultsSix PICO questions were selected, three of which analysed the safety and effectiveness of glucocorticoids, classical synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and other immunosuppressants, biological agents, targeted synthetic DMARDs, and antifibrotic therapies in the treatment of this complication. A total of 12 recommendations were formulated based on the evidence found and/or expert consensus. ConclusionsWe present the first official SER-SEPAR document with specific recommendations for RA-ILD management developed to resolve some common clinical questions, reduce clinical healthcare variability, and facilitate decision-making for patients.

Systematic review of the utility of the frailty index and frailty phenotype to predict all-cause mortality in older people

BackgroundCurrent guidelines for healthcare of community-dwelling older people advocate screening for frailty to predict adverse health outcomes, but there is no consensus on the optimum instrument to use in such settings. The objective of this systematic review of population studies was to compare the ability of the frailty index (FI) and frailty phenotype (FP) instruments to predict all-cause mortality in older people.MethodsStudies published before 27 July 2022 were identified using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL databases. The eligibility criteria were population-based prospective studies of community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 years or older) and evaluation of both the FI and FP for prediction of all-cause mortality. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network’s Methodology checklist was used to assess study quality. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUC) were compared, and the proportions of included studies that achieved acceptable discriminatory power (AUC>0.7) were calculated for each frailty instrument. The results were stratified by the use of continuous or categorical formats of each instrument. The review was reported in accordance with the PRISMA and SWiM guidelines.ResultsAmong 8 studies (range: 909 to 7713 participants), both FI and FP had comparable predictive power for all-cause mortality. The AUC values ranged from 0.66 to 0.84 for FI continuous, 0.60 to 0.80 for FI categorical, 0.63 to 0.80 for FP continuous and 0.57 to 0.79 for FP categorical. The proportion of studies achieving acceptable discriminatory power were 75%, 50%, 63%, and 50%, respectively. The predictive ability of each frailty instrument was unaltered by the number of included items.ConclusionsDespite differences in their content, both the FI and FP instruments had modest but comparable ability to predict all-cause mortality. The use of continuous rather than categorical formats in either instrument enhanced their ability to predict all-cause mortality.

311.9: Nurse-Involved Intervention Strategies for Medication Compliance in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review

Objective: To evaluate the intervention strategies for medication compliance of kidney transplantation recipients with nurses’ participation systematically, and to provide evidence-based evidence for nursing staff to formulate intervention strategies. Methods: BMJ Best Practice, UpToDate, Joanna Briggs Institute, The Cochrane Library, Guidelines International Network, Registered Nurses’Association of Ontario, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, National Guideline Clearinghouse, PubMed, EmBase, Web of Science, CNKI, WangFang Data. Sinomed were searched to collect evidence of nurse-involved intervention strategies for medication compliance in kidney transplant recipients.The time limit for the retrieval is from the inception of databases until August 7, 2021. 2 researchers screened studies, extracted the data and evaluated the quality of included studies independently. Results: A total of 22 randomized controlled trials were included in this study.At present, the intervention strategies for medication compliance of kidney transplant recipients with nurses’ participation involving clinical pharmaceutical care, behavioral intervention, education, electronic monitoring and reminder, telemedically supported case management, cognitive behavioral therapy, mobile drug manager application, etc. Conclusion: Nursing staff should pay attention to the poor medication compliance of kidney transplant recipients, more participate in the formulation and implementation of intervention programs actively, and use existing evidence-based evidence to help kidney transplant recipients improve medication compliance. Caregivers could consider cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral intervention and education intervention strategies, but there is insufficient evidence of existing nurse-involved intervention strategies for medication compliance of kidney transplantation patients, and the selection of the best intervention strategy is difficult and complex. High-quality, large-sample studies are still needed in the future. National Natural Science Foundation of China The Project Approval Number: 71904209.

Updated guideline for closure of abdominal wall incisions from the European and American Hernia Societies.

Incisional hernia is a frequent complication of abdominal wall incision. Surgical technique is an important risk factor for the development of incisional hernia. The aim of these updated guidelines was to provide recommendations to decrease the incidence of incisional hernia. A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL was performed on 22 January 2022. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network instrument was used to evaluate systematic reviews and meta-analyses, RCTs, and cohort studies. The GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) was used to appraise the certainty of the evidence. The guidelines group consisted of surgical specialists, a biomedical information specialist, certified guideline methodologist, and patient representative. Thirty-nine papers were included covering seven key questions, and weak recommendations were made for all of these. Laparoscopic surgery and non-midline incisions are suggested to be preferred when safe and feasible. In laparoscopic surgery, suturing the fascial defect of trocar sites of 10 mm and larger is advised, especially after single-incision laparoscopic surgery and at the umbilicus. For closure of an elective midline laparotomy, a continuous small-bites suturing technique with a slowly absorbable suture is suggested. Prophylactic mesh augmentation after elective midline laparotomy can be considered to reduce the risk of incisional hernia; a permanent synthetic mesh in either the onlay or retromuscular position is advised. These updated guidelines may help surgeons in selecting the optimal approach and location of abdominal wall incisions.

Quality of Palliative Care Guidelines in Patients with Heart Failure: A Systematic Review of Quality Appraisal using AGREE II Instrument.

While the principles for developing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are well established, the quality of published guidelines is very diverse. The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of existing CPGs in palliative care for heart failure patients. The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses. A systematic search was conducted in the Excerpta Medica Database, MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL databases and Guideline internet sites: National Institute for Clinical Excellence, National Guideline Clearinghouse, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, Guidelines International Network and National Health and Medical Research Council for CPGs published through April 2021. Criteria for including CPGs were: Containing palliative measures for patients with heart failure over 18 years old and preferably interprofessional guidelines that focus on only one dimension of palliative care or focus on diagnosis, definition and treatment were excluded from the study. After initial screening, five appraisers rated the quality of the final selection of CPGs using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation, 2nd edition (AGREE II). From 1501 records, seven guidelines were selected for analysis. The 'scope and purpose' and 'clarity of presentation' domains obtained the highest mean and 'rigor of development' and 'applicability' domains obtained the lowest mean scores. Three categories of recommendations were: (1) Strongly recommended (guidelines 1, 3, 6 and 7); (2) recommended with modifications (guideline 2) and (3) not recommended (guidelines 4 and 5). Clinical guidelines for palliative care in patients with heart failure were of moderate-to-high quality, with the main deficiencies occurring in the rigor of development and applicability domains. The results inform clinicians and guideline developers of the strengths and weaknesses of each CPG. To improve the quality of palliative care CPGs in the future, it is recommended that developers pay detailed attention to all domains of the AGREE II criteria. Funding agent: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. (IR.MUI.NUREMA.REC.1400.123).

Effectiveness of Multimodal Rehabilitation Interventions for Management of Cervical Radiculopathy in Adults: An Updated Systematic Review from the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (Optima) Collaboration.

ObjectiveTo update the systematic review from the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration and to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal rehabilitation interventions for the management of adults with cervical radiculopathy.Study designSystematic review and best-evidence synthesis.MethodsEligible studies (from January 2013 to June 2020) were critically appraised using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and Risk of Bias 2.0 criteria. The certainty of the evidence was assessed according to Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.ResultsFour RCTs were deemed acceptable and 1 RCT was considered low quality. In adults with recent-onset cervical radiculopathy, multimodal rehabilitation was associated with a trivial and non-clinically important reduction in neck pain compared with mechanical cervical traction; no differences in disability were reported (1 study, 360 participants, low certainty of the evidence). In adults with cervical radiculopathy of any duration, (i) multimodal rehabilitation may be more effective than prescribed physical activity and brief cognitive-behavioural approach; specifically, a small reduction in arm pain and in function was found (1 study, 144 participants, low certainty of the evidence); (ii) no difference in pain reduction was found between multimodal rehabilitation interventions compared with an epidural steroid injection (1 study, 169 participants, low certainty of the evidence); and (iii) compared with surgery combined with neck exercises, multimodal rehabilitation interventions lead to similar arm pain reduction and improvement in function (1 study, 68 participants, low certainty of the evidence).ConclusionThe evidence suggests that some multimodal rehabilitation care may provide small and trivial reduction in neck pain or improvement in function to patients with cervical radiculopathy.LAY ABSTRACTCervical radiculopathy refers to neck and arm pain associated with neurological signs and symptoms. Management of this condition involves clinical rehabilitation as the first line of treatment. A systematic review of the literature was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal interventions for management of cervical radiculopathy. This review suggests that multimodal interventions that include manual therapy to the cervical spine or neck-specific exercises, education, and a cognitive behavioural approach are associated with trivial benefits to patients with cervical radiculopathy. The review also found that adding medication (gabapentin), education, electrical stimulations, ultrasound, massage, and exercise to epidural steroid injection leads to similar outcomes as an epidural steroid injection alone. Finally, the evidence suggests that multimodal rehabilitation (exercises and education) leads to similar outcomes to surgery combined with neck exercises, pain coping, self-efficacy, and stress management strategies.

Maternal micronutrient deficiency and congenital heart disease risk: A systematic review of observational studies.

Congenital anomalies affect over 2% of pregnancies, with congenital heart disease (CHD) the most common. Understanding of causal factors is limited. Micronutrients are essential trace elements with key roles in growth and development. We aimed to investigate whether maternal micronutrient deficiencies increase the risk of fetal CHD through systematic review of published literature. We performed a systematic review registered at PROSPERO as CRD42021276699. Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inception until September 7, 2021. Case control trials were included with a population of biological mothers of fetuses with and without CHD. The exposure was maternal micronutrient level measured in pregnancy or the postpartum period. Data extraction was performed by one author and checked by a second. Risk of bias assessment was performed according to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidance. We performed a narrative synthesis for analysis. 726 articles were identified of which 8 met our inclusion criteria. Final analysis incorporated data from 2,427 pregnancies, 1,199 of which were complicated by fetal CHD assessing 8 maternal micronutrients: vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin A, zinc, copper, selenium, and ferritin. Studies were heterogenous with limited sample sizes and differing methods and timing of maternal micronutrient sampling. Definitions of deficiency varied and differed from published literature. Published results were contradictory. There is not enough evidence to confidently conclude if maternal micronutrient deficiencies increase the risk of fetal CHD. Further large-scale prospective study is required to answer this question.

European guideline on obesity care in patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases – Joint ESPEN/UEG guideline

Patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), pancreatitis, and chronic liver disease (CLD) often suffer from obesity because of coincidence (IBD, IBS, celiac disease) or related pathophysiology (GERD, pancreatitis and CLD). It is unclear if such patients need a particular diagnostic and treatment that differs from the needs of lean GI patients. The present guideline addresses this question according to current knowledge and evidence. The objective of the guideline is to give advice to all professionals working in the field of gastroenterology care including physicians, surgeons, dietitians and others how to handle patients with GI disease and obesity. The present guideline was developed according to the standard operating procedure for ESPEN guidelines, following the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) grading system (A, B, 0, and good practice point (GPP)). The procedure included an online voting (Delphi) and a final consensus conference. In 100 recommendations (3x A, 33x B, 24x 0, 40x GPP, all with a consensus grade of 90% or more) care of GI patients with obesity - including sarcopenic obesity - is addressed in a multidisciplinary way. A particular emphasis is on CLD, especially fatty liver disease, since such diseases are closely related to obesity, whereas liver cirrhosis is rather associated with sarcopenic obesity. A special chapter is dedicated to obesity care in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The guideline focuses on adults, not on children, for whom data are scarce. Whether some of the recommendations apply to children must be left to the judgment of the experienced pediatrician. The present guideline offers for the first time evidence-based advice how to care for patients with chronic GI diseases and concomitant obesity, an increasingly frequent constellation in clinical practice.

European guideline on obesity care in patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases - Joint European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism / United European Gastroenterology guideline.

BackgroundPatients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), pancreatitis, and chronic liver disease (CLD) often suffer from obesity because of coincidence (IBD, IBS, celiac disease) or related pathophysiology (GERD, pancreatitis and CLD). It is unclear if such patients need a particular diagnostic and treatment that differs from the needs of lean GI patients. The present guideline addresses this question according to current knowledge and evidence.ObjectiveThe objective of the guideline is to give advice to all professionals working in the field of gastroenterology care including physicians, surgeons, dietitians and others how to handle patients with GI disease and obesity.MethodsThe present guideline was developed according to the standard operating procedure for European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism guidelines, following the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network grading system (A, B, 0, and good practice point [GPP]). The procedure included an online voting (Delphi) and a final consensus conference.ResultsIn 100 recommendations (3x A, 33x B, 24x 0, 40x GPP, all with a consensus grade of 90% or more) care of GI patients with obesity – including sarcopenic obesity – is addressed in a multidisciplinary way. A particular emphasis is on CLD, especially fatty liver disease, since such diseases are closely related to obesity, whereas liver cirrhosis is rather associated with sarcopenic obesity. A special chapter is dedicated to obesity care in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The guideline focuses on adults, not on children, for whom data are scarce. Whether some of the recommendations apply to children must be left to the judgment of the experienced pediatrician.ConclusionThe present guideline offers for the first time evidence‐based advice how to care for patients with chronic GI diseases and concomitant obesity, an increasingly frequent constellation in clinical practice.

The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Healing Time in Patients Following Pilonidal Sinus Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background: Pilonidal disease (PD) is a debilitating condition characterised by the infection of subcutaneous tissue in the sacrococcygeal area. It is associated with a high risk of recurrence, pain, infection, and purulent discharge. The two main surgical methods of pilonidal sinus disease include excision with primary closure/flap repair or excision of the sinus with healing by secondary intent. Wounds left open to heal by secondary intent remain extremely common due to their association with reduced risk of recurrence, however, it is associated with prolonged healing times. This study aims to determine whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) reduces healing time in patients post pilonidal sinus surgery with healing by secondary intent compared to simple wound dressings.Method: Six databases were searched from their date of origin to May 30, 2022 for randomised control trials using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only four papers were selected for review as per the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study design (PICOS) criteria. Critical appraisal was carried out according to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Methodology Checklist for Randomised Control Trials and was assessed for risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. The pooled effect size was calculated using the fixed-effect model. A homogeneity of pooled effect size for the studies was also found (Cochrane Q test, p-value = 0.97 I-square = 0.0%).Result: Four studies (n = 336) were included in this review. Three of the four studies reported a statistically significant reduction in time taken in healing the wound. The mean difference between the intervention (PRP group) and the control group was 13.01 days, (95% CI 12.15-13.86 days, p < 0.00001). All of the included studies also reported a statistically significant reduction in time taken to return to work/activities of daily living in the treatment group compared to the control group (MD 9.68 days, 95% CI 9.16-10.21 days, p < 0.00001).Conclusion: This study shows that PRP is effective in reducing healing time and is associated with a significantly shorter period taken to return to work/activities of daily living in patients post pilonidal sinus surgery, which was the primary and secondary outcome investigated in this systematic review, respectively. PRP should routinely be offered to patients undergoing excisional pilonidal sinus surgery for the aforementioned benefits.

Twenty-year observational study of paediatric tonsillitis and tonsillectomy

IntroductionTonsillectomy is now only indicated in the UK when specific criteria are met, as outlined by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and The National Institute for Health and Care...

AGREEing on Clinical Practice Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review and Quality Assessment.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder requiring multimodal intervention and an army of multidisciplinary teams for a proper rehabilitation plan. Accordingly, multiple practice guidelines have been published for different disciplines. However, systematic evidence to detect and intervene must be updated regularly. Our main objective is to compare and summarize the recommendations made in the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for ASD in children released from November 2015 to March 2022. Methods: CPGs were subjected to a systematic review. We developed the inclusion and exclusion criteria and health-related questions, then searched and screened for CPGs utilizing bibliographic and CPG databases. Each of the CPGs used in the study were critically evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. In a realistic comparison table, we summarized the recommendations. Results: Four eligible CPGs were appraised: Australian Autism CRC (ACRC); Ministry of Health New Zealand (NZ); National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (SIGN-HIS). The overall assessments of all four CPGs scored greater than 80%; these findings were consistent with the high scores in the six domains of AGREE II, including: (1) scope and purpose, (2) stakeholder involvement, (3) rigor of development, (4) clarity of presentation, (5) applicability, and (6) editorial independence domains. Domain (3) scored 84%, 93%, 86%, and 85%; domain (5) 92%, 89%, 54%, and 85%; and domain (6) 92%, 96%, 88%, and 92% for ACRC, NICE, NZ, and SIGN-HIS, respectively. Overall, there were no serious conflicts between the clinical recommendations of the four CPGs, but some were more comprehensive and elaborative than others. Conclusions: All four assessed evidence-based CPGs demonstrated high methodological quality and relevance for use in practice.