A systematic review and critical appraisal of guidelines and their recommendations for sedation interruptions in adult mechanically ventilated patients

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the review were to (i) assess the methodological quality of all accessible and published guidelines and care bundles that offer a recommendation related to sedation interruptions, using the AGREE-II instrument, to (ii) determine what is the recommended best practice for sedation interruptions from the available guidelines, and then to have (iii) a closer inspection of the overall credibility and applicability of the recommendations using the AGREE-REX instrument. This review will benefit the outcomes of critically ill patients and the multidisciplinary team responsible for the care of mechanically ventilated adults with continuous medication infusions by providing a synthesis of the recommended action(s), actor(s), contextual information, target(s), and timing related to sedation interruptions from current best practice.

REVIEW METHOD USED

We conducted a systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

We applied a peer-reviewed search strategy to four electronic databases from 2010 to November 2021-MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews-and included grey literature.

REVIEW METHOD

Findings are reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses checklist. We assessed overall quality using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II and AGREE Recommendation Excellence tools.

RESULTS

We identified 11 clinical practice guidelines and care bundles comprising 15 recommendations related to sedation interruption. There are three key findings: (i) deficiencies exist with the methodological quality of included guidelines, (ii) sedation interruption is recommended practice for the care of adult mechanically ventilated patients, and (iii) the current evidence is of low quality, which impacts overall credibility and applicability of the recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

Sedation interruptions are currently best practice for adult mechanically ventilated patients; however, the available guidelines and recommendations have several deficiencies. Future research is needed to further understand the role of the nurse and other actors to enact this practice.

Critical Assessment of the Guidelines-Based Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II

BACKGROUND

Severe traumatic brain injury constitutes a clinical entity with complex underlying pathophysiology. Management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury is guided by Clinical Practice Guidelines and Consensus Statements (CPG and CS). The published CPG and CS vary in quality, comprehensiveness, and clinical applicability. The value of critically assessing CPG and CS cannot be overemphasized. The aim of our study was to assess the quality of the published CPG and CS, based on the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science focusing on guidelines and consensi about severe traumatic brain injury . The search terms used were "traumatic brain injury," "TBI," "brain injury," "cerebral trauma," "head trauma," "closed head injury," "head injury," "guidelines," "recommendations," "consensus" in any possible combination. The search period extended from 1964 to 2021 and was limited to literature published in English. The eligible studies were scored by 4 raters, using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument. The inter-rater agreement was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha.

RESULTS

Twelve CPG and CS were assessed. Overall, the study by Carney et al. was the most Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II compliant study. In general, the domains of clarity of presentation, and scope and purpose, achieved the highest scores. The lowest inter-rater agreement in our analysis was "fair."

CONCLUSIONS

The purpose of our study for assessing the quality of CPG and CS was served. We present the strong and weak points of CPG and CS. Our findings support the idea of periodically updating guidelines and improving their rigor of development.

Critical evaluation and comparison of nutritional clinical practice guidelines for cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The growing incidence of cancer globally, and the importance of nutrition support for these patients, emphasize the need for the development of nutritional clinical practice guidelines and consensus papers (CPGs) in the field. Numerous relevant CPGs have been published by several organizations worldwide. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the content of the existing CPGs and evaluate the quality of their development using the AGREE-II tool.

METHODS

A systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases was conducted for the identification of relevant CPGs and consensus papers. Eligible CPGs was blindly evaluated by four appraisers according to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation ΙΙ (AGREE-II) tool.

RESULTS

In total 15 CPGs were identified and were evaluated. All but one set of CPGs underlined the importance of nutritional screening and assessment, whereas recommendations on nutritional interventions, supplements, management of complications and nutritional follow-up were also reported by several organizations. AGREE-II results showed that two CPGs were characterized as high, eight as moderate and five as low regarding their quality of development.

CONCLUSIONS

Variety on recommendations could be observed between CPGs that should be considered when applied into clinical practice. Limitations of the existing CPGs could be the fact that they are non-specific and only a minority of them are focused to specific cancer types. Frequent updates for CPGs and inclusion of more nutritional topics should be considered for some CPGs. Improvement of the quality of the CPGs development should also be pursued in future.

Placenta accreta spectrum disorders clinical practice guidelines: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To objectively assess the quality of the published clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the management of pregnancies complicated by placenta accreta spectrum (PAS)disorders.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases were searched. The following aspects related to the management of pregnancies with suspected PAS disorders were evaluated: risk factors for PAS, prenatal diagnosis, role of interventional radiology and ureteral stenting, and optimal surgical management. The assessment of risk of bias and quality assessment of the CPGs were performed using the (AGREE II) tool (Brouwers et al., 2010). To define a CPG as of good quality we adopted a cut-off score >60%.

RESULTS

Nine CPGs were included. Specific risk factors for referral were assessed by 44.4% (4/9) of CPGs, mainly consisting in the presence of placenta previa and a prior cesarean delivery or uterine surgery. About 55.6% of CPGs (5/9) suggested ultrasound assessment of women with risk factors for PAS in the second and third trimester of pregnancy and 33.3% (3/9) recommended magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); 88.9% (8/9) of CPGs recommended cesarean delivery at 34-37 weeks of gestation. There was not generally consensus on the use of interventional radiology and ureteral stenting before surgery for PAS. Finally, hysterectomy was the recommend surgical approach by 77.8% (7/9) of the included CPGs.

CONCLUSION

Most of the published CPGs on PAS are generally of good quality. There was general agreement among the different CPGs on PAS as a regard as risk stratification, timing at diagnosis and delivery but not on the indication for MRI, use of interventional radiology and ureteral stenting.

Assessment of the quality and content of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for vitamin D and for immigrants using the AGREE-II instrument: a protocol for systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, more immigrants experience vitamin D (vitD) deficiency than non-immigrants, which is attributed to ethnic variations, place or region of birth, skin pigmentation, clothing style, and resettlement-related changes in diet, physical activity, and sun exposure. Current recommendations in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) concerning vitD are inadequate to address vitD deficiency among immigrants. CPGs may also lack guidance for physicians on vitD supplementation for immigrants. Moreover, there are concerns about the overall quality of these CPGs.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review will collate and critically appraise CPGs relevant to immigrants' health and vitD. Moreover, we will evaluate whether the CPGs of vitD including recommendations for immigrants and clarify whether the CPGs of immigrants include recommendations on vitD.

METHODS

A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE® ALL, EMBASE, and Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) electronic databases, guideline repositories, and gray literature will be conducted to identify relevant CPGs. Two reviewers will independently evaluate the methodological quality of the retrieved guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation-II (AGREE-II) instrument. CPGs scoring ≥60% in at least four domains, including "rigor of development," will be considered high quality.

CONCLUSION

Evaluating the quality and content of relevant CPGs may support researchers in developing national and global guidelines for immigrants. Furthermore, it may support vitD testing, nutritional counseling, and supplementation for vulnerable immigrant sub-populations.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021240562.

Treatment Guidelines for Atopic Dermatitis Since the Approval of Dupilumab: A Systematic Review and Quality Appraisal Using AGREE-II

Introduction

Since its approval for adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in 2017, dupilumab has been incorporated into clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). However, recommendations differ internationally, and the quality assessment of their development is unclear.

Objective

We aimed to systematically review and appraise the quality of CPGs for adult AD reported since 2017 and map the recommendations for dupilumab initiation relative to conventional systemic therapy (CST).

Materials and Methods

A literature search was conducted in June 2020 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and CINAHL. Twelve CPGs were retrieved. Methodological quality was assessed using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II tool (AGREE-II). Recommendations were extracted and compared.

Results

AGREE-II median scores per domain of the CPGs were (%, r = range): scope/purpose, 78% (50-96); stakeholder involvement, 54% (28-85); rigor of development, 39% (21-63); clarity of presentation, 85% (69-100); applicability, 27% (6-51); and editorial independence, 76% (42-100). Neither met the threshold of 70% quality criteria for rigor of development nor the applicability domains. Three CPGs met the criteria for recommendation without modification. CPGs' approach to dupilumab initiation was as follows: second line, preferred over CST and nbUVB (n = 1/12 CPG); second line, equivalent to CST or nbUVB (n = 3/12 CPGs); third line, after nbUVB or CST (n = 5/12 CPGs); and fourth line after nbUVB and CST (n = 2/12). No consensus was reached for n = 1/12 CPG.

Conclusion and Relevance

Dupilumab is now incorporated into CPGs for adult AD. These CPGs exhibited good quality in scope/purpose, clarity, and editorial independence domains. However, none met AGREE-II criteria for methodological rigor/applicability. Gaps were found in mechanisms for updates, facilitators/barriers, resource implications, and stakeholder involvement. Only n = 3/12 CPGs met quality criteria for recommendation without modifications. Of these, two favored a conservative sequential approach for the initiation of dupilumab relative to CST, while one did not reach consensus. Our findings highlight divergent recommendations AD treatment, underlining a need to incorporate quality criteria into future guideline development.

Methodological assessment of guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cerebral vasospasm using the AGREE-II tool

OBJECTIVE

Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm is the most common cause of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Despite the recent advances in its early detection, diagnosis, and proper treatment, the outcome of patients experiencing aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains poor. It is well known that cerebral vasospasm is the most troublesome complication of aSAH, while delayed cerebral ischemia related to cerebral vasospasm constitutes the major cause of unfavorable outcomes in patients with aSAH. The need for evidence-based guidelines is of great importance for the prevention, early detection, and efficient management of aSAH-induced vasospasm. Moreover, guidelines provide young physicians with a valuable tool for practicing defensible medicine. However, the methodology, clinical applicability, reporting clarity, and biases of guidelines must be periodically assessed. In this study, the authors sought to assess the reporting clarity and methodological quality of published guidelines and recommendations.

METHODS

A search was performed in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The search terms used were "clinical practice guidelines," "recommendations," "stroke," "subarachnoid hemorrhage," and "vasospasm" in all possible combinations. The search period extended from 1964 to September 2021 and was limited to literature published in the English language. All published guidelines and recommendations reporting on the diagnosis and management of vasospasm were included. Studies other than those reporting guidelines and recommendations were excluded. The eligible studies were evaluated by three blinded raters, employing the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE-II) analysis tool.

RESULTS

A total of 10 sets of guidelines were evaluated in this study. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association issued guidelines found to have the highest methodological quality and reporting clarity, followed by the European Stroke Organization guidelines and the English edition of the Japanese guidelines issued by the Japanese Society on Surgery for Cerebral Stroke. The interrater agreement was moderate in the current analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the idea that improvement of currently existing guidelines is feasible in the following domains: the rigor of guidelines and recommendations development, clinical applicability, editorial independence, and stakeholder involvement. Furthermore, periodic updating of published guidelines requires improvement in the future.

Guidelines on the use of external ventricular drain and its associated complications: do we "AGREE II"?

Insertion of an external ventricular drain is a common procedure used in everyday practice by neurosurgeons all around the world. It consists of the placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) into the ventricular system providing the ability to measure intracranial pressure, and also divert the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a variety of pathological conditions. The most common complication is infection, and it may result in devastating consequences and negatively affect the outcome of these patients. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), and The Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology & Critical Care (SNACC) have published recommendations for the management of EVD-Associated Ventriculitis. The objective of this study was to assess the methodological quality and reporting clarity of these recommendations using the AGREE-II tool. We found that the overall quality of the published clinical practice guidelines is acceptable. However, continuous updates and external validation should be implemented.

The quality of clinical practice guidelines for preoperative care using the AGREE II instrument: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to summarize and compare relevant recommendations from evidence-based CPGs (EB-CPGs).

METHODS

Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBase, Cochrane Library, LILACS, Tripdatabase, and additional sources. In July 2017, we searched CPGs that were published in the last 10 years, without language restrictions, in electronic databases, and also searched specific CPG sources, reference lists, and consulted experts. Pairs of independent reviewers selected EB-CPGs and rated their methodological quality using the AGREE-II instrument. We summarized recommendations, its supporting evidence, and strength of recommendations according to the GRADE methodology.

RESULTS

We included 16 EB-CPGs out of 2262 references identified. Only nine of them had searches within the last 5 years and seven used GRADE. The median (percentile 25-75) AGREE-II scores for rigor of development was 49% (35-76%) and the domain "applicability" obtained the worst score 16% (9-31%). We summarized 31 risk stratification recommendations, 21.6% of which were supported by high/moderate quality of evidence (41% of them were strong recommendations), and 16 therapeutic/preventive recommendations, 59% of which were supported by high/moderate quality of evidence (75.7% strong). We found inconsistency in ratings of evidence level. "Guidelines' applicability" and "monitoring" were the most deficient domains. Only half of the EB-CPGs were updated in the past 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

We present many strong recommendations that are ready to be considered for implementation as well as others to be interrupted, and we reveal opportunities to improve guidelines' quality.

Characteristics and quality of clinical practice guidelines for depression in adults: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) should follow an adequate methodology using an evidence-based approach in order to provide reliable recommendations. However, little is known regarding the quality of CPGs for Depression, which precludes its adequate use by stakeholders and mental health professionals. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review to describe the characteristics and quality of CPGs for Depression in adults.

METHODS

We searched CPGs for Depression in adults in eighteen databases. We included those that were published in English or Spanish between January 2014 and May 2018 and were based on systematic reviews of the evidence. Two independent authors extracted the characteristics, type and number of recommendations, and quality (using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation-II [AGREE-II]) of each included CPG.

RESULTS

We included eleven CPGs, of which 9/11 did not include the participation of patients in the development of the CPG, 4/11 CPGs had a score ≥ 70% in the overall evaluation of AGREE-II, and 3/11 CPGs had a score ≥ 70% in its third domain (rigor of development). In addition, only 5/11 CPGs shared their search strategy, while only 4/11 listed the selected studies they used to reach recommendations, and 7/11 CPGs did not clearly state which methodology they used to translate evidence into a recommendation.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of evaluated CPGs did not take into account the patient's viewpoints, achieved a low score in the rigor of development domain, and did not clearly state the process used to reach the recommendations. Stakeholders, CPCGs developers, and CPGs users should take this into account when choosing CPGs, and interpreting and putting into practice their issued recommendations.

AGREE-II Appraisal of a clinical algorithm for hypotonia assessment

Objective

The objective of this study was to systematically appraise the quality of an evidenced-based clinical algorithm for the clinical assessment of hypotonia in children.

Design

The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool with 23 items and six domains was used. The study was located in South Africa. Ten appraisers, who were recruited based on specific selection criteria, completed the assessment.

Results

Nine appraisers recommended the EBCA without any modification. Scope and purpose (94%), stakeholder involvement (91%) and editorial independence (99%) were rated the highest with the lower scoring domains being clarity of presentation (85%) and applicability (86%) due to clarity required in areas of resource implications and auditing and monitoring criteria. Inter-rater reliability was strong (ICC 0.7) amongst the appraisers in this study.

Conclusion

This is the first independent assessment of the methodological rigour and transparency of a clinical algorithm using the AGREE-II instrument. Determining the quality of the EBCA for practice is essential as this would ultimately aid clinicians towards more accurate clinical assessment of hypotonia which would inevitably impact outcomes and management of the child presenting with this symptom. Whilst the AGREE-II provided initial feedback on the methodological rigour of development, understanding that the AGREE-II instrument evaluates the guideline development process and not the content is also essential in order to consider the next stage which would be to consider clinicians feedback on the clinical utility of this EBCA.

Recommendations for the prevention and diagnosis of asthma in children: Evidence from international guidelines adapted for Mexico

BACKGROUND

With the availability of high-quality asthma guidelines worldwide, one possible approach of developing a valid guideline, without re-working the evidence, already analysed by major guidelines, is the ADAPTE approach, as was used for the development of National Guidelines on asthma.

METHODS

The guidelines development group (GDG) covered a broad range of experts from medical specialities, primary care physicians and methodologists. The core group of the GDG searched the literature for asthma guidelines 2005 onward, and analysed the 11 best guidelines with AGREE-II to select three mother guidelines. Key clinical questions were formulated covering each step of the asthma management.

RESULTS

The selected mother guidelines are British Thoracic Society (BTS), GINA and GEMA 2015. Responses to the questions were formulated according to the evidence in the mother guidelines. Recommendations or suggestions were made for asthma treatment in Mexico by the core group, and adjusted during several rounds of a Delphi process, taking into account: 1. Evidence; 2. Safety; 3. Cost; 4. Patient preference - all these set against the background of the local reality. Here the detailed analysis of the evidence present in BTS/GINA/GEMA sections on prevention and diagnosis in paediatric asthma are presented for three age-groups: children with asthma ≤5 years, 6-11 years and ≥12 years.

CONCLUSIONS

For the prevention and diagnosis sections, applying the AGREE-II method is useful to develop a scientifically-sustained document, adjusted to the local reality per country, as is the Mexican Guideline on Asthma.

Quality assessment of atopic dermatitis clinical practice guidelines in ≤ 18 years

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects the patients' quality of life greatly often from a very young age. Its worldwide incidence in children and adults varies, but it is usually among the first ten causes of dermatological consultation worldwide. There is a wide variety of treatment options for this condition including topical and systemic regimes. The decision to choose a treatment option in dermatological diseases is greatly influenced by the personal experience of each specialist, which increases variability in the selection of available therapies. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) not only offer recommendations supported on the available scientific evidence, but also are intended to assist in making appropriate decisions in clinical scenarios. To standardize the way in which CPGs should be developed, an instrument called AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation) is used. In this study, ten clinical practice guidelines in ≤ 18 years were evaluated. Six domains (scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity and presentation, applicability, and editorial independence) were assessed for each guideline, by three reviewers. Most of the domains obtained high scores except in the applicability domain. It is suggested that future atopic dermatitis CPGs should emphasize in the facilitating factors and barriers that may influence the application of guideline recommendations.

Cancer-related fatigue: appraising evidence-based guidelines for screening, assessment and management

PURPOSE

There is inconsistent management of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) by health professionals worldwide. This research aims to identify the most appropriate guidelines for the management of cancer-related fatigue.

METHODS

A systematic search of international literature identified evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for CRF. Four reviewers independently appraised the highest quality guidelines using the AGREE-II instrument and National Heath and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guideline standards.

RESULTS

Five guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Of these, the 2015 Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) CRF guidelines and the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) fatigue guidelines for cancer survivors were selected for in-depth appraisal. The CAPO guideline scored higher than the ASCO for five domains of the AGREE-II. For one domain, the differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The CAPO guideline met 37 of 47 NHMRC mandatory guideline standards and the ASCO guideline met 20. The difference in the proportion of standards met was statistically significant for one domain (p ≤ 0.05). Both guidelines had low scores for applicability and implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, the CAPO guideline for cancer-related fatigue has the strongest evidence for use. To enhance implementation, further strategies for guideline dissemination and application are needed.

Critical Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Fertility Preservation in Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer

Purpose: The 5-year survival of teenagers and young adults (TYAs; 13-24 years old) with cancer has continued to rise, but as a result more patients experience late effects of treatment, such as infertility. Advice regarding fertility preservation in relation to cancer is provided in numerous clinical practice guidelines, but the rigor of their development is unclear. Methods: A systematic search was undertaken for clinical practice guidelines regarding fertility preservation in TYAs with cancer. All guidelines were reviewed according to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE-II) criteria. Five out of 13 identified guidelines scored over 75% in the "rigor of development" section and were further appraised. Content, scope, and consistencies between recommendations were also examined. Results: All five of the reviewed guidelines encouraged oncologists to have discussions with their patients about potential fertility issues associated with treatment and available fertility preservation methods. The cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes, and embryos were all recommended as first-line interventions in postpubertal patients. Recommendations surrounding pre- or peripubescent adolescents were few, with many techniques only recommended as part of a clinical trial. The risk of subfertility associated with different treatment regimens was poorly described. Conclusions: The methodology and development of guidelines describing fertility preservation in TYA cancer patients varied greatly. Methodological quality did not clearly influence key recommendations. Those involved with the development of guidelines are encouraged to clearly define their development methods to allow users to be confident of the quality.