“
“Objective: Apply and compare two methods that identify signals for the need to update systematic reviews, using three Evidence-based Practice Center reports on omega-3 fatty acids as test cases.

Study Design and Setting: We applied the RAND method, which uses domain

(subject matter) expert guidance, and a modified Ottawa method, which uses quantitative and qualitative signals. For both methods, we conducted focused electronic literature searches of recent studies using the key terms from the original reports. We assessed the agreement between the methods and qualitatively assessed the merits of each system.

Results: Agreement between the two methods was www.selleckchem.com/products/vx-661.html “”substantial”" or better (kappa > 0.62) in three of the four systematic AZD1480 clinical trial reviews. Overall agreement between the methods was “”substantial”" (kappa = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [Cl] 0.45-0.83).

Conclusion: The RAND and modified Ottawa methods appear to provide similar signals for the possible need to update systematic reviews in this pilot study. Future evaluation with a broader range of clinical topics and eventual comparisons between signals to update reports and the results of full evidence review updates will be needed. We propose a hybrid approach combining the best features of both methods, which should allow efficient review

and assessment of the need to update. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“This report demonstrates variable clinical courses in several members of a family with tropomyosin-mediated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (L185R mutation). The index case was an 8-year-old girl who died from sudden cardiac death and was diagnosed with

HCM on autopsy. Her father had minimal hypertrophy but had an implantable click here cardioverter defibrillator placed prophylactically with no appropriate shocks. Two brothers progressed from normal phenotype to HCM on follow-up, the younger with significant hypertrophy and the older with mild hypertrophy. They both had malignant arrhythmia courses with VF, which was terminated by ICD shock. In conclusion, family members with same genotype can have significantly variable phenotypes.”
“There is no previously published well-designed study on long-term outcome of stroke from India. The present study has examined the case fatality rate and survival pattern in patients with stroke in a stratified, randomly selected sample from a large Indian metropolitan area. This prospective study was conducted over 7 years (March 2003 to February 2010) using a validated questionnaire administered by a field team and headed by a neurologist. A cross-sectional house-to-house survey was repeated twice yearly. A verbal autopsy was performed to assess cases of death. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied for survival analysis. A cohort of 763 stroke cases were followed up.