The prospective association between the use of E-cigarettes and other psychoactive substances in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The use of electronic cigarettes by young people has increased exponentially in the past decade due to various health and social influences. E-cigarettes, particularly those containing nicotine, can cause health complications and addiction, which may result in a subsequent initiation of psychoactive substance use. This systematic review and meta- analysis evaluated the prospective association between e-cigarette use and subsequent use of psychoactive substances in young people aged 10-24 years. Pooling of data from the identified longitudinal studies showed that ever e-cigarette users have an increased likelihood for subsequent cannabis, alcohol, and unprescribed Ritalin/Adderall use compared to never e-cigarette users. The findings indicate a need for interventions to reduce e-cigarette use in adolescents and young adults.

Integrating leadership into the undergraduate medical curriculum in the UK: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Leadership is a critical skill required of a doctor and is necessary for clinical and organisational development. Literature suggests that newly qualified doctors are not prepared for the leadership roles and responsibilities that they need to undertake in clinical practice. The opportunities to develop the necessary skillset should be available in undergraduate medical training and throughout a doctor's professional advancement. Various frameworks and guidance for a core leadership curriculum have been designed, but data on their integration in undergraduate medical education in the UK are minimal. METHODS: This systematic review collates and qualitatively analyses studies that have implemented and evaluated a leadership teaching intervention in undergraduate medical training in the UK. RESULTS: There are various approaches to teaching leadership in medical school, differing in mode of delivery and evaluation. Feedback on the interventions revealed that students gained insight into leadership and honed their skills. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term effectiveness of the described leadership interventions in preparing newly qualified doctors cannot be conclusively determined. The implications for future research and practice are also provided in this review.

Ophthalmic outcomes in children exposed to opioid maintenance treatment in utero: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Opioid use disorder is a significant global issue and the rate of opioid use in women of childbearing age and pregnant women is on the rise. Whilst the adverse general health, cognitive, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of in utero exposure to opioids have been explored, there is a lack of prospective, controlled, longitudinal research into the ophthalmic outcomes. Existing research suggests that there is an association between prenatal exposure and future risk of abnormalities in visual functioning. This systematic review and meta-analysis analysed studies that measured eye abnormalities in infants or children exposed to opioid maintenance therapy in utero and compared them to non-opioid exposed controls. After considering the clinical findings, limitations of the studies, confounding factors, and quantitative analysis, a causal relationship between in utero opioid exposure and future eye abnormalities could not be confirmed. The implications of the findings and their clinical relevance, in addition to identified gaps for future research are also discussed in this paper.