Factors Used by Mobile Applications to Predict Female Fertility Status and Their Reported Effectiveness: A Scoping Review.

Family planning, whether for pregnancy prevention or conception, is of pivotal importance to women of reproductive age. As hormonally driven methods, such as oral contraceptive pills, are widely used but have numerous side effects, women often seek alternative non-hormonal, non-invasive options, including fertility-tracking mobile applications (apps). However, the effectiveness of these apps as a method of contraception and conception planning has not been extensively vetted. The goal of this scoping review is to identify the various factors used by apps marketed as a method of contraception and/or family planning to predict a woman's fertility status, as well as their documented effectiveness. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a literature search was performed in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Alt HealthWatch databases for articles published between October 1, 2017, and October 4, 2022. Quality assessment of eligible full-text articles was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. A total of 629 articles were screened. Overall, 596 articles were excluded and the remaining 33 articles underwent full-text review. Seven articles were included in the final analysis, yielding data on the following five apps: Natural Cycles, Ava Fertility, Clearblue Connected, Ovia Fertility, and Dynamic Optimal Timing (DOT). Data supporting the effectiveness of these apps is limited. All apps provided predictions on fertility status throughout a woman's menstrual cycle using proprietary algorithms, biometric data, and self-reported menstrual cycle data. Further research, particularly independent research following a randomized controlled design, on the efficacy of these apps is needed to produce more robust results.

Preventative Management of Sepsis-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in the Geriatric Population.

Sepsis and its treatment are the most common etiologies of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has a disturbing mortality rate. Sepsis management relies heavily on the introduction of resuscitative fluids. However, when fluids are paired with the circulating inflammatory mediators of sepsis, patients are prone to lung damage. Survivors of sepsis-induced ARDS become plagued with functional and/or psychological sequelae such as impaired memory, difficulty in concentrating, and decreased mental processing speed. Specific techniques can be implemented when diagnosing and treating elderly patients with sepsis to prevent the onset of ARDS, including bed elevation and early antibiotics. Additionally, albumin infusion may be beneficial; however, more research must be conducted. Finally, inflammatory mediators, including serum mannose biomarkers and extracellular histone therapy, show a promising avenue for future treatment. Although there is limited research on osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMT) on ARDS or sepsis-induced ARDS, OMT that focuses on alleviating rib and thoracic somatic dysfunctions has been used as an adjunct therapy to treat other respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The results of these studies may garner interest in whether the use of OMT as an adjunct therapy may be beneficial for patients with ARDS or sepsis-induced ARDS. This paper is intended to review the current guidelines for sepsis and ARDS management in elderly patients to identify measures to prevent sepsis-induced ARDS.