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INTRODUCTION: In recent years, there has been a decline in the quality of statistical reporting in biomedical scientific journals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this survey study was to find out the opinions of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) members on statistical reviews conducted in their journals, and to summarize the related recommendations that should be implemented in this area. METHODS: A survey containing 25 questions on a range of aspects related to statistical peer review was distributed to WAME members and editorial staff of the journals they are affiliated with. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 141 individuals, the largest proportion of whom were editorsinchief (36.9%). According to 40% of the respondents, only 31%-50% of the manuscripts accepted for publication are statistically correct. The higher the respondents' assessment of their own statistical knowledge, the lower they believed this percentage to be (P = 0.02). The frequency of statistical peer review was estimated by most respondents at only 1%-10% of the submitted manuscripts. The main reasons for this included difficulty in finding reviewers with the right skills and a lack of funding in this area. Among the respondents working for journals without a statistical editor on the editorial board, 49% believed that statistical reviews enhance the quality of published manuscripts, whereas among those confirming a presence of a statistical editor, this percentage was as high as 84% (P <0.001). Only 5% of the respondents stated that their journal uses the Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays, members of editorial boards face significant problems related conducting statistical reviews for their journals. For this reason, it is imperative to start implementing statistical guidelines for biomedical journals.
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Políticas Editoriais , Publicações Periódicas como Assunto , Humanos , Publicações Periódicas como Assunto/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e Questionários , Revisão da Pesquisa por ParesRESUMO
In rhinitis and asthma, several mHealth apps have been developed but only a few have been validated. However, these apps have a high potential for improving person-centred care (PCC), especially in allergen immunotherapy (AIT). They can provide support in AIT initiation by selecting the appropriate patient and allergen shared decision-making. They can also help in (i) the evaluation of (early) efficacy, (ii) early and late stopping rules and (iii) the evaluation of (carried-over) efficacy after cessation of the treatment course. Future perspectives have been formulated in the first report of a joint task force (TF)-Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)-on digital biomarkers. The TF on AIT now aims to (i) outline the potential of the clinical applications of mHealth solutions, (ii) express their current limitations, (iii) make proposals regarding further developments for both clinical practice and scientific purpose and (iv) suggest which of the tools might best comply with the purpose of digitally-enabled PCC in AIT.
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Dessensibilização Imunológica , Assistência Centrada no Paciente , Telemedicina , Humanos , Dessensibilização Imunológica/métodos , Aplicativos Móveis , Rinite Alérgica/terapia , Rinite Alérgica/imunologia , Asma/terapia , Asma/imunologiaRESUMO
In recent years, a series of articles has been published concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in a group of patients exposed to manganism, specifically factory workers, welders, and individuals with liver diseases, as well as those abusing home-produced ephedrone. Some potential symptoms of manganese toxicity include motor disturbances, neurocognitive problems, sleep disorders, and psychosocial changes. Despite various publications on MRI research in individuals with an elevated risk of manganism, there is a noticeable absence of a comprehensive review in this field. The detection of the accumulation of manganese in the brain through MRI can confirm the diagnosis and guide appropriate treatment. Due to the high cost of determining manganese ion levels in biological material, an additional aim of the manuscript was to identify simple medical laboratory parameters that, when performed concurrently with MRI, could assist in the diagnosis of manganism. Among these types of parameters are the levels of bilirubin, magnesium, liver enzymes, creatinine, hemoglobin, and hematocrit.
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BACKGROUND: A number of recommendations for the teaching of biostatistics have been published to date, however, student opinion on them has not yet been studied. For this reason, the aim of the manuscript was to find out the opinions of medical students at universities in Poland on two forms of teaching biostatistics, namely traditional and practical, as well as to indicate, on the basis of the results obtained, the related educational recommendations. METHODS: The study involved a group of 527 students studying at seven medical faculties in Poland, who were asked to imagine two different courses. The traditional form of teaching biostatistics was based on the standard teaching scheme of running a test from memory in a statistical package, while the practical one involved reading an article in which a particular test was applied and then applying it based on the instruction provided. Other aspects related to the teaching of the subject were assessed. RESULTS: According to the students of each course, the practical form of teaching biostatistics reduces the stress level associated with teaching and the student exam (p < 0.001), as well as contributing to an increased level of elevated knowledge (p < 0.001), while the degree of satisfaction after passing the exam is higher (p < 0.001). A greater proportion of students (p < 0.001) believe that credit for the course could be given by doing a statistical review of an article or conducting a survey, followed by the tests learned in class. More than 95% also said that the delivery of the courses should be based on the field of study they were taking, during which time they would also like to have the opportunity to take part in optional activities and hear lectures from experts. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that more emphasis be placed on practical teaching the subject of biostatistics.
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Bioestatística , Currículo , Estudantes de Medicina , Polônia , Humanos , Estudantes de Medicina/psicologia , Masculino , Feminino , Avaliação Educacional , Educação de Graduação em Medicina , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto , EnsinoRESUMO
The purpose of this study was to analyze the key aspects of the design of contemporary placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of antidepressants enrolling patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) aged 18 years or older, especially the outcome measures and the eligibility criteria. The study included 122 RCTs registered with ClinicalTrials.gov and started from 2008 through 2022. Most RCTs assessed only clinical remission, with proportion of trials with outcome measures related to functional remission being rather low (n = 34; 28 %). Clinical remission was mostly evaluated in acute phase of depression, and only 7 (6 %) trials assessed the prevention of relapse. Proportion of trials utilizing self-report questionnaires that provide important information complementary to clinician-rated scales was moderate (n = 66; 54 %). Another problem in included RCTs was common use of stringent eligibility criteria. For instance, minimal symtpom severity required for the patient's inclusion was listed in 104 RCTs (85 %), and 41 RCTs (34 %) excluded patients based on comorbid anxiety disorders. Most RCTs (n = 103; 84 %) excluded older patients, and only 6 (5 %) trials were dedicated exclusively to them. To ensure optimal development of clinical pharmacotherapy of MDD, the investigators should consider modification of some of the key aspects of the design of RCTs of antidepressants.
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Transtorno Depressivo Maior , Humanos , Transtorno Depressivo Maior/tratamento farmacológico , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Antidepressivos/uso terapêutico , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , AnsiedadeRESUMO
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of the review conducted was to present recent articles indicating the need to implement statistical recommendations in the daily work of biomedical journals. RECENT FINDINGS: The most recent literature shows an unchanged percentage of journals using specialized statistical review over 20âyears. The problems of finding statistical reviewers, the impractical way in which biostatistics is taught and the nonimplementation of published statistical recommendations contribute to the fact that a small percentage of accepted manuscripts contain correctly performed analysis. The statistical recommendations published for authors and editorial board members in recent years contain important advice, but more emphasis should be placed on their practical and rigorous implementation. If this is not the case, we will additionally continue to experience low reproducibility of the research. SUMMARY: There is a low level of statistical reporting these days. Recommendations related to the statistical review of submitted manuscripts should be followed more rigorously.
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Projetos de Pesquisa , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Projetos de Pesquisa/normas , Publicações Periódicas como Assunto , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Bioestatística/métodosRESUMO
Studies Global Burden of Disease (GBD) presents an all-encompassing portrayal of mortality and disability, considering various countries, time periods, age groups, and sex. This article presents statistical recommendations for GBD studies.
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Pessoas com Deficiência , Carga Global da Doença , Humanos , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de VidaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Content generated by artificial intelligence is sometimes not truthful. To date, there have been a number of medical studies related to the validity of ChatGPT's responses; however, there is a lack of studies addressing various aspects of statistical analysis. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the answers provided by ChatGPT in relation to statistical analysis, as well as to identify recommendations to be implemented in the future in connection with the results obtained. METHODS: The study was divided into four parts and was based on the exemplary medical field of allergology. The first part consisted of asking ChatGPT 30 different questions related to statistical analysis. The next five questions included a request for ChatGPT to perform the relevant statistical analyses, and another five requested ChatGPT to indicate which statistical test should be applied to articles accepted for publication in Allergy. The final part of the survey involved asking ChatGPT the same statistical question three times. RESULTS: Out of the 40 general questions asked that related to broad statistical analysis, ChatGPT did not fully answer half of them. Assumptions necessary for the application of specific statistical tests were not included. ChatGPT also gave completely divergent answers to one question about which test should be used. CONCLUSION: The answers provided by ChatGPT to various statistical questions may give rise to the use of inappropriate statistical tests and, consequently, the subsequent misinterpretation of the research results obtained. Questions asked in this regard need to be framed more precisely.
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BACKGROUND: COVID-19 can lead to functional disorders and complications, e.g., pulmonary, thromboembolic, and neurological. The neuro-invasive potential of SARS-CoV-2 may result in acute brain malfunction, which manifests as delirium as a symptom. Delirium is a risk factor for death among patients hospitalized due to critical illness. Taking the above into consideration, the authors investigated risk factors for delirium in COVID-19 patients and its influence on outcomes. METHODS: A total of 335 patients hospitalized due to severe forms of COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Data were collected from medical charts. RESULTS: Delirium occurred among 21.5% of patients. In the delirium group, mortality was significantly higher compared to non-delirium patients (59.7% vs. 28.5%; p < 0.001). Delirium increased the risk of death, with an OR of 3.71 (95% CI 2.16-6.89; p < 0.001). Age, chronic atrial fibrillation, elevated INR, urea, and procalcitonin, as well as decreased phosphates, appeared to be the independent risk factors for delirium occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Delirium occurrence in patients with severe COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of death and is associated with a cardiovascular burden. Hypophosphatemia is a promising reversible factor to reduce mortality in this group of patients. However, larger studies are essential in this area.
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One of the factors that increase the effectiveness of the pharmacotherapy used in patients abusing various types of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) is the proper functioning of the liver. However, the articles published to date on NPS hepatotoxicity only address non-specific hepatic parameters. The aim of this manuscript was to review three advanced markers of hepatotoxicity in psychiatry, namely, osteopontin (OPN), high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and glutathione dehydrogenase (GDH, GLDH), and, on this basis, to identify recommendations that should be included in future studies in patients abusing NPSs. This will make it possible to determine whether NPSs do indeed have a hepatotoxic effect or whether other factors, such as additional substances taken or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, are responsible. NPS abusers are at particular risk of HCV infection, and for this reason, it is all the more important to determine what factors actually show a hepatotoxic effect in them.
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Doença Hepática Induzida por Substâncias e Drogas , Hepatite C , Psiquiatria , Humanos , Hepacivirus , Fármacos do Sistema Nervoso Central , Doença Hepática Induzida por Substâncias e Drogas/diagnóstico , Doença Hepática Induzida por Substâncias e Drogas/etiologia , BiomarcadoresRESUMO
The article describes recommendations related to machine learning methods in oncology.
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In recent months, there has been a new trend involving the consumption of Amanita muscaria. The aim of this article was to investigate the reasons for consumption, the form taken and the adverse symptoms that were indicated by those consuming Amanita muscaria. After analysing 5600 comments, 684 people were included in the study, who, in social media groups such as Facebook, stated the purpose of consuming the mushroom (n = 250), the form of mushroom they were taking (n = 198) or the adverse symptoms they experienced (n = 236). The gender of the subjects differentiated the parameters analysed. In the study group of women, the main purpose of consuming Amanita muscaria was to reduce pain, as well as to reduce skin problems, while in men it was mainly to relieve stress, reduce the severity of depressive symptoms and reduce insomnia (p < 0.001). With regard to the form of mushroom ingested, tincture was predominant in the women's study group, while dried was predominant in the men (p < 0.001). In terms of side effects, women reported primarily headaches, while men reported nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and drowsiness (p < 0.001). Advanced research on Amanita muscaria should be carried out to make the community aware of the toxicity of this fungus.