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SICS EBMG Newsletter

January 2003

 

 

The SICS EBM group met on the 6th January 2003 in Stirling to review progress with critical appraisal subjects and to set new topic areas for EBM review.

 

In general they discussed progress within topic areas, rate limiting factors and the widening the project to involve more health care professionals. Malcolm Daniel also gave a refresher on the principles of EBM. Chris Cairns presented the web site that he designed for the EBM group which will be linked to the SICS web page in the near future. This development will allow the presentation of critical appraisal topics (CATs) along with the EBM guidelines derived from the CATs. It will also have a feedback section allowing individuals to comments on the contents of the pages and suggest new topic areas for appraisal. The group is asking for volunteers to come forward to help with the next phase of topics and to develop new ones in the future (see below).

 

The three main topic areas agreed in October 2001 were-

  1. Ventilatory strategy in ARDS- Brian Cuthbertson has undertaken the literature search and critical appraisal of 5 RCT’s in this area as well as review of 14 non-randomised studies. This work has lead to the production of an EBM guideline on ventilation in ARDS will be available on the web site soon for discussion.
  2. Gastric ulcer prophylaxis- Tim Walsh and Chris Cairns have reviewed the variety of RCT’s and meta-analysis available in this area. This work has lead to the production of an EBM guideline which will be available on the web site soon for discussion
  3. Treatment of sepsis- Malcolm Daniels has reviewed 6 RCT’s in the broad area of the treatment of sepsis. These include studies on activated protein C, Anti-thrombin III and glycaemic control in critically ill and these individuals CATs will be presented on the website for readers to interpret in light of their practice.

 

New topic areas that we have agreed include

  1. Chris Cairns is going to look at the role of ICU management in the care of the community cardiac arrest patient. This project will run alongside an audit project that the ICU registrars group is running through out Scotland.
  2. Brian Cuthbertson is going to look at the role of inhaled NO and prone positioning in ARDS
  3. Gill Harrison is going to review the evidence for early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients after major upper GI surgery
  4. David Swann is going to review the evidence for infection control measures in preventing ventilator acquired pneumonia in the critically ill and then catheter related blood stream infections.
  5. Kevin Rooney is going to review the evidence for tight glycaemic control in the critically ill.

 

All of these individuals are looking for help with their project and volunteers can either contact Brian Cuthbertson, Chris Cairns, the SICS offices or the individual themselves, for more information. We hope you will want to get involved.

 

Brian Cuthbertson, January 2003