Reporting guidelines of Chinese medicine:Current situation and future development

Objective:Reporting research is as important a part of a study as its design or analysis.Reporting guidelines(RGs)provide structured advice on how to report research studies clearly and adequately.This study aimed to review the development of RGs of Chinese medicine(CM)and to provide recommen-dations for improvement.Methods:Through a systematic search of the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research(EQUATOR)Network and electronic databases up to January 1,2022,we identified a total of 15 RGs of CM,and further summarized their characteristics and applications.In addition,we reviewed the development of international RGs and analyzed its impact for CM.Results:Compared with the generic RGs,the reporting standards of CM have been rapidly developed over the last 10 years,of which 57%were issued in recent 3 years(2019-2021).Currently,the system of RGs of CM has been established,especially for clinical trials,including various CM interventions and covering the guidelines from trial registration,protocol,results publication to the evidence synthesis and clinical practice guideline.However,the application of RGs of CM is suboptimal.Conclusion:It is necessary to take further measures to promote practical application,improve journals’endorsement,and establish quality monitoring procedures for RGs of CM in the future.

Checklist of items that should be included in the major reporting guidelines

STROBE STATEMENT STROBE StatementmChecklist of items that should be included in reports of case-control studies

The SUPER reporting guideline suggested for reporting of surgical technique

Background:Existing reporting guidelines pay insufficient attention to the detail and comprehensiveness reporting of surgical technique.The Surgical techniqUe rePorting chEcklist and standaRds(SUPER)aims to address this gap by defining reporting standards for surgical technique.The SUPER guideline intends to apply to articles that encompass surgical technique in any study design,surgical discipline,and stage of surgical innovation.Methods:Following the EQUATOR(Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research)Network approach,16 surgeons,journal editors,and methodologists reviewed existing reporting guidelines relating to surgical technique,reviewed papers from 15 top journals,and brainstormed to draft initial items for the SUPER.The initial items were revised through a three-round Delphi survey from 21 multidisciplinary Delphi panel experts from 13 countries and regions.The final SUPER items were formed after an online consensus meeting to resolve disagreements and a three-round wording refinement by all 16 SUPER working group members and five SUPER consultants.Results:The SUPER reporting guideline includes 22 items that are considered essential for good and informative surgical technique reporting.The items are divided into six sections:background,rationale,and objectives(items 1 to 5);preoperative preparations and requirements(items 6 to 9);surgical technique details(items 10 to 15);postoperative considerations and tasks(items 16 to 19);summary and prospect(items 20 and 21);and other information(item 22).Conclusions:The SUPER reporting guideline has the potential to guide detailed,comprehensive,and transparent surgical technique reporting for surgeons.It may also assist journal editors,peer reviewers,systematic reviewers,and guideline developers in the evaluation of surgical technique papers and help practitioners to better understand and reproduce surgical technique.

Revitalizing case reports: Standardized guidelines and mentorship

Despite a decrease in publication,case reports remain essential in medical literature as they offer detailed descriptions of individual patient cases and valuable insights for future management.These reports adhere to a standardized structure comprising sections such as abstract,introduction,case report,discussion,and conclusion.Obtaining informed consent and adhering to guidelines is essential.Case reports contribute to evidence-based medicine by detecting new therapies and adverse events.They also facilitate clear reporting,guideline adherence,and mentorship programs.These reports are vital for documenting rare occurrences,assisting clinicians in timely management,and communicating novel information to busy medical professionals.Following case report guidelines ensures comprehensive and standardized reporting,enhancing the acceptance and quality of case reports,and advancing medical knowledge.

SACI Protocol: Preliminary Guidelines for the Development of Digital Health Technologies for Clinical Trials in Brazil

In the last decade, evidence-based medical practice has been supported on a large scale by computerized decision support tools, aiming to reduce diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainty, complementing the actions of the health professional. With technological developments, it is now possible to consider these systems as part of clinical intervention, both for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The literature has described the implementation of e-health tools, that is, technological innovations in the health area such as software, applications, serious games, among others, as a strategy to improve the process and adherence to treatment. However, there is still no standardized instrument in Brazil that can be used to guide the development, from the research phase, and the implementation of these tools as a health intervention, also impacting patient outcomes. With the objective of investigating a new therapeutic and preventive form, based on intervention with a computerized system, this work proposes the creation of guidelines for the registration and implementation of e-health tools as a clinical intervention. The proposal aims to be able to assist in the reporting standardization from the development stage to the application of the e-health tool helping in the treatment of diseases, registering all the experience lived in the research and applying it in different contexts of health.

Reporting Characteristics of Case Reports of Acupuncture Therapy with CARE Guidelines

Objective： To investigate the reporting characteristics of case reports of acupuncture therapy with CAse Report （CARE） guidelines, and to explore the applicability of the guidelines for these case reports. Methods： Case reports published from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013, were identified by searching PubMed and the China Biomedicine Database by using MeSH terms. Screening and data extraction of case reports were conducted by two independent researchers. Assessments based on CARE guidelines and data analysis were conducted by using Excel 2003 and RevMan 5.0. Results： A total of 61 case reports published in 19 journals were identified, which involved 16 major types of diseases. Fifteen （24.6%） case reports declared no conflict of interests, and 5 （8.2%） reported funding sources. None of these case reports met all items of CARE guidelines, and only 6 subordinate items were fully reported among 50% of the case reports. Subgroup analysis indicated that case reports published in English or those that did not have competing interests had higher reporting quality. Conclusions： The reporting quality of case reports of acupuncture therapy is rather low. The reason might be a lack of awareness among authors and the poor dissemination of information regarding CARE guidelines in China. More evaluation studies are needed to promote and improve adherence to CARE guidelines. Moreover, an extended version of CARE guidelines should be developed for cases reports of special interventions such as acupuncture or adverse events caused by interventions.

More accurate reporting of surgical techniques would be SUPER

Surgical education entails learning to care for patients in and out of the operating theater.Clinically,this encompasses everything from the preoperative work-up to managing potential postoperative complications.In the operating room,surgical technique includes common,widely applicable skills,like how to square a knot,but also the more nuanced anatomical considerations of each operation,intra-operative decision-making,and ways to adapt when faced with the unexpected.Historically,surgical technique was taught through the apprenticeship model with knowledge passed down from attending to trainee and through textbooks written by surgical masters.This mode of learning/teaching is still the enduring structure of most residency programs.

Cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K_(1):A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Vitamin K1(phytomenadione)is a fat-soluble naturally occurring vitamin that is widely used to treat certain coagulation disorders.Adverse cutaneous reactions to vitamin K1 can occur;however,owing to its low incidence and considerable variability in presentation and morphology,its diagnosis can be easily overlooked.Managing these reactions may be challenging for patients and clinicians.Therefore,reviewing the adverse cutaneous reactions to vitamin K1 is important.CASE SUMMARY Here we report the case of a 50-year-old woman with no pre-existing hepatic disease who developed a cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K1 that presented as localized eczematous plaques at the vitamin K1 injection site.The eruption developed within 5 d of the injection and persisted for 32 mo despite treatment with topical and intralesional steroids.Eczema was diagnosed based on the results of the pathological examination,immunohistochemical staining,and a skin biopsy.The patient was advised to take herbal medicines orally twice daily.After treatment and follow-up,the patient’s eczematous urticarial plaques improved and her condition stabilized.CONCLUSION Here we present the first case of a cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K1 that was successfully treated with Chinese medicine.