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Findings from the present systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that sialendoscopy is efficacious, safe, and gland preserving for the treatment of obstructive major salivary gland disease.

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Pediatric post-tonsillectomy analgesia continues to be highly debated and an area of active research. Tonsillectomy pain can lead to significant patient morbidity, and incur potentially avoidable healthcare costs. Moreover, the various analgesic classes, each present their own risk profiles and unique side effects when used in children post-tonsillectomy. This review delineates the clinical and pathophysiological basis for post-tonsillectomy pain, types of analgesics and their risk profiles, as well as special considerations in this clinical population and a review of alternative analgesic treatment options. This article presents a summary of recent literature and discusses evidence-based management options to aid medical and allied health professionals who may encounter these patients.

Summary. Background: The risk of bleeding on anticoagulation varies between patients. It is uncertain whether sex influences this risk. Objectives: To determine if the risk of major bleeding differs between men and women receiving anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, and relevant conference proceedings, until February 2013. We included randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies of patients on therapeutic anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation or VTE. Two reviewers independently extracted data. The relative risk of bleeding in men compared to women was pooled using a random-effects model. Results: Forty-two studies including 94 293 patients were eligible; 78 044 patients (83%) had atrial fibrillation; 16 156 patients (17%) had VTE; 37 250 patients were women (40%); and there were 4147 major bleeds. The relative risk of major bleeding for men vs. women was 1.02 (95% CI 0.95-1.10; P = 0.27 for heterogeniety). The relative risk was 1.02 (95% CI 0.95-1.09) in patients with atrial fibrillation and 0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.98) in patients with VTE (P = 0.03 for subgroup effect). Type of anticoagulant, intensity of anticoagulation, and whether patients began or were already established on anticoagulants at enrollment did not influence the relative risk of major bleeding in men compared to women. Conclusions: The risk of major bleeding on anticoagulation appears to be the same in men and women, particularly if patients have atrial fibrillation. This finding is less certain for patients with VTE, in whom the risk of bleeding may be marginally lower in men compared to in women.

BackgroundHuman papilloma virus (HPV) has been implicated in the development of a large proportion of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Current techniques used to diagnose HPV etiology require histopathologic analysis. We aim to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a new application non-histopathologic diagnostic tests to help assist diagnosis of HPV-related oropharyngeal tumors.MethodsPatients with OPSCC with nodal metastasis were consecutively recruited from a multidisciplinary cancer clinic. Appropriate samples were collected and analyzed. The various tests examined included COBAS® 4800, Cervista® HR and Genotyping. These tests were compared to p16 staining, which was used as the diagnostic standard. StataIC 14.2 was used to perform analysis, including sensitivity, specificity and receiver operator characteristic [ROC] curves.ResultsThe COBAS® FNA (area under ROC 0.863) and saliva (area under ROC 0.847) samples performed well in diagnosing HPV positive and negative tumors. Samples tested with Cervista® did not corroborate p16 status reliably. We were able to increase the diagnostic yield of the COBAS® FNA samples by applying the results of the saliva test to negative FNA samples which correctly identified 11 additional p16 positive tumors (area under ROC 0.915).ConclusionSurrogate testing for HPV using alternate methods is feasible and closely predicts the results of standard diagnostic methods. In the future, these could minimize invasive procedures for diagnosing HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, but also help to diagnose and treat patients with unknown primaries.

Background & aimsFinding current best evidence for clinical decisions remains challenging. With 3,000 new studies published every day, no single evidence-based resource provides all answers or is sufficiently updated. McMaster Premium LiteratUre Service - Federated Search (MacPLUS FS) addresses this issue by looking in multiple high quality resources simultaneously and displaying results in a one-page pyramid with the most clinically useful at the top. Yet, additional logistical and educational barriers need to be addressed to enhance point-of-care evidence retrieval. This trial seeks to test three innovative interventions, among clinicians registered to MacPLUS FS, to increase the quantity and quality of searching for current best evidence to answer clinical questions.Methods & designIn a user-centered approach, we designed three interventions embedded in MacPLUS FS: (A) a web-based Clinical Question Recorder; (B) an Evidence Retrieval Coach composed of eight short educational videos; (C) an Audit, Feedback and Gamification approach to evidence retrieval, based on the allocation of `badges’ and `reputation scores.’We will conduct a randomized factorial controlled trial among all the 904 eligible medical doctors currently registered to MacPLUS FS at the hospitals affiliated with McMaster University, Canada. Postgraduate trainees (n = 429) and clinical faculty/staff (n = 475) will be randomized to each of the three following interventions in a factorial design (A x B x C). Utilization will be continuously recorded through clinicians’ accounts that track logins and usage, down to the level of individual keystrokes. The primary outcome is the rate of searches per month per user during the six months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes, measured through the validated Impact Assessment Method questionnaire, include: utility of answers found (meeting clinicians’ information needs), use (application in practice), and perceived usefulness on patient outcomes.DiscussionBuilt on effective models for the point-of-care teaching, these interventions approach evidence retrieval as a clinical skill. If effective, they may offer the opportunity to enhance it for a large audience, at low cost, providing better access to relevant evidence across many top EBM resources in parallel.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.Gov NCT02038439.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-014-0125-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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