Since 2016, the guidelines for the management of adults with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) / ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) have been updated in the United States, Europe, and China, respectively. The differences among these guidelines are demonstrated in this paper. The definition of VAP, how to evaluate the effect of anti-infection therapy, and the prevention strategy are controversial. The consensuses contain diagnostic value of respiratory secretions achieved by noninvasive way for VAP and shorter anti-infection course for VAP. Importantly, pathogenic spectrum for HAP in China is different from others, which is essential for clinical practice.
Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are essential tools based on prior assumptions, capable of clearly depicting causal relationships between variables, aiding in the identification of confounders and assessment of bias. They have been widely applied in the field of epidemiology. However, the construction of DAGs is prone to the subjectivity of researchers. This paper interprets the DAGs construction and application guidelines from the BMJ and elaborates on the seven steps for building DAGs: clarifying the research question and target population, identifying relevant variables, reaching consensus and pre-registering, determining data collection or datasets based on the consensus graph, selecting analysis methods and variable measurement, conducting sensitivity analysis, and reporting the DAGs. By following these steps, researchers can construct DAGs more scientifically, identify the minimal sufficient adjustment set, and enhance the scientific validity and reliability of their studies. Despite its advantages, DAGs have limitations. For instance, failure to consider all relevant factors may lead to unexplained disturbances in the analysis results or incorrect causal inferences, thus failing to verify other key assumptions in causal reasoning. Therefore, it is recommended to integrate DAGs with data-driven methods to maximize their strengths and compensate for their shortcomings.
Surgical management of osteoarthritis of the knee: evidence based guideline contains 38 recommendations pertaining to the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative care of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who are considering surgical treatment. Compared with the domestic consensus on diagnosis and treatment for KOA, this clinical practice guideline (CPG) prepared by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) has some advantages in terms of methodology selection and recommendation. Therefore, it is necessary for us to interpret this CPG to speed up the understanding and dissemination of the CPG. The ultimate aims are to: ① strengthen the standardization and understanding of surgical treatment of KOA; ② enhance the understanding of clinicians for this CPG in treating KOA; ③ speed up the development of guideline development methodologies in China; ④ provide methodological guidance for the development of CPG based on the current situation in China.
Osteoarthritis research society international (OARSI) guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis in 2019 contained some recommendations in treating patients with osteoarthritis (OA) who are considering non-surgical treatment. Compared with domestic consensus on diagnosis and treatment for OA, this clinical practice guideline (CPG) prepared by OARSI had some advantages in terms of methodology selection and recommendation. Therefore, it is necessary to interpret this CPG to accelerate the understanding and dissemination of the CPG. The ultimate aims were: to strengthen the normative and understanding of non-surgical treatment of OA; to enhance the understanding of clinicians for this CPG in treating OA; to accelerate the development of guideline development methodologies in China; to provide methodological guidance for the development of CPG based on the current situation in China.
Radiation proctopathy, which can be categorized as acute and chronic, is defined as the radiation damage to the rectum caused by radiation therapy in patients with pelvic malignancies. Chronic radiation proctopathy can cause complications such as rectal bleeding, which severely affects patients’ quality of life. At present, endoscopic therapy has become the primary method for diagnosis and treatment of bleeding from chronic radiation proctopathy. In October 2019, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) published "ASGE guideline on the role of endoscopy for bleeding from chronic radiation". The guideline described the effectiveness and safety of different endoscopic therapies such as argon plasma coagulation, bipolar electrocoagulation, heater probe, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, etc. in the treatment of bleeding from chronic radiation. This paper interprets it to provide references for clinicians in the treatment of bleeding from chronic radiation.
Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis, which is characterized by elevated urate and monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition in tissues, leading to arthritis, soft-tissue masses (tophi), nephrolithiasis, and urate nephropathy. It has a major impact on health-related quality of life. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published ACR guidelines for the management of gout in June 2020, in which 42 recommendations (including 16 strong recommendations) were generated. The guideline described indications for urate-lowering therapy (ULT), approaches to initiating, ongoing management, gout flares, and lifestyle and other medication strategies in patients with gout and in individuals with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. This paper interprets it to provide references for clinical practice.
Due to the special structure and material of the flexible gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes, it is difficult to reprocess endoscopes. Infections caused by endoscope reprocessing failure often occur. Strict implementation of the guidelines/relevant national standards and manufacturer's instructions is essential to prevent the occurrence of endoscopy-related infections and ensure patient safety. In 2020, ASGE (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) released the "multisociety guideline on reprocessing flexible GI endoscopes and accessories". This paper aimed to promote the understanding of the reprocessing process of flexible GI endoscopes by the endoscope decontamination staff, and to provide references for clinical practice.
The 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease not only updates aortic valve stenosis, mitral regurgitation, prosthetic valves, infective endocarditis and antithrombotic treatment on the basis of the 2017 guidelines update for valvular heart disease, but also involves aortic valve regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve, mitral stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation, combined valve disease, pregnancy with valvular disease, valve disease complicated with coronary heart disease, valve disease complicated with non-cardiac surgery and the prospect of comprehensive management of valve disease. It covers a wide range of contents, which are introduced in detail and comprehensively. This paper interprets some highlights and core issues, including the top 10 take-home messages, the severity of valvular heart disease, and the updates in the management of aortic valve stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve, mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation.
Anemia and coagulopathy are frequently presented in critically ill patients on the intensive care unit. Scientific use of blood products assist the treatment of critically ill patients. However, life-threatening adverse effects are also a risk. In 2020, the European Society of Critical Care Medicine (ESICM) published a clinical practice guideline on transfusion strategies for non-bleeding critically ill adults in an attempt to resolve the transfusion strategy problems of relevant critically ill patients. This paper interprets the key contents in order to assist Chinese clinicians for better understanding and using of the guideline.