HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

The PEC Field team wishes you all the best for 2014.

This year, the PEC Field introduces the Practical Evidence About Real Life Situations (PEC PEARLS) to improve review dissemination. And of course, all year round, meet us in training sessions, conferences, meta-analysis workshops…

… or simply on our website www.pecfield-cochrane.org!

★ PEC FIELD'S MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS ★

Eddy Lang, MD (Canada) Member of the Advisory Board of the PEC Field He currently holds the position of Interim Department Head and Senior Researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary having recently moved from McGill University. Specific areas of interest include Knowledge Translation, Evidence-Based Medicine and faculty development.

RECENT REVIEWS

Each month, the Cochrane Collaboration produces about 80 to 100 high quality systematic reviews on different topics.

The PEC Field identified over 100 reviews devoted to pre-hospital and emergency medicine published online in 2012.

Beta lactam antibiotic monotherapy versus beta lactam-aminoglycoside antibiotic combination therapy for sepsis

Paul M, Lador A, Grozinsky-Glasberg S, Leibovici L

Sixty-nine trials (7863 randomized patients) were included in this review. The addition of an aminoglycoside to beta lactams for sepsis should be discouraged. All-cause mortality rates are unchanged. Combination treatment carries a significant risk of nephrotoxicity.

Chest radiographs for acute lower respiratory tract infections

Cao AY, Choy JP, Mohanakrishnan L, Bain RF, van Driel M

Two trials (2024 patients) were included in this review which showed no significant difference in patients outcomes between those who had a chest X-ray and those who did not. The evidence was of moderate quality. Further studies are needed to verify these findings in all populations and settings.

Fibrinolytic agents for peripheral arterial occlusion

Robertson I, Kessel DO, Berridge DC

Streptokinase was originally used but safety concerns have led to the introduction of other agents such as urokinase and recombinant tissue-Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA). Intra-arterial rt-PA and urokinase seem to have potential advantages, such as improved safety, greater efficacy, and a more rapid response.

Nerve blocks for initial pain management of femoral fractures in children

Black KJL, Bevan CA, Murphy NG, Howard JJ

Low quality evidence from one small trial suggests that fascia iliaca compartment block provides better and longer lasting pain relief with fewer adverse events than intravenous opioids for femur fractures in children.

Once versus twice daily low molecular weight heparin for the initial treatment of venous thromboembolism

Sherab Bhutia, Peng F Wong

Once daily treatment with LMWH is as effective and safe as twice daily treatment with LMWH.

Nitrates for acute heart failure syndromes

Wakai A, McCabe A, Kidney R, Brooks SC, Seupaul RA, Diercks DB, Salter N, Fermann GJ, Pospisil C

There appears to be no significant difference between nitrate vasodilator therapy and alternative interventions in the treatment of Acute Heart Failure Syndromes (AHFS). Nitrates may be associated with a higher incidence of adverse effects after three hours compared with placebo.

FIND ALL THE PECFIELD'S SELECTION OF COCHRANE REVIEWS here

PEC PEARLS

(Practical Evidence About Real Life Situations)

The PEC PEARLS are inspired by the PEARLS of the Cochrane Primary Care Field. They consist of short review summaries with commentary, selected because they induce a change in our daily clinical practice.

The PEC PEARLS will be published regularly on our website, and also in several Emergency Medicine journals.

INSIDE THE COCHRANE COLLABORATION

Throughout 2013, the PEC Field supported Emergency Medicine by working with various Cochrane Review Groups:

• The PEC Field is participating in the production of a review with the French Satellite Group of the Cochrane Skin group.

• From South Africa: a new meta-analysis is being considered by the Editorial Board of the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group.

• From Canada: a new systematic review is being considered by the Editorial Board of the Cochrane Anaesthesia Group.

• From France: a new meta-analysis should soon be sumbitted to the Cochrane Injuries Group for consideration.

Suggest a question for systematic review here

The PEC Field Director, Dr. Patricia Jabre, recently became a member of the Field’s Executive.

Latest News

Collaborations

We are pleased to announce our collaboration with the Canadian Association of Emergency physicians!

All collaborations here

Welcome to our new active contributors

Andrea Penaloza (Belgium), Iannone Primiano (Italy), Martin Alfonso (Spain), Kirk Magee (Canada) and Robert Green (Canada)!

All contributors here

The PEC Field supports :

Events

Urgences 2014 Marrakech, Morocco 21st February 2014 « Méthodologie Cochrane Polytraumatisme » 8.30 am – 10.00 am 10.30 am – 12.00 am

Catholic University Louvain, Belgium 25th February 2014 « Critical appraisal of systematic reviews with the PEC Field » 5.30 pm

The PEC Field will be present at:

URGENCES 2014 Paris, France 4th-6th June 2014

The PEC Field needs you!

Help us fond funds

Congratulations

The PEC Field is proud to announce that one of its active contributors is also an international boxing champion!

Congrats Hayatte Akodad!

LEARN MORE WITH....

THE CANADIAN COCHRANE CENTER

Cochrane Canada Live!

The Canadian Cochrane Centre organizes webinar series directed towards anyone interested in systematic reviews and evidence-based health care.

Read more here

All webinar series are free of charge, and registration is open to everyone

Register here

The PEC Field was at ...

PEC Field’s activities in 2012-2013 have been presented during the annual Colloquium.

Read the poster here

COCHRANE IN THE NEWS

Find here the article in The New York Times describing The Cochrane Collaboration as a “curator for medical knowledge”

Interested in evidence-based health care?

GET INVOLVED !

We encourage any person or organization

with an interest in contributing to the PEC Field to contact us