ahcdc literature searches
HEMOPHILIA von WILLEBRAND'S DISEASE
HEMOPHILIA LIT SEARCH
All searches were created by Ellen Crumley, MLIS, Clinical Librarian with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta in collaboration with Dr. Kent Stobart. For more information please contact Ellen directly at ecrumley@ualberta.ca
All searches were independently peer-reviewed by Neera Bhatnagar, MLIS and Karen Blackhall, MA in Information Management.
Karen Blackhall, Trials Search Co-ordinator, Cochrane Airways Group
I moved to London from the North East of England in 1989 and began working in the Medical Library at St.George’s Hospital Medical School, Tooting, London. Since then I have gained my Postgraduate Diploma in Information management (DipIM) and completed a Masters in Information Management (MA). In 1999 I began working for the Cochrane Airways Group where I have developed and continue to maintain the Specialised Register of trials in the area of Asthma, COPD Bronchiectasis and Sleep Apnoea. I also assist reviewers with their search for trials and advise them on strategy development.
Neera Bhatnagar is the Reference Librarian at McMaster University Health Sciences Library with fourteen years searching experience. She regularly conducts searches for systematic reviews, practice guidelines, patient care, education and research. She also supports researchers at McMaster who prepare practice guidelines for Cancer Care Ontario and the Canadian Medical Association.
Dr. Stobart is a pediatric hematologist at Stollery Children’s Hospital at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. He was awarded a Terry Fox Research Scholarship to complete a Master’s of Science in Epidemiology, with the Clinical Trials Group of the National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Dr Stobart has served as Secretary and on the Executive of the Association of Clinical Hemophilia Directors of Canada (AHCDC). He is a Chair of the Board of the Anemia Institute for Research and Education.
His research and medical education interests include evidence-based medicine for both the undergraduate and postgraduate medical school curriculum. He is completing a Cochrane systematic review. Dr. Stobart is a visiting lecturer to McMaster University for the annual Evidence-based Clinical Practice conference.
HEMOPHILIA SEARCHES
ADJUNCTIVE HEMOSTATIC AGENTS
BLOOD COMPONENTS
DESMOPRESSING SIDE EFFECTS AND THERAPY
FACTOR VIII CONCENTRATES
FACTOR IX CONCENTRATES
FACTOR IX SIDE EFFECTS
HEMOPHILIA A DIAGNOSIS
HEMOPHILIA B DIAGNOSIS
PHYSIOTHERAPY
von Willebrand's Disease LIT SEARCH
A Systematic Approach to Searching the Medical Literature for articles concerning von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD).
Introduction
Von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD) is a disorder of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), which is responsible for the adherence of platelets to damaged endothelium. Deficiency of vWF leads to mucocutaneous bleeding, or post-traumatic or post-surgical bleeding. This heterogeneous disorder is due to a variety of genetic defects, ranging from an inherited absence of vWF, to abnormalities in the structure and function of the vWF molecule.
Why this was done
Throughout the world’s health literature, there is a vast amount of information, some of dubious quality, on von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD). To date, this literature has not been searched in a systematic way, and there is little information available about how to design strategies to find pertinent research.
The number of medical articles concerning vWD has grown rapidly leading to a 200% increase in available information. For example, if you conducted a MEDLINE literature search on vWD and vWF in 1980, 1990 and 2000, 151, 329 and 667 articles were published each year respectively. You would need to read two articles every day to remain current with the health sciences literature about vWD.
A more efficient and effective way than designing your own searches for vWD articles is to use a peer-reviewed literature search that could easily be executed each time you wanted to review the health literature and find updates.
Who this was done for
These searches were undertaken for those professionals who treat persons with bleeding disorders, their parents and themselves. Using the provided, peer-reviewed search strategies, individuals will be able to search the medical literature for the most current up-to-date and published knowledge about vWD.
What topics were searched and which databases were used
Based upon the existing AHCDC 1997 guidelines (http://ahcdc.medical.org/publications.htm), eight comprehensive search strategies were designed including:
• bleeding
disorders in women
• blood components
• comprehensive care
• diagnosis
• family involvement in care
• genetic counseling
• management
• preoperative assessment
The databases used depended upon the topic of the search and included the following:
• MEDLINE
• PubMed
• EMBASE
• Biological Abstracts
• International Pharmaceutical Abstracts
• Web of Science
• CINAHL
• CancerLit
• Cochrane Library (All EBM Reviews)
• PsycINFO
• Genetics Abstracts
The complete search strategy for each database is organized by topic. All searches were independently peer-reviewed by two medical librarians who have extensive experience with designing comprehensive search strategies.
Where are the medical literature search strategies found
The individual medical literature search strategies can be found on the Internet at: ahcdc.medical.org
The searches can be run in PubMed by clicking on the icon on the website.
The other search strategies are also available on the website. As all of the other databases are licensed, the search strategies must be entered directly into the resource. You will need to check if your local health sciences library has access to some of the above-mentioned licensed databases.
When should the searches be used
These searches can be used to find up to date knowledge and/or to find information about one of the eight encompassing areas within vWD.
The eight
searches were set up according to the topics outlined in the
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hemophilia and von Willebrand’s
Disease available from: ahcdc.medical.org. The primary objective
was to be comprehensive, thereby ensuring searches were sensitive
(to capture all potentially relevant materials) rather than precise
(potentially missing relevant materials). Because only published
resources were sought, searches were geared towards clinical
practitioners and only biomedical databases were searched.
Can I use these strategies to search for information on the Internet
These searches were not specifically designed to search for health sciences literature on the World Wide Web. However, you may take them to your local librarian who can help you design a strategy if you wish to search the Internet.
Example
Case Scenario
A 19-year-old female is seen in your office for a routine physical examination. She is currently well, but mentions that her menses have extremely heavy flow, and last for 7 days. Her menses are 28 to 30 days apart. She states that, at times, she finds herself very tired. On physical examination she is a pleasant but pale female.
You wonder if her heavy menstruation could be due to von Willebrand Disease. You decide to do a search of the medical literature.
At the end of the day you go to the Internet, select your bookmarked website: ahcdc.medical.org and click on the PubMed icon to run the search for bleeding disorders in women. A few seconds later the search has been executed and the most current health sciences literature is available for your assessment.
All searches were created by Ellen Crumley, MLIS, Clinical Librarian with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta in collaboration with Dr. Kent Stobart. For more information please contact Ellen directly at ecrumley@ualberta.ca
All searches
were independently peer-reviewed by Neera Bhatnagar,
MLIS and Karen Blackhall, MA in Information Management.
Karen Blackhall, Trials Search
Co-ordinator, Cochrane Airways Group
I moved to London from the North East of England in 1989 and began working
in the Medical Library at St.George’s Hospital Medical School, Tooting,
London. Since then I have gained my Postgraduate Diploma in Information management
(DipIM) and completed a Masters in Information Management (MA). In 1999 I began
working for the Cochrane Airways Group where I have developed and continue
to maintain the Specialised Register of trials in the area of Asthma, COPD
Bronchiectasis and Sleep Apnoea. I also assist reviewers with their search
for trials and advise them on strategy development.
Neera Bhatnagar is the Reference Librarian at McMaster University Health Sciences Library with fourteen years searching experience. She regularly conducts searches for systematic reviews, practice guidelines, patient care, education and research. She also supports researchers at McMaster who prepare practice guidelines for Cancer Care Ontario and the Canadian Medical Association.
Dr. Stobart is a pediatric hematologist at Stollery Children’s Hospital at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. He was awarded a Terry Fox Research Scholarship to complete a Master’s of Science in Epidemiology, with the Clinical Trials Group of the National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Dr Stobart has served as Secretary and on the Executive of the Association of Clinical Hemophilia Directors of Canada (AHCDC). He is a Chair of the Board of the Anemia Institute for Research and Education.
His research and medical education interests include evidence-based medicine for both the undergraduate and postgraduate medical school curriculum. He is completing a Cochrane systematic review. Dr. Stobart is a visiting lecturer to McMaster University for the annual Evidence-based Clinical Practice conference.
Von Willebrand’s Disease SEARCHES
BLEEDING DISORDERS IN WOMEN
BLOOD COMPONENTS
COMPREHENSIVE CARE
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN CARE
GENETIC COUNCELING
DISEASE MANAGEMENT
PRE-OPERATIVE ASSESSMENT