Bmc Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of a school-based water and hygiene intervention on child health and school attendance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.
School-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) may improve the health and attendance of schoolchildren, particularly post-menarcheal girls, but existing evidence is mixed. We examined the impact of an urban school-based WASH programme (Project WISE) on child health and attendance. ⋯ This large-scale intervention to improve school WASH conditions city-wide had a borderline impact on pupil-reported respiratory illness but no effect on diarrhoeal disease nor pupil absence. Future research should establish relationships between WASH-related illness, absence and other educational outcomes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cruciferous vegetables lower blood pressure in adults with mildly elevated blood pressure in a randomized, controlled, crossover trial: the VEgetableS for vaScular hEaLth (VESSEL) study.
Higher cruciferous vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies. The pathways involved remain uncertain. We aimed to determine whether cruciferous vegetable intake (active) lowers 24-h brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP; primary outcome) compared to root and squash vegetables (control) in Australian adults with mildly elevated BP (SBP 120-160 mmHg inclusive). ⋯ Increased intake of cruciferous vegetables resulted in reduced SBP compared to root and squash vegetables. Future research is needed to determine whether targeted recommendations for increasing cruciferous vegetable intake benefits population health.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
The impact of a digital guideline version on schizophrenia guideline knowledge: results from a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled trial.
Clinical practice guidelines are crucial for enhancing healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Yet, their implementation remains inconsistent across various professions and disciplines. Previous findings on the implementation of the German guideline for schizophrenia (2019) revealed low adherence rates among healthcare professionals. Barriers to guideline adherence are multifaceted, influenced by individual, contextual, and guideline-related factors. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a digital guideline version compared to print/PDF formats in enhancing guideline adherence. ⋯ While the study did not include a control group without any implementation strategy, the overall improvement in guideline knowledge following an implementation strategy, independent of the format, was confirmed. The digital guideline version, while not superior in enhancing knowledge, showed potential benefits in shared decision-making skills. However, familiarity with traditional formats and various barriers to digital application may have influenced these results. The study highlights the importance of tailored implementation strategies, especially for younger healthcare providers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Observational Study
Short- and long-term impact of aspirin cessation in older adults: a target trial emulation.
The net benefit of aspirin cessation in older adults remains uncertain. This study aimed to use observational data to emulate a randomized trial of aspirin cessation versus continuation in older adults without cardiovascular disease (CVD). ⋯ Our findings suggest that deprescribing prophylactic aspirin might be safe in healthy older adults with no known CVD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Postoperative radiotherapy with docetaxel versus cisplatin for high-risk oral squamous cell carcinoma: a randomized phase II trial with exploratory analysis of ITGB1 as a potential predictive biomarker.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) causes significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Surgical resection with adjuvant radiotherapy remains the standard treatment for locally advanced resectable OSCC. Results from landmark trials have established postoperative concurrent cisplatin-radiotherapy (Cis-RT) as the standard treatment for OSCC patients with high-risk pathologic features. However, cisplatin-related toxicity limits usage in clinical practice. Given the need for effective but less toxic alternatives, we previously conducted a single-arm trial showing favorable safety profiles and promising efficacy of concurrent docetaxel-radiotherapy (Doc-RT). ⋯ This randomized trial directly compared Doc-RT with Cis-RT for high-risk postoperative OSCC patients, with comparable efficacy and less toxicity. ITGB1 merits further validation as a predictive biomarker to identify OSCC patients most likely to benefit from Doc-RT. Findings indicate docetaxel may be considered as a concurrent chemoradiation option in this setting.