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SPCR researchers were given international recognition last week for their contribution to primary care practice by the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG).

Each year 10-12 of the highest quality engaging and published studies - research that is  relevant and practically meaningful for practicing clinicians - are chosen as PEARLs.

The selected research:

  1. Taylor CJ, Roalfe AK, Iles R, Hobbs FDR. The potential role of NT-proBNP in screening for and predicting prognosis in heart failure: a survival analysis. BMJ Open (2014). 4:4 e004675

    A study on the potential role of the biomarker NT-proBNP in screening for heart failure and in predicting prognosis. Risk of heart failure increased almost 18-fold when NT-proBNP was 150pg/ml or above. Funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research.

  2. Fleming SGill PJones CVan den Bruel A, Taylor J, Heneghan CThompson M.  Systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of capillary refill time for serious illness in children. 

    A systematic review that shows the simple capillary refill time test (where refill is more than 3 seconds) can red flag an increased probability of the presence of a serious illness in those children tested, with evidence to suggest this can be applied in low income settlings.

  3. Jones CHHowick J, Roberts NW, Price CP, Heneghan CPlüddemann A, Thompson MPrimary care clinicians' attitudes towards point-of-care blood testing: a systematic review of qualitative studies.BMC Family Practice (2013). 14:117 

    A cross-sectional survey of primary care clinicians’ use of point-of-care tests that found those most commonly used (urine pregnancy, urine leukocytes or nitrite, blood glucose) and identified the tests most commonly desired for use (D-dimer, troponin, and chlamydia). 

  4. Wang K, Birring SS, Taylor K, Fry NK, Hay AD, Moore M, Jin J, Perera RFarmer A, Little P, Harrison TG,Mant DHarnden AMontelukast for postinfectious cough in adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trialLancet Respir Med. (2014). 2(1):35-43.

As Practical Evidence About Real Life Situations (PEARLS), the research will be presented at next year's NAPCRG Annual Meeting in New York.

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