Written Assignment - Searching for evidence
Description: You are required to select any one of the scenarios and PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) question provided (available in LEO National assessments tile) to search for evidence. You are required to provide a description of your search and discuss the relevance and credibility of the evidence provided to answer the question.
Instructions: Select one of the scenarios and the linked answerable question to address the following:
1. Identify your choice of key words/search terms and how you located them.
2. Identify at least two (2) possible sources of information and justify your choices.
3. Search for evidence to answer the question and describe your search process and strategies used. Considering your findings (sensitivity/specificity) you are required to refine your search.
4. Refine your initial search and describe how you did this.
5. Include a table to demonstrate your search using the headings 'actions', 'search mode', 'results', and 'limiters'.
6. Using the evidence matching the scenario/answerable question, discuss the relevance and credibility of the evidence and how it relates to the question.
Scenario One-
Alois, is a 23 year old primary school teacher. Alois is a keen football player and has a sustained suspected mid-shaft femoral fracture on the football field. You are considering whether a femoral traction splint is necessary to use in the management of Alois for transport to the local emergency department (ED).
Answerable question-
In adults with a fractured femur is a femoral traction splint compared to no traction splint the most appropriate management of a patient requiring ambulance transfer to the ED.
Evidence: Queensland Ambulance Service. (2016). Clinical Practice Procedures - Trauma/Femoral Traction Splint Retrieved from
https://www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/%5Cdocs%5Cclinical%5Ccpp%5CCPP_Femoral%20traction%20splint.pdf
Scenario Two-
Farah returned home from a hospital two days after giving birth to a baby boy, Rami. Rami, is now 2 weeks old and is a happy and healthy baby who is feeding well. Farah is receiving post-natal care from her general practitioner who talked to her at her last visit about immunization for Rami. Farah is aware that there is quite a lot of community debate about whether to immunize or not. Farah decides she needs to know more about the risks of immunization before she makes a final decision.
Answerable question-
In infants, how does being immunized against pertussis, compared with not being immunized, effect morbidity and mortality?
Evidence: Winter, K., Zipprich, J., Harriman, K., Murray, E. L., Gornbein, J., Hammer, S. J., Yeganeh, N., Adachi, K., & Cherry, J. D. (2015). Risk factors associated with infant deaths from pertussis: a case-control study.
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 61(7), 1099- 1106. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ472. Retrieved from
https://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/61/7/1099
Scenario Three-
Yani is a 31 year old arts student who suffers from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI). Usually Yani is prescribed a course of oral antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of her UTI. Yani has been reading on the internet about cranberry juice being used to prevent urinary tract infections and is now considering whether or not to include cranberry juice in her diet on a regular basis.
Answerable question-
In adult females who suffer frequent urinary tract infections is cranberry juice compared to antibiotics more effective in preventing urinary tract infection?
Evidence: Jepson, R. G., Williams, G., & Craig, J. C. (2012). Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD001321. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub5. Retrieved from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub5/full