PLoS medicine
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Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
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In a Perspective accompanying a study by Benjamin Bray and colleagues, Meeta Kerlin discusses the evidence that physician and nurse workforces are associated with patient mortality, why clearer guidelines for appropriate workforce size are not available, and the next steps needed to address the knowledge gaps. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
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Multicenter Study
Associations between stroke mortality and weekend working by stroke specialist physicians and registered nurses: prospective multicentre cohort study.
Observational studies have reported higher mortality for patients admitted on weekends. It is not known whether this "weekend effect" is modified by clinical staffing levels on weekends. We aimed to test the hypotheses that rounds by stroke specialist physicians 7 d per week and the ratio of registered nurses to beds on weekends are associated with mortality after stroke. ⋯ Mortality outcomes after stroke are associated with the intensity of weekend staffing by registered nurses but not 7-d/wk ward rounds by stroke specialist physicians. The findings have implications for quality improvement and resource allocation in stroke care. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
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Review Meta Analysis
Women's access and provider practices for the case management of malaria during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
WHO recommends prompt diagnosis and quinine plus clindamycin for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in the first trimester and artemisinin-based combination therapies in subsequent trimesters. We undertook a systematic review of women's access to and healthcare provider adherence to WHO case management policy for malaria in pregnant women. ⋯ A systematic assessment of the extent of substandard case management practices of malaria in pregnancy is required, as well as quality improvement interventions that reach all providers administering antimalarial drugs in the community. Pregnant women need access to information on which anti-malarial drugs are safe to use at different stages of pregnancy. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
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Paul Glasziou and colleagues discuss methods to guide selection of an intervention from individual trials within a systematic review. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.