West Midlands Evidence Repository

WMER is an online repository that is managed by a consortium of West Midlands NHS Library and Knowledge Services. Our aim is to collate, store and make available research and other non-traditional publications by our NHS organisations.

Please see below for the full list of WMER organisations. If you wish to engage with us as we develop the repository, please contact us via email: wmnhskr@gmail.com

Please note deposit of items within WMER does not mean endorsement of the research or any opinions expressed within it by the consortium organisations.

Communities in WMER

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10

Recent Submissions

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Evaluation of adherence to post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis for emergency laparotomies at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
(Wiley, 2025-08-30) Ghadirikhorzoghi, Shahriar; Marimuthu, Kalimuthu; George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Nuneaton; General Surgery; Medical and Dental; Ghadirikhorzoghi, Shahriar; Marimuthu, Kalimuthu
E-Poster abstract P0483 from ESCP's 20th Scientific and Annual Conference, 10–12 September 2025, Paris, France.
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Broadening horizons : assessing PCCRC outcomes and enhancing endoscopic quality at 'George Eliot Hospital’
(Wiley, 2025-08-30) Taggarsi, M.; Ravikumar, Sithdharthan; Saravanan, S. K.; Piramanayagam, Bala; Stonelake, Stephen; Narayanan, Aravindan; George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Nuneaton; General and Colorectal Surgery; Medical and Dental; Taggarsi, M; Ravikumar, Sithdharthan; Saravanan, S. K.; Piramanayagam, Bala; Stonelake, Stephen; Narayanan, Aravindan
E-Poster abstract P0416 from ESCP's 20th Scientific and Annual Conference, 10–12 September 2025, Paris, France.
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Clinical utility of optical diagnosis in resect-and-discard management of small and diminutive colonic polyps
(Wiley, 2025-08-30) Taggarsi, M; Ravikumar, Sithdharthan; Wanigasooriya, Kasun; Vijayaraghavalu, Shashikanth; Narayanan, Aravindan; George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Nuneaton; General and Colorectal Surgery; Medical and Dental; Taggarsi, M; Ravikumar, Sithdharthan; Wanigasooriya, Kasun; Vijayaraghavalu, Shashikanth; Narayanan, Aravindan
E-Poster abstract P0355 from ESCP's 20th Scientific and Annual Conference, 10–12 September 2025, Paris, France.
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Introduction of a classification interview for post-traumatic headache after concussion
(Springer Verlag Italia, 2025-10-07) Lyons, Hannah S; Sassani, Matilde; Brunger, Helen; Lake, Abigail; Jefferies, Benjamin; Thaller, Mark; Yiangou, Andreas; Homer, Victoria; Dharm-Datta, Shreshth; Ellis, Henrietta; Matharu, Manjit; Hill, Lisa J; Mitchell, James L; Sinclair, Alexandra J; Neurology; Medical and Dental; Lyons, Hannah; Sassani, Matilde; Thaller, Mark
Background Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause temporary disruption to brain function, with up to half of those affected complaining of functional limitations up to 12 months after the initial injury. Mild TBI can cause a range of sequelae, most commonly post-traumatic headache (PTH). The incidence of PTH varies post mild TBI, with up to 80% affected by three months and 60% by one year, with heterogenous phenotypes reported. We aimed to introduce a standardised interview to identify and characterise PTH. The primary outcome was to identify PTH, and the secondary outcome to characterise the phenotype of PTH. Methods Participants were prospectively recruited from a tertiary centre hospital and a military rehabilitation centre in the United Kingdom. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of mild TBI or concussion; normal brain imaging; aged 17 years and older; and head injury within the last 12 months at time of screening. We have excluded those with serious underlying pathology; secondary causes of headache (excluding PTH), and non-English speakers. The non-headache specialist phoned the patient primarily to run through the structured headache interview. Following this, the headache specialist conducted a telephone clinical consultation as ‘gold-standard’. Both interviewers defined PTH as headache developing ≤ 7 days as definite, probable (8–30 days) and unlikely (> 30 days). Cohen’s Kappa estimates the inter-rater reliability across categorical variables. We calculated prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK), which adjusts the kappa value for differences in prevalence and bias across variables. Results A total of 194 people were screened and 63 completed paired interviews. The mean age was 26.2 (SD 8.5) years and 19% were female. Most participants displayed a migraine-like phenotype (94%), followed by tension-type-like headache (13%). A very good agreement was demonstrated between the non-specialist and specialist in diagnosing PTH (PABAK 0.90) and differentiating migraine-like versus tension-type-like headache (PABAK 0.83). There was a good agreement for migraine-like versus other headache sub-phenotypes (PABAK 0.75). Conclusion There is currently no standardised interview that aids healthcare professionals with identifying PTH and its sub-phenotype. This structured interview can be used to diagnose PTH and its sub-phenotype.
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Influence of preoperative depression on pain, function, and complications after total ankle arthroplasty: A systematic review
(MDPI AG, 2025-10-07) Pinto, Iosafat; Konstantinou, Panagiotis; Kostretzis, Lazaros; Ditsios, Tryfon; Chrysanthou, Chrysanthos; Nikolaides, Anastasios P; Kapetanakis, Stylianos; Ditsios, Konstantinos; Trauma and Orthopaedics; Medical and Dental; Nikolaides, Anastasios
Depression has been identified as an important determinant of outcomes in hip and knee arthroplasty, but its impact on total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) remains unclear. Given the growing use of TAA as a treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis, understanding psychosocial risk factors is critical for optimizing surgical outcomes. This study aims to assess the effect of preoperative depression on clinical and functional outcomes following total ankle arthroplasty. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and prospectively registered with the Open Science Framework. PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched through August 2025 for studies reporting outcomes of TAA stratified by depression status. Eligible designs included randomized trials, cohort studies and case series. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Given heterogeneity in study designs, depression definitions, and outcome measures, findings were synthesized narratively and summarized using a revised effect-direction plot. Six unique studies involving approximately 9000 patients met inclusion criteria. Five studies were rated as good quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, while one study was judged to be of moderate quality. Four studies assessing pain outcomes consistently demonstrated worse postoperative pain or less improvement in patients with depression. Three of five studies assessing functional or disability outcomes reported reduced improvement, while two studies found no independent association. Two studies evaluating complications showed higher risks of adverse events, including prolonged hospital stay, non-home discharge, osteophytosis, and implant subsidence, among depressed patients. Revised effect-direction synthesis confirmed a consistent trend toward poorer outcomes across pain, function, and complication domains. Depression is associated with worse pain and higher complication rates following TAA, while its influence on functional recovery was not demonstrated uniformly. These findings support the importance of routine preoperative screening and targeted management of depression. Further prospective, multicenter studies and interventional trials are needed to clarify causality and optimize perioperative care.