Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a well‐known chronic complication following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite some evidence that age at the time of injury may influence the likelihood of PTE, the incidence of PTE in pediatric populations remains unclear. We therefore conducted a systematic review to determine the overall reported incidence of PTE, and explore potential risk factors associated with PTE after pediatric TBI. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted, including randomized controlled trials and cohort studies assessing the incidence of PTE in TBI pediatric patients. We excluded studies with a sample size of <10 patients and those in which a pediatric cohort was not clearly discernable. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) guidelines. We found that the overall incidence of PTE following pediatric TBI was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.9%–15%). Subgroup analysis of a small number of studies demonstrated that the occurrence of early seizures (cumulative incidence ratio [CIR] = 7.28, 95% CI = 1.09–48.4, p = .040), severe TBI (CIR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.23–2.67, p < .001), and intracranial hemorrhage (CIR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.06–2.40, p = .024) increased the risk of PTE in this population. Other factors, including male sex and neurosurgical intervention, were nonsignificantly associated with a higher incidence of PTE. In conclusion, PTE is a significant chronic complication following childhood TBI, similar to in the adult population. Further standardized investigation into clinical risk factors and management guidelines is warranted. PROSPERO ID# CRD42021245802.

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Background Retraction is the final safeguard against research error/misconduct. In principle, retraction exists to prevent serious issues identified in published research through post-publication review. Our study investigated the citing of clinical research papers retracted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We used the Retraction Watch database extracted as of 27/01/2022 to identify retracted COVID-19 papers and the Google Scholar citation function to gather a dataset of citations of retracted clinical research. We reviewed key aspects of the citing research. Results In total, the Retraction Watch database included 212 entries for retracted COVID-19 papers. Of these, 53 papers were clinical. There were a total of 1,141 citations of retracted papers, with 105 errors, leaving 1,036 citations to analyze. The majority (86%) of citations were not critical. The majority (80%) of papers citing retracted research were published after the retraction date. Conclusions The citation of retracted and withdrawn COVID-19 clinical studies is common, and rarely critical. Most researchers who cite retracted research do not identify that the paper is retracted, even when submitting long after the paper has been withdrawn. This has serious implications for the reliability of published research and the academic literature, which need to be addressed.

To assess the impact of psychological interventions with a primary focus on mindfulness on the mental well-being and academic performance of medical students and junior doctors. Mindfulness-based psychological interventions for improving mental well-being in medical students and junior doctors (Protocol)