The literature search strategies focused on the clinical evidence for vitamin B12 testing (Table A4.1) and the cost implications associated with vitamin B12 testing (Table A4.2).
Table A4.1: Search strategy for clinical evidence
Population
Search Terms
General healthy population
Embase and Medline
Population – ((‘pregnancy’/exp OR ‘pregnancy’) OR (‘infant’/exp OR ‘infant’) OR (‘human milk’/exp OR ‘human milk’) OR (‘lactation’/exp OR ‘lactation’) OR (‘vegetarian’/exp OR ‘vegetarian’) OR (‘malnutrition’/exp OR ‘malnutrition’) OR (‘elderly’/exp OR ‘elderly’) OR (‘aged’/exp OR ‘aged’) OR (‘gluten free diet’/exp OR ‘gluten free diet’) OR (‘alcoholism’/exp OR ‘alcoholism’))
AND
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methylmalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Population – ((MeSH descriptor Pregnancy explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Infant explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Human Milk explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Lactation explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor vegetarian explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Malnutrition explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Aged explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Alcoholism explode all trees) OR ((pregnancy) OR (pregnancy):ti,ab,kw) OR ((infant) OR (infant):ti,ab,kw) OR ((human milk) OR (human milk):ti,ab,kw) OR ((lactation) OR (lactation):ti,ab,kw) OR ((vegetarian) OR (vegetarian):ti,ab,kw) OR ((malnutrition) OR (malnutrition):ti,ab,kw) OR ((elderly) OR (eldrely):ti,ab,kw) OR ((aged) OR (aged):ti,ab,kw) OR ((gluten free diet) OR (gluten free diet):ti,ab,kw) OR ((alcoholism) OR (alcoholism):ti,ab,kw))
AND
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw )) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Limits [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Patients diagnosed with anaemia
Embase and Medline
Population – ((‘anaemia’/exp OR ‘anaemia’ OR ‘anemia’/exp OR ‘anemia’) OR (‘macrocyt*’/exp OR ‘macrocyt*)’ OR (‘megaloblastic ’/exp OR ‘megaloblastic’) OR (‘pernicious’/exp OR ‘pernicious’) OR (‘pancytopenia’/exp OR ‘pancytopenia’)) AND NOT (‘iron deficiency anaemia’/exp OR ‘iron deficiency anaemia’)
AND
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methymalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Population – ((MeSH descriptor Anaemia explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Megaloblastic explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Pernicious explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Pancytopenia explode all trees) OR ((anaemia) OR (anaemia):ti,ab,kw) OR ((megaloblastic) OR (megaloblastic):ti,ab,kw) OR (macrocyt*) OR ((pernicious) OR (pernicious):ti,ab,kw) OR ((pancytopenia) OR (pancytopenia):ti,ab,kw) ) AND NOT ((MeSH descriptor Iron deficiency anaemia) OR (iron deficiency anaemia):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw)) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Limits [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Patients with neurologic disease
Embase and Medline
Population – ((‘paresthesias’/exp OR ‘paresthesias’) OR (‘peripheral neuropathy’/exp OR ‘peripheral neuropathy’) OR (‘combined system disease’/exp OR ‘combined systems disease’))
AND
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methymalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Population – ((MeSH descriptor Paresthesias explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Peripheral Neuropathy explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Combined Systems Disease explode all trees) OR ((paresthesias) OR (paresthesias):ti,ab,kw) OR ((peripheral neuropathy) OR (peripheral neuropathy):ti,ab,kw) OR ((combined systems disease) OR (combined systems disease):ti,ab,kw))
AND
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw)) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Limits [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Patients with gastrointestinal and malabsoption diseases
Embase and Medline
Population – ((‘atrophic body gastritis’/exp OR ‘atrophic body gastritis’) OR (‘gastrectomy’/exp OR ‘gastrectomy’) OR (‘gastric sleeve’/exp OR ‘gastric sleeve’) OR (‘peptic ulcer’/exp OR ‘peptic ulcer’) OR (‘H. Pylori’/exp OR ‘H. Pylori’) OR (‘dyspepsia’/exp OR ‘dyspepsia’) OR (‘diarrhoea’/exp OR ‘diarrhoea’) OR (‘coeliac disease’/exp OR ‘coeliac disease’) OR (‘Crohn’s disease’/exp OR ‘Crohn’s disease’) OR (‘tapeworms’/exp OR ‘tapeworms’))
AND
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methymalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Population – ((MeSH descriptor Atrophic Body Gastritis explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Gastrectomy explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Gastric Sleeve explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Peptic Ulcer explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor H. pylori explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Dyspepsia explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Diarrhoea explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Coeliac Disease explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Crohn’s Disease explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Tapeworms explode all trees) OR ((atrophic body gastritis) OR (atrophic body gastritis):ti,ab,kw OR (gastrectomy) OR (gastrectomy):ti,ab,kw OR (gastric sleeve) OR (gastric sleeve):ti,ab,kw OR (peptic ulcer) OR (peptic ulcer):ti,ab,kw OR (h. pylori) OR (h. pylori):ti,ab,kw OR (dyspepsia) OR (dyspepsia):ti,ab,kw OR (diarrhoea) OR (diarrhoea):ti,ab,kw OR (coeliac disease) OR (coeliac disease):ti,ab,kw OR (Crohn’s disease) OR (Crohn’s disease):ti,ab,kw OR (tapeworms) OR (tapeworms):ti,ab,kw )
AND
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw )) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Limits [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Patients with psychiatric disorders
Embase and Medline
Population – ((‘dementia’/exp OR ‘dementia’) OR (‘depression’/exp OR ‘depression’) OR (‘psychosis’/exp OR ‘psychosis’) OR (‘Alzheimer’s disease’/exp OR ‘Alzheimer’s disease’))
AND
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methymalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Population – ((MeSH descriptor Dementia explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Depression explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Psychosis explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Alzheimer’s disease explode all trees) OR((dementia) OR (dementia):ti,ab,kw) OR ((depression) OR (depression):ti,ab,kw) OR ((psychosis) OR (psychosis):ti,ab,kw) OR ((Alzheimer’s disease) OR (Alzheimer’s disease):ti,ab,kw))
AND
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw ) ) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Limits [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Table A4.2: Search strategy for economic evidence
Population
Search Terms
Patients undertaking vitamin B12 testing
Embase and Medline
Intervention – (Vit*B12 OR ‘vitamin B12’/exp OR’ vitamin B12’ OR cobalamin OR cyanocobalamin OR hydroxycobalamin OR methylcobalamin OR ‘methymalonic acid /exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’/exp OR ‘methylmalonic acid’ OR ‘MMA OR ‘methylmalonate’ OR ‘malonic acid’ OR ‘holotranscobalamin’/exp OR ‘holotranscobalamin’ OR ‘holoTC’/exp OR ‘holoTC’) AND (‘testing’/exp OR ‘testing’ OR ‘haematologic test*’/exp OR ‘haematologic test*’)
AND
Economic Terms – (‘economic aspect’/exp OR ‘cost benefit analysis’ OR cost* OR ‘cost effectiveness’)
AND
Limits – [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
Cochrane Library
Intervention – ((MeSH descriptor Vitamin B12 explode all trees) OR (Vitamin B12):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cobalamin explode all trees) OR (cobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Cyanocobalamin explode all trees) OR (cyanocobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Hydroxycobalamin explode all trees) OR (hydroxycobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylcobalamin explode all trees) OR (methylcobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methylmalonic acid explode all trees) OR (methylmalonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Methymalonate explode all trees) OR (methylmalonate):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Malonic acid explode all trees) OR (malonic acid):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Holotranscobalamin explode all trees) OR (holotranscobalamin):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor HoloTC explode all trees) OR (holoTC):ti,ab,kw ) ) AND ((MeSH descriptor Testing explode all trees) OR (Testing):ti,ab,kw OR (MeSH descriptor Haematologic test* explode al trees) OR (Haematologic test*):ti,ab,kw)
AND
Economic Terms – (((economic aspect) OR (economic aspect):kw) OR ((cost benefit) OR (cost benefit):kw)) OR ((cost effectiveness) OR (cost effectiveness):kw) OR (MeSH descriptor Cost-Benefit Analysis explode all trees) OR (MeSH descriptor Costs and Cost Analysis explode all trees))
