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The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Aug 2015Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurs in 2% to 10% of pregnancies and, if not treated, up to 30% of mothers will develop acute pyelonephritis. Asymptomatic bacteriuria has... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurs in 2% to 10% of pregnancies and, if not treated, up to 30% of mothers will develop acute pyelonephritis. Asymptomatic bacteriuria has been associated with low birthweight and preterm birth.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effect of antibiotic treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria on the development of pyelonephritis and the risk of low birthweight and preterm birth.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (19 March 2015) and reference lists of retrieved studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized trials comparing antibiotic treatment with placebo or no treatment in pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria found on antenatal screening.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy.
MAIN RESULTS
Fourteen studies, involving almost 2000 women, were included. Antibiotic treatment compared with placebo or no treatment reduced the incidence of pyelonephritis (average risk ratio (RR) 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.13 to 0.41; 11 studies, 1932 women; very low quality evidence). Antibiotic treatment was also associated with a reduction in the incidence of low birthweight babies (average RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.93; six studies, 1437 babies; low quality evidence) and preterm birth (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.62; two studies, 242 women; low quality evidence). A reduction in persistent bacteriuria at the time of delivery was seen (average RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.53; four studies; 596 women). There were very limited data on which to estimate the effect of antibiotics on other infant outcomes and maternal adverse effects were rarely described.Overall, all 14 studies were assessed as being at high or unclear risk of bias. While many studies lacked an adequate description of methods and the risk of bias could only be assessed as unclear, in almost all studies there was at least one domain where the risk of bias was judged as high. The three primary outcomes were assessed with GRADE software and given a quality rating. Evidence for pyelonephritis, preterm birth and birthweight less than 2500 g was assessed as of low or very low quality.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
While antibiotic treatment is effective in reducing the risk of pyelonephritis in pregnancy, the estimate of the effect is very uncertain because of the very low quality of the evidence. The reduction in low birthweight and preterm birth with antibiotic treatment is consistent with theories about the role of infection in adverse pregnancy outcomes, but this association should be interpreted with caution given the very poor quality of the included studies.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Asymptomatic Infections; Bacteriuria; Confidence Intervals; Female; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Odds Ratio; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pyelonephritis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 26252501
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000490.pub3 -
EMBnet.journal Jul 2021The purpose of the present study was to evaluate special features and probable correlations between symptoms, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcomes of COVID-19 in...
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate special features and probable correlations between symptoms, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcomes of COVID-19 in children and adolescents, through a systematic review and pooled analysis. Following database (Pubmed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Embase) search, forty articles were considered eligible identifying a total of 2,971 confirmed pediatric COVID-19 patients. Fever was reported in 55.1% of the cases, while 28.4% were asymptomatic. Radiological signs of pneumonia were observed in more than half of the cases and in 40.7% of asymptomatic patients. Fever showed the highest sensitivity (sensitivity: 60.3%, specificity: 48.8%), followed by cough (sensitivity: 47.4%, specificity: 76.7%), rhinorrhea (sensitivity: 21.1%, specificity: 88.4%) and diarrhea (sensitivity: 10.3%, specificity: 88.4%), in differentiating cases with positive radiological signs for pneumonia. Compared to school age children, preschoolers (adjusted OR=6.01, 95%CI: 1.73-20.91) were more prone to pneumonia findings. Various combinations of treatments were used across studies, without following any strict guidelines. Most children (>90%) had full recovery and rarely presented complications. Fever seems to be the most frequent symptom in pediatric COVID-19, but pediatricians should additionally evaluate cough, rhinorrhea, and diarrhea as indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Asymptomatic cases were common, but not the majority, and a significant percentage had developed radiologic findings of pneumonia. Thorough reassessment of treatment and management guidelines should be helpful.
PubMed: 35600316
DOI: 10.14806/ej.26.1.946 -
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research :... Nov 2022Both medical and surgical therapy represent potential management options for patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Because uncertainty remains... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The Efficacy and Safety of Medical and Surgical Therapy in Patients With Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Both medical and surgical therapy represent potential management options for patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Because uncertainty remains regarding both medical and surgical therapy, this systematic review addresses the efficacy and safety of medical therapy in asymptomatic patients or symptomatic patients who decline surgery and surgery in asymptomatic patients. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PubMed from inception to December 2020, and included randomized controlled trials in patients with PHPT that compared nonsurgical management with medical therapy versus without medical therapy and surgery versus no surgery in patients with asymptomatic PHPT. For surgical complications we included observational studies. Paired reviewers addressed eligibility, assessed risk of bias, and abstracted data for patient-important outcomes. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses to pool relative risks and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals and used Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) to assess quality of evidence for each outcome. For medical therapy, 11 trials reported in 12 publications including 438 patients proved eligible: three addressed alendronate, one denosumab, three cinacalcet, two vitamin D, and two estrogen therapy. Alendronate, denosumab, vitamin D, and estrogen therapy all increased bone density. Cinacalcet probably reduced serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Cinacalcet and vitamin D may have a small or no increase in overall adverse events. Very-low-quality evidence raised the possibility of an increase in serious adverse events with alendronate and denosumab. The trials also provided low-quality evidence for increased bleeding and mastalgia with estrogen therapy. For surgery, six trials presented in 12 reports including 441 patients proved eligible. Surgery achieved biochemical cure in 96.1% (high quality). We found no convincing evidence supporting an impact of surgery on fracture, quality of life, occurrence of kidney stones, and renal function, but the evidence proved low or very low quality. Surgery was associated with an increase in bone mineral density. For patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic PHPT, who are not candidates for parathyroid surgery, cinacalcet probably reduced serum calcium and PTH levels; anti-resorptives increased bone density. For patients with asymptomatic PHPT, surgery usually achieves biochemical cure. These results can help to inform patients and clinicians regarding use of medical therapy and surgery in PHPT. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Topics: Humans; Cinacalcet; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary; Alendronate; Calcium; Quality of Life; Denosumab; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Parathyroid Hormone; Vitamin D; Estrogens
PubMed: 36053960
DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4685 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Jun 2018To conduct a systematic review to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic Zika virus infection in the general population and in specific population groups. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic Zika virus infection in the general population and in specific population groups.
METHODS
We searched PubMed®, Embase® and LILACS online databases from inception to 26 January 2018. We included observational epidemiological studies where laboratory testing was used to confirm positive exposure of participants to Zika virus and in which Zika virus symptom status was also recorded. We excluded studies in which having symptoms of Zika virus was a criterion for inclusion. The main outcome assessed was percentage of all Zika virus-positive participants who were asymptomatic. We used a quality-effects approach and the double arcsine transformation for the meta-analysis.
FINDINGS
We assessed 753 studies for inclusion, of which 23 were included in the meta-analysis, totalling 11 305 Zika virus-positive participants. The high degree of heterogeneity in the studies ( = 99%) suggests that the pooled prevalence of asymptomatic Zika virus-positive participants was probably not a robust estimate. Analysis based on subgroups of the population (general population, returned travellers, blood donors, adults with Guillain-Barré syndrome, pregnant women and babies with microcephaly) was not able to explain the heterogeneity. Funnel and Doi plots showed major asymmetry, suggesting selection bias or true heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
Better-quality research is needed, using standardized methods, to determine the true prevalence of asymptomatic Zika virus and whether it varies between populations or over time.
Topics: Adult; Child; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 29904223
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.17.201541 -
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) Aug 2022Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a promising imaging modality for the assessment of plaque vulnerability. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a promising imaging modality for the assessment of plaque vulnerability. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the ability of CEUS parameters to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques and to assess its reproducibility.
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies that potentially evaluated carotid plaques using CEUS. From the initial 2870 searches, 11 relevant publications comprising a total of 821 carotid plaques were reviewed. Data on CEUS parameters including quantitative and semi-quantitative parameters were extracted and analyzed.
RESULTS
The overall analysis showed significantly higher CEUS parameters in symptomatic carotid plaques compared to asymptomatic carotid plaques (standardised mean difference (SMD) .95, 95% confidence interval (CI) .56-1.27, p < .01). Intra and inter-observer reproducibility of quantitative CEUS parameters were excellent (intra-observer, r = .95, 95% CI .87-1; inter-observer, r = .93, 95% CI .80-.1). Semi-quantitative CEUS parameters showed good intra-observer reliability and moderate inter-observer reliability (intra-observer, r = .77, 95% CI .64-.89; inter-observer, r = .75, 95% CI .61-.89). Heterogeneity among studies compared CEUS parameters in symptomatic and asymptomatic plaques and studies assessed inter-observer reproducibility, and significant biases in studies assessing CEUS reproducibility were present.
CONCLUSION
CEUS is a useful vascular imaging method to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques with moderate to excellent reproducibility. Quantitative CEUS analysis appeared to be more sensitive and reliable in assessing carotid plaques than semi-quantitative parameters. Further longitudinal prospective trials evaluating carotid plaque in asymptomatic population using CEUS to determine plaque characteristics that can become symptomatic are required.
Topics: Carotid Arteries; Carotid Stenosis; Contrast Media; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 35768892
DOI: 10.1111/echo.15407 -
Acta Ophthalmologica Feb 2015Prophylactic treatment of retinal breaks has been examined in several studies and reviews, but so far, no studies have successfully applied a systematic approach. In the... (Review)
Review
Prophylactic treatment of retinal breaks has been examined in several studies and reviews, but so far, no studies have successfully applied a systematic approach. In the present systematic review, we examined the need of follow-up after posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) - diagnosed by slit-lamp biomicroscopy or Goldmann 3-mirror examination - with regard to retinal breaks as well as the indication of prophylactic treatment in asymptomatic and symptomatic breaks. A total of 2941 publications were identified with PubMed and Medline searches. Two manual search strategies were used for papers in English published before 2012. Four levels of screening identified 13 studies suitable for inclusion in this systematic review. No meta-analysis was conducted as no data suitable for statistical analysis were identified. In total, the initial examination after symptomatic PVD identified 85-95% of subsequent retinal breaks. Additional retinal breaks were only revealed at follow-up in patients where a full retinal examination was compromised at presentation by, for example, vitreous haemorrhage. Asymptomatic and symptomatic retinal breaks progressed to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in 0-13.8% and 35-47% of cases, respectively. The cumulated incidence of RRD despite prophylactic treatment was 2.1-8.8%. The findings in this review suggest that follow-up after symptomatic PVD is only necessary in cases of incomplete retinal examination at presentation. Prophylactic treatment of symptomatic retinal breaks must be considered, whereas no unequivocal conclusion could be reached with regard to prophylactic treatment of asymptomatic retinal breaks.
Topics: Cryosurgery; Humans; Laser Coagulation; Retinal Detachment; Retinal Perforations; Slit Lamp; Vitreous Detachment
PubMed: 24853827
DOI: 10.1111/aos.12447 -
Malaria Journal Dec 2022In the last decade Plasmodium knowlesi has been detected in humans throughout South East Asia. The highest risk groups for this infection are males, adults and those... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In the last decade Plasmodium knowlesi has been detected in humans throughout South East Asia. The highest risk groups for this infection are males, adults and those performing forest-related work. Furthermore, asymptomatic cases of P. knowlesi malaria have been reported including among women and children.
METHODS
Pubmed, Scopus and the Web of Science databases for literature describing asymptomatic P. knowlesi malaria published between 2010 and 2020 were searched. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies reporting the prevalence and incidence of laboratory confirmed asymptomatic P. knowlesi cases in humans, their clinical and demographic characteristics, and methods used to diagnose these cases.
RESULTS
By analysing over 102 papers, thirteen were eligible for this review. Asymptomatic P. knowlesi infections have been detected in 0.03%-4.0% of the population depending on region, and infections have been described in children as young as 2 years old. Various different diagnostic methods were used to detect P. knowlesi cases and there were differing definitions of asymptomatic cases in these studies. The literature indicates that regionally-differing immune-related mechanisms may play a part on the prevalence of asymptomatic P. knowlesi.
CONCLUSION
Differing epidemiological characteristics of asymptomatic P. knowlesi malaria in different regions reinforces the need to further investigate disease transmission mechanics. Effective public health responses to changes in P. knowlesi epidemiology require proactive intervention and multisectoral collaboration.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Child, Preschool; Plasmodium knowlesi; Communicable Diseases, Emerging
PubMed: 36474243
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04339-8 -
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Jul 2022This systematic review investigated whether people with patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) have muscle strength, volume, and activation around the hip and knee that is... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review investigated whether people with patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) have muscle strength, volume, and activation around the hip and knee that is different from asymptomatic controls.
METHODS
Searches were carried out in five electronic databases, with terms related to PFOA, including muscle strength, volume and activation. Only studies with at least one group with symptomatic PFOA and one asymptomatic group were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE methodology. Using the random effects model, a meta-analysis was performed when there were at least two studies reporting the same domain.
RESULTS
Eight studies (250 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Subjects with PFOA had weaker hip abduction (SMD -0.96; 95%CI = -1.34 to -0.57), hip external rotation (-0.55;-1.07 to -0.03), hip extension (-0.72;-1.16 to -0.28), and knee extension (-0.97;-1.41 to -0.53) when compared to asymptomatic controls. People with PFOA also presented with smaller volumes of the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fascia lata, vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris when compared to asymptomatic controls. Also, people with PFOA presented with changes in muscle activation for the VL, VM and gluteus maximus (GMax) when compared to asymptomatic controls.
CONCLUSION
People with PFOA present with lower strength and volume of the hip and quadriceps muscles and altered muscle activation of the VM, VL and GMax during ascending and descending stairs when compared to asymptomatic controls. However, the certainty of these findings are very low.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
PROSPERO systematic review protocol (ID = CRD42020197776).
Topics: Electromyography; Humans; Knee; Knee Joint; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Quadriceps Muscle
PubMed: 35257862
DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.01.013 -
Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular... 2022Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) may grow asymptomatically until they rupture, with a mortality over 90%. The true incidence and prevalence of this condition is uncertain... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) may grow asymptomatically until they rupture, with a mortality over 90%. The true incidence and prevalence of this condition is uncertain and epidemiologic data is scarce, understudied and dispersed. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the incidence and prevalence of TAAs in population-based studies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL from inception to October 2020 for all population-based studies reporting on incidence and/or prevalence of TAAs. Data were pooled using a random effects model. The main outcome was the overall available worldwide incidence and prevalence of TAAs. The secondary outcomes were to evaluate the incidence of ruptured TAAs, differences in the location of these aneurysms (either ascending, arch or descending aorta) and differences in prevalence/incidence across different study designs. Twenty-two studies were included in the review and meta-analysis. The pooled incidence and prevalence of TAAs was 5.3 per 100,000 individuals/year (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0; 8.3) and 0.16% (95% CI: 0.12; 0.20), respectively. The pooled incidence of ruptured aneurysms was 1.6 per 100,000 individuals/year (95% CI: 1.3; 2.1). We found a significant difference of the prevalence in autopsy-only studies, which was 0.76% (95% CI: 0.47; 1.13) and the prevalence of TAAs dropped down to 0.07% (95% CI: 0.05;0.11) when these studies were excluded from the overall analysis. The current epidemiologic information provided serve as a base for future public-health decisions. The lack of well-design population-base studies and the limitations encountered serve as calling for future research in this field.
Topics: Aortic Aneurysm; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Humans; Incidence; Prevalence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33705940
DOI: 10.1053/j.semtcvs.2021.02.029 -
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory... Jul 2020Several studies have shown an inverse association between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer (PCa). Some researchers suggest that this relationship is due to reduced... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
Several studies have shown an inverse association between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer (PCa). Some researchers suggest that this relationship is due to reduced PCa detection in diabetics due to lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels compared to non-diabetics. Our objective is to analyze the impact of diabetes on PSA in asymptomatic men without known prostate pathology and without prior prostate intervention.
METHODS
We searched Medline (via PubMed), Embase and Scopus. We included studies that reported the relationship between serum PSA levels and diabetes or diabetes treatment in asymptomatic adult men without known prostate pathology, and without prior prostate intervention. Pooled mean differences were compared between diabetics and non-diabetics.
RESULTS
Of 2,392 screened abstracts, thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and 8 (62%) reported appropriate measures that could be included in a meta-analysis. Eleven (85%) examined the influence of diabetes on PSA levels and 8 (62%) evaluated the influence of diabetes treatments on PSA levels. Overall diabetics had a significantly lower PSA level compared to non-diabetics (mean difference: -0.07 ng/mL; 95% CI -0.10, -0.04).
CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes and related factors (such as disease duration, severity and treatment) were significantly associated with lower PSA levels among asymptomatic men, yet differences were small and are unlikely to influence PCa detection in a screening setting.
Topics: Age Factors; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Prostate-Specific Antigen
PubMed: 32681769
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2020-0145