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Acta Chirurgica Belgica 2015Composite tissue allografting (CTA) represents the essence of reconstructive surgery, combining principles of solid organ transplantation (SOT) and modern plastic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Composite tissue allografting (CTA) represents the essence of reconstructive surgery, combining principles of solid organ transplantation (SOT) and modern plastic surgery techniques. The purpose of this article is to give a review of the history of facial CTA and an update of the cases that have been operated so far worldwide.
METHODS
A systematic review of the medical literature was performed. Ten relevant publications were selected and analyzed for clinical data of the patients, surgical aspects of transplantation, complications and outcome.
RESULTS
The past 9 years, 31 face transplants have been performed worldwide. The main indication was posttraumatic deformity. In all cases standard triple drug immunosuppression as used in SOT was successfully used and at least 1 period of acute rejection was seen in all patients, controllable with conventional immunosuppressive regimens. Overall functional outcomes are good and satisfaction rate is high, surpassing initial expectations. The main complications are opportunistic infections; 4 deaths occurred.
CONCLUSIONS
Facial CTA is a life changing procedure and has led to new treatment options for patients with complex, devastating and otherwise unreconstructable facial deformities to restore appearance and overall wellbeing in a single operation. The key to success lies in the selection of the appropriate patient, who is stable, well-motivated and therapy compliant. Thorough screening and follow-up by a multidisciplinary team, well prepared surgical approach and intensive, early rehabilitation are all crucial factors for minimizing complications and a safe and rapid recovery.
Topics: Facial Transplantation; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans
PubMed: 26021941
DOI: 10.1080/00015458.2015.11681077 -
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Oct 2023Tooth wear (TW) prevalence is high and increasing and has important consequences on the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of risk factors is crucial to promote... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tooth wear (TW) prevalence is high and increasing and has important consequences on the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of risk factors is crucial to promote diagnosis, prevention strategies and timely interceptive treatment. Many studies have identified TW risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
This scoping review aims to map and describe suspected available factors associated with TW in permanent dentition based on quantitative measurement.
METHODS
The scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension of the Scoping Reviews checklist. The search was conducted in October 2022 from the Medline® (PubMed® interface) and Scopus® databases. Two independent reviewers selected and characterised the studies.
RESULTS
2702 articles were identified for assessment of titles and abstracts, and 273 articles were included in the review. The results show a need to standardise TW measurement indices and the study design. The included studies highlighted various factors, classified into nine domains: sociodemographic factors, medical history, drinking habits, eating habits, oral hygiene habits, dental factors, bruxism and temporomandibular disorders, behavioural factors, and stress. Results related to chemical TW (erosion) risk factors underline the importance of eating disorders, gastroesophageal reflux and lifestyle, particularly drinking and eating behaviours, which supports developing public health information campaigns and interventions. Besides chemical, this review identifies evidence of several mechanical TW risk factors, such as toothbrushing and bruxism; the influence of this last factor needs to be further explored.
CONCLUSIONS
TW management and prevention require a multidisciplinary approach. Dentists are in the first line to detect associated diseases such as reflux or eating disorders. Consequently, practitioners' information and guideline diffusion should be promoted, and a TW risk factors checklist (the ToWeR checklist) is proposed to help diagnostic approaches.
Topics: Humans; Bruxism; Dentition, Permanent; Tooth Erosion; Quality of Life; Tooth Wear; Tooth Attrition; Risk Factors; Gastroesophageal Reflux
PubMed: 37147932
DOI: 10.1111/joor.13489 -
The Lancet. Global Health Nov 2023An improved estimation of the clinical sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial in African countries, where the subject has received little attention despite more...
BACKGROUND
An improved estimation of the clinical sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial in African countries, where the subject has received little attention despite more than 12 million reported cases and evidence that many more people were infected. We reviewed the evidence on prevalence, associated risk factors for long COVID, and systemic or sociocultural determinants of reporting long COVID.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review, searching PubMed, the Living OVerview of Evidence platform, and grey literature sources for publications from Dec 1, 2019, to Nov 23, 2022. We included articles published in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese that reported on any study type in Africa with participants of any age who had symptoms for 4 weeks or more after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. We excluded secondary research, comments, and correspondence. Screening and data extraction were performed by two reviewers. Summary estimates were extracted, including sociodemographic factors, medical history, prevalence of persistent symptoms, and symptoms and associated factors. Results were analysed descriptively. The study was registered on the Open Science Framework platform.
FINDINGS
Our search yielded 294 articles, of which 24 peer-reviewed manuscripts were included, reporting on 9712 patients from eight African countries. Only one study exclusively recruited children, and one other study included children as part of their study population. Studies indicated moderate to low risk of bias. Prevalence of long COVID varied widely, from 2% in Ghana to 86% in Egypt. Long COVID was positively associated with female sex, older age, non-Black ethnicity, low level of education, and the severity of acute infection and underlying comorbidity. HIV and tuberculosis were not identified as risk factors. Factors influencing reporting included absence of awareness, inadequate clinical data and diagnostics, and little access to health-care services.
INTERPRETATION
In Africa, research on long COVID is scarce, particularly among children, who represent the majority of the population. However, existing studies show a substantial prevalence across settings, emphasising the importance of vaccination and other prevention strategies to avert the effects of long COVID on individual wellbeing, the increased strain on health systems, and the potential negative effects on economically vulnerable populations. At a global level, including African countries, tools for research on long COVID need to be harmonised to maximise the usefulness of the data collected.
FUNDING
None.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Infant, Newborn; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Ghana
PubMed: 37858583
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00384-4 -
BMC Medical Education Sep 2015This paper is an up-to-date systematic review on educational interventions addressing history taking. The authors noted that despite the plethora of specialized training... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This paper is an up-to-date systematic review on educational interventions addressing history taking. The authors noted that despite the plethora of specialized training programs designed to enhance students' interviewing skills there had not been a review of the literature to assess the quality of each published method of teaching history taking in undergraduate medical education based on the evidence of the program's efficacy.
METHODS
The databases PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, opengrey, opendoar and SSRN were searched using key words related to medical education and history taking. Articles that described an educational intervention to improve medical students' history-taking skills were selected and reviewed. Included studies had to evaluate learning progress. Study quality was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI).
RESULTS
Seventy-eight full-text articles were identified and reviewed; of these, 23 studies met the final inclusion criteria. Three studies applied an instructional approach using scripts, lectures, demonstrations and an online course. Seventeen studies applied a more experiential approach by implementing small group workshops including role-play, interviews with patients and feedback. Three studies applied a creative approach. Two of these studies made use of improvisational theatre and one introduced a simulation using Lego® building blocks. Twenty-two studies reported an improvement in students' history taking skills. Mean MERSQI score was 10.4 (range 6.5 to 14; SD = 2.65).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that several different educational interventions are effective in teaching history taking skills to medical students. Small group workshops including role-play and interviews with real patients, followed by feedback and discussion, are widespread and best investigated. Feedback using videotape review was also reported as particularly instructive. Students in the early preclinical state might profit from approaches helping them to focus on interview skills and not being distracted by thinking about differential diagnoses or clinical management. The heterogeneity of outcome data and the varied ways of assessment strongly suggest the need for further research as many studies did not meet basic methodological criteria. Randomized controlled trials using external assessment methods, standardized measurement tools and reporting long-term data are recommended to evaluate the efficacy of courses on history taking.
Topics: Education, Medical; Humans; Medical History Taking; Students, Medical; Teaching
PubMed: 26415941
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-015-0443-x -
The American Journal of Geriatric... Apr 2017We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether history of bipolar disorder (BD) increases the risk of dementia. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether history of bipolar disorder (BD) increases the risk of dementia.
METHODS
We searched PubMed and Scopus to identify studies that evaluated the risk of dementia in individuals with a history of BD. A total of 6 studies including 3,026 individuals with history of BD and 191,029 non-BD individuals were included in the meta-analysis.
RESULTS
History of BD significantly increased the risk of diagnosis of dementia (pooled odds ratio: 2.36; 95% confidence interval: 1.36-4.09; z = 3.07, p < 0.001). Evidence of heterogeneity and of publication bias in the analysis was found.
CONCLUSION
History of BD is associated with significantly higher risk of dementia in older adults. Future studies are necessary to evaluate the potential mediators of this association and to evaluate interventions that may reduce the risk of dementia in this population.
Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Comorbidity; Dementia; Humans; Risk
PubMed: 28161155
DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2016.11.014 -
BJOG : An International Journal of... Nov 2022To examine the association between race and pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension after adjustment for factors in maternal characteristics and medical history in a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
To examine the association between race and pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension after adjustment for factors in maternal characteristics and medical history in a screening study from the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) in England, and to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on pre-eclampsia.
DESIGN
Prospective observational study and systematic review with meta-analysis.
SETTING
Two UK maternity hospitals.
POPULATION
A total of 168 966 women with singleton pregnancies attending for routine ultrasound examination at 11-13 weeks of gestation without major abnormalities delivering at 24 weeks or more of gestation.
METHODS
Regression analysis examined the association between race and pre-eclampsia or gestational hypertension in the FMF data. Literature search to December 2021 was carried out to identify peer-reviewed publications on race and pre-eclampsia.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Relative risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension in women of black, South Asian and East Asian race by comparison to white women.
RESULTS
In black women, the respective risks of total-pre-eclampsia and preterm-pre-eclampsia were 2-fold and 2.5-fold higher, respectively, and risk of gestational hypertension was 25% higher; in South Asian women there was a 1.5-fold higher risk of preterm pre-eclampsia but not of total-pre-eclampsia and in East Asian women there was no statistically significant difference in risk of hypertensive disorders. The literature search identified 19 studies that provided data on several million pregnancies, but 17 were at moderate or high-risk of bias and only three provided risks adjusted for some maternal characteristics; consequently, these studies did not provide accurate contributions on different racial groups to the prediction of pre-eclampsia.
CONCLUSION
In women of black and South Asian origin the risk of pre-eclampsia, after adjustment for confounders, is higher than in white women.
Topics: Cohort Studies; England; Female; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Infant, Newborn; Observational Studies as Topic; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 35620879
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17240 -
Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany) Feb 2016Plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis, is a treatment method that developed over a period of two decades and involves the removal and replacement of a patient's circulating... (Review)
Review
Plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis, is a treatment method that developed over a period of two decades and involves the removal and replacement of a patient's circulating plasma. The aim of treatment is to remove disease-associated molecules and therefore interrupt disease progression. This article summarizes the developmental history of this treatment and then looks in more detail at data on the use of plasma exchange in treating antineutrophil antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. The eight randomized trials and the Cochrane Systematic Review on treating renal vasculitis are summarized to show that plasma exchange may be effective in this disease, specifically in reducing the development of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) by approximately 40%. The plasma exchange and glucocorticoid dosing in the treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody associated vasculitis (PEXIVAS) study is a currently enrolling study aiming to answer some of the outstanding questions relating to the use of this treatment in ANCA-associated vasculitis.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Plasmapheresis
PubMed: 25986911
DOI: 10.1007/s00467-014-3038-6 -
The Journal of Urology Jan 2022Arterio-ureteral fistula (AUF) is an uncommon diagnosis, but increasingly reported and potentially lethal. This systematic review comprehensively presents risk factors,...
PURPOSE
Arterio-ureteral fistula (AUF) is an uncommon diagnosis, but increasingly reported and potentially lethal. This systematic review comprehensively presents risk factors, pathophysiology, location and clinical presentation of AUF aiming to increase clinical awareness of this rare but life-threatening condition, and to put this entity into a contemporary perspective with modern diagnostic tools and treatment strategies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This review was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant Data) guidelines. A literature search in PubMed® and EMBASE™ was conducted. In addition, retrieved articles were cross-referenced. Data parameters included oncologic, vascular and urological history, diagnostics, treatment, and followup, and were collected using a standard template by 2 independent reviewers.
RESULTS
A total of 245 articles with 445 patients and 470 AUFs were included. Most patients had chronic indwelling ureteral stents (80%) and history of pelvic oncology (70%). Hematuria was observed in 99% of the patients, of whom 76% presented with massive hematuria with or without previous episodes of (micro)hematuria. For diagnosis, angiography had a sensitivity of 62%. The most predominant location of AUF was at the common iliac artery ureteral crossing. AUF-specific mortality before 2000 vs after 2000 is 19% vs 7%, coinciding with increasing use of endovascular stents.
CONCLUSIONS
AUF should be considered in patients with a medical history of vascular surgery, pelvic oncologic surgery, irradiation and/or chronic indwelling ureteral stents presenting with intermittent (micro)hematuria. A multidisciplinary consultation is necessary for diagnosis and treatment. The most sensitive test is angiography and the preferred initial treatment is endovascular.
Topics: Humans; Risk Factors; Ureteral Diseases; Urinary Fistula; Vascular Fistula
PubMed: 34555933
DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000002241 -
Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey Feb 2017Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is a rare but easily treated cause of pain in women, especially those who have undergone cesarean deliveries. (Review)
Review
IMPORTANCE
Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is a rare but easily treated cause of pain in women, especially those who have undergone cesarean deliveries.
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the diagnosis and management of AWE, a condition that generally develops after surgery but may arise spontaneously. We present a systematic review of the existing literature on AWE, as well as our clinical recommendations for medical and surgical management.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
We searched PubMed and other databases using the search criteria "abdominal wall endometriosis," "abdominal wall endometriomas," and "abdominal wall mass." The references of those articles were then reviewed, and additional publications were evaluated.
RESULTS
Many case reports and case series have been published describing AWE. The overall quality of evidence is poor due to the lack of prospective studies and heterogeneous descriptions of AWE lesions and treatment options. Based on the available literature, it appears that AWE may arise spontaneously but is generally associated with prior pelvic surgery. Abdominal wall endometriosis can be diagnosed with a careful history and physical examination. Imaging including ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can assist with localization of the lesions, and aid in surgical excision and management. Lesions that have been removed in their entirety are unlikely to reoccur.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Although limited, the body of literature describing management of AWE suggests that it can be successfully treated in most patients with careful surgical planning.
Topics: Abdominal Wall; Disease Management; Dissection; Endometriosis; Female; Humans; Medical History Taking; Physical Examination
PubMed: 28218772
DOI: 10.1097/OGX.0000000000000399 -
Journal of Medical Toxicology :... Apr 2021Medications are compounded when a formulation of a medication is needed but not commercially available. Regulatory oversight of compounding is piecemeal and compounding...
INTRODUCTION
Medications are compounded when a formulation of a medication is needed but not commercially available. Regulatory oversight of compounding is piecemeal and compounding errors have resulted in patient harm. We review compounding in the United States (US), including a history of compounding, a critique of current regulatory oversight, and a systematic review of compounding errors recorded in the literature.
METHODS
We gathered reports of compounding errors occurring in the US from 1990 to 2020 from PubMed, Embase, several relevant conference abstracts, and the US Food and Drug Administration "Drug Alerts and Statements" repository. We categorized reports into errors of "contamination," suprapotency," and "subpotency." Errors were also subdivided by whether they resulted in morbidity and mortality. We reported demographic, medication, and outcome data where available.
RESULTS
We screened 2155 reports and identified 63 errors. Twenty-one of 63 were errors of concentration, harming 36 patients. Twenty-seven of 63 were contamination errors, harming 1119 patients. Fifteen errors did not result in any identified harm.
DISCUSSION
Compounding errors are attributed to contamination or concentration. Concentration errors predominantly result from compounding a prescription for a single patient, and disproportionately affect children. Contamination errors largely occur during bulk distribution of compounded medications for parenteral use, and affect more patients. The burden falls on the government, pharmacy industry, and medical providers to reduce the risk of patient harm caused by compounding errors.
CONCLUSION
In the US, drug compounding is important in ensuring access to vital medications, but has the potential to cause patient harm without adequate safeguards.
Topics: Drug Compounding; Drug Contamination; Drug Industry; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Legislation, Drug; Pharmaceutical Preparations; United States
PubMed: 33140232
DOI: 10.1007/s13181-020-00814-3