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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Jun 2018Prevention of blood loss is a chief consideration in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The antifibrinolytic drugs tranexamic acid and ε-aminocaproic acid have emerged... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Prevention of blood loss is a chief consideration in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The antifibrinolytic drugs tranexamic acid and ε-aminocaproic acid have emerged as promising agents to reduce both perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements. However, published reports in the plastic surgery literature are lacking. The authors sought to summarize the current knowledge of the use of antifibrinolytics in plastic surgery by reviewing the existing literature for clinical outcomes and recommendations.
METHODS
A systematic review of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for publications examining the use of antifibrinolytics in plastic surgery. Studies were abstracted for procedure type, antifibrinolytic dose, time and mode of administration, blood loss, transfusion requirements, and complications.
RESULTS
Thirty-three studies were deemed eligible for inclusion, comprising a total of 1823 patients undergoing plastic surgical procedures with tranexamic acid (n = 1328) and/or ε-aminocaproic acid (n = 495).
CONCLUSIONS
Tranexamic acid and ε-aminocaproic acid are widely used to reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements in craniofacial and orthognathic surgery, without an increased risk of adverse events. Intravenous administration is most commonly used, although topical formulations show similar efficacy with a reduced systemic distribution. Tranexamic acid has also emerged as a promising agent in aesthetic surgery and burn care, due to its favorable safety profile and role in reducing blood loss, achieving an improved surgical field, and reducing edema and ecchymosis. Further investigation of these agents in the fields of burn care, aesthetic surgery, and microsurgery is warranted to standardize protocols for clinical use.
Topics: Aminocaproic Acid; Antifibrinolytic Agents; Burns; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cohort Studies; Forecasting; Humans; Microsurgery; Orthognathic Surgical Procedures; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Tranexamic Acid
PubMed: 29794717
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004421 -
Parasitology Nov 2022From a systematic review framework, we analysed the clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of monotherapy and combination chemotherapy for Chagas disease... (Review)
Review
From a systematic review framework, we analysed the clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of monotherapy and combination chemotherapy for Chagas disease (ChD) treatment. The research protocol was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and patient, intervention, comparison and outcome strategy. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) were retrieved from Embase, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Diagnostic tools, treatment protocols, seroconversion rates and adverse events were investigated. Fifteen RCT mainly concentrated in endemic countries were identified. ChD diagnosis was mainly based on haemagglutination, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction. Benznidazole (BNZ), nifurtimox, fosravuconazole, posaconazole, allopurinol and thioctic acid were the identified drugs. The best negative seroconversion results (100, 96, 94 and 91.3%) were, respectively, based on BNZ (5 mg kg day, 200 mg day, 150 mg day and 2.5 mg kg) administration for 60 days. Negative seroconversion was not achieved with allopurinol (300 mg day for 60 days). Adverse reactions ranged from 5 to 73% in patients receiving antiparasitic chemotherapy. Treatment discontinuation (1.5–57%) was mainly associated with gastrointestinal, cutaneous and neurological manifestations. Current RCT-based evidence indicates that BNZ is the most viable option for ChD treatment. However, new protocols need to be developed to mitigate side effects and increase patient adherence to antiparasitic chemotherapy. Therefore, shorter regimens, lower concentrations and treatments combining BNZ with posaconazole, fosravuconazole or ravuconazole may be viable to ensure comparable efficacy to BZN-based monotherapy, contributing to reduce dose- and time-dependent toxicity reactions.
Topics: Humans; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanocidal Agents; Allopurinol; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Chagas Disease; Nitroimidazoles; Drug Therapy, Combination; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35957576
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182022001081 -
Neurocritical Care Apr 2022One of the challenges in bringing new therapeutic agents (since nimodipine) in for the treatment of cerebral ischemia associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage... (Review)
Review
One of the challenges in bringing new therapeutic agents (since nimodipine) in for the treatment of cerebral ischemia associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is the incongruence in therapeutic benefit observed between phase II and subsequent phase III clinical trials. Therefore, identifying areas for improvement in the methodology and interpretation of results is necessary to increase the value of phase II trials. We performed a systematic review of phase II trials that continued into phase III trials, evaluating a therapeutic agent for the treatment of cerebral ischemia associated with aSAH. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews, and review was based on a peer-reviewed protocol (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews no. 222965). A total of nine phase III trials involving 7,088 patients were performed based on eight phase II trials involving 1558 patients. The following therapeutic agents were evaluated in the selected phase II and phase III trials: intravenous tirilazad, intravenous nicardipine, intravenous clazosentan, intravenous magnesium, oral statins, and intraventricular nimodipine. Shortcomings in several design elements of the phase II aSAH trials were identified that may explain the incongruence between phase II and phase III trial results. We suggest the consideration of the following strategies to improve phase II design: increased focus on the selection of surrogate markers of efficacy, selection of the optimal dose and timing of intervention, adjustment for exaggerated estimate of treatment effect in sample size calculations, use of prespecified go/no-go criteria using futility design, use of multicenter design, enrichment of the study population, use of concurrent control or placebo group, and use of innovative trial designs such as seamless phase II to III design. Modifying the design of phase II trials on the basis of lessons learned from previous phase II and phase III trial combinations is necessary to plan more effective phase III trials.
Topics: Brain Ischemia; Cerebral Infarction; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Humans; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Nicardipine; Nimodipine; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; Treatment Outcome; Vasospasm, Intracranial
PubMed: 34940927
DOI: 10.1007/s12028-021-01372-4 -
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology Mar 2023Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma following biologic therapy is extremely rare.
BACKGROUND
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma following biologic therapy is extremely rare.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the development of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) following treatment with a biologic agent.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was performed for patients who developed CTCL after exposure to biologic therapy. Works were limited to English language and excluded animal studies, guidelines, and protocols. Potentially eligible titles were identified using controlled vocabulary in tandem with key words. The search strategy was peer-reviewed prior to execution.
RESULTS
Twenty-eight total studies revealed sixty-two patients who developed CTCL following exposure to a biologic agent. Of these, 44% were Caucasian, and the median age at diagnosis was 56 years. Seventy-six percent of patients received biologic therapy for a primary inflammatory skin condition. Dupilumab was the most reported (42%) agent amongst the cohort. The median time from initiation of the biologic agent to diagnosis of CTCL in these cases was 4 months (range: 0-84). Mycosis fungoides (65%) and Sézary syndrome (10%) were the most common subtypes of CTCL diagnosed. Twenty-one (34%) patients were reported to be alive with disease, outcome was not reported in 21 patients (34%), ten patients (16%) were alive and in complete remission, eight patients (13%) died of disease and two patients (3%) died due to other causes.
CONCLUSION
While biologic agents may have a role in the development of CTCL, in order to definitively elucidate their role, more methodologically robust studies (such as those that utilize population databases) would need to occur.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Skin Neoplasms; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous; Mycosis Fungoides; Sezary Syndrome; Biological Factors; Biological Products
PubMed: 36627479
DOI: 10.1007/s40257-022-00749-1 -
Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain... Aug 2020Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a surgical technique for peritoneal carcinomatosis combining cytoreduction surgery and peritoneal irrigation of... (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a surgical technique for peritoneal carcinomatosis combining cytoreduction surgery and peritoneal irrigation of cytotoxic agents responsible for haemodynamics and fluid homeostasis alterations. To this day, no guidelines exist concerning intraoperative management.
OBJECTIVES
To review data on haemodynamic monitoring and management of patients undergoing HIPEC and to help design a standardised anaesthetic protocol.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane library were searched using the following.
STUDY SELECTION
Original articles and case-reports. Letters to editors and reviews were excluded.
DATA EXTRACTION
Data on haemodynamic management, morbidity and mortality.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Haemodynamic management during HIPEC is highly variable and depends on local protocols. Only one randomised controlled trial evaluated the benefit of goal-directed fluid administration (GDFA). GDFA guided by advanced haemodynamic monitoring resulted in significantly less complication, shorter length of stay and less mortality compared to standard fluid administration. Renal protection protocol did not decrease the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI).
CONCLUSION
Our review reveals that fluid administration guided by advanced monitoring seems to be associated with less postoperative morbidity and mortality after HIPEC. Nevertheless, the literature review shows that intraoperative haemodynamic management is highly variable for this surgery. The use of renal protection strategy does not decrease the prevalence of AKI. Further prospective trials comparing different fluid management and haemodynamic monitoring strategies are urgently needed (PROSPERO registration CRD42018115720).
Topics: Combined Modality Therapy; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Fluid Therapy; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Peritoneal Neoplasms
PubMed: 32320757
DOI: 10.1016/j.accpm.2020.03.019 -
BMC Public Health Aug 2015Antimicrobial self-medication is common in most low and middle income countries (LMICs). However there has been no systematic review on non-prescription antimicrobial... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Antimicrobial self-medication is common in most low and middle income countries (LMICs). However there has been no systematic review on non-prescription antimicrobial use in these settings. This review thus intended to establish the burden, risk factors and effects of antimicrobial self-medication in Low and Middle Income Countries.
METHODS
In 2012, we registered a systematic review protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42012002508). We searched PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Embase databases using the following terms; "self-medication", "non-prescription", 'self-treatment', "antimicrobial", "antimalarial", "antibiotic", "antibacterial" "2002-2012" and combining them using Boolean operators. We performed independent and duplicate screening and abstraction of study administrative data, prevalence, determinants, type of antimicrobial agent, source, disease conditions, inappropriate use, drug adverse events and clinical outcomes of antibiotic self-medication where possible. We performed a Random Effects Meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of thirty four (34) studies involving 31,340 participants were included in the review. The overall prevalence of antimicrobial self-medication was 38.8 % (95 % CI: 29.5-48.1). Most studies assessed non-prescription use of antibacterial (17/34: 50 %) and antimalarial (5/34: 14.7 %) agents. The common disease symptoms managed were, respiratory (50 %), fever (47 %) and gastrointestinal (45 %). The major sources of antimicrobials included, pharmacies (65.5 %), leftover drugs (50 %) and drug shops (37.5 %). Twelve (12) studies reported inappropriate drug use; not completing dose (6/12) and sharing of medicines (4/12). The main determinants of antimicrobial self-medication include, level of education, age, gender, past successful use, severity of illness and income. Reported negative outcomes of antimicrobial self-medication included, allergies (2/34: 5.9 %), lack of cure (4/34: 11.8 %) and causing death (2/34: 5.9 %). The commonly reported positive outcome was recovery from illness (4/34: 11.8 %).
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of antimicrobial self-medication is high and varies in different communities as well as by social determinants of health and is frequently associated with inappropriate drug use.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Attitude to Health; Bacterial Infections; Developing Countries; Health Behavior; Humans; Nonprescription Drugs; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Self Care; Self Medication
PubMed: 26231758
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2109-3 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to investigate the efficacy of chitosan-containing chewing gums, and to test their inhibitory effects on . The... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to investigate the efficacy of chitosan-containing chewing gums, and to test their inhibitory effects on . The systematic search was performed in three databases (Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed) and included English-language randomized-controlled trials to compare the efficacy of chitosan in reducing the number of . To assess the certainty of evidence, the GRADE tool was used. Mean differences were calculated with a 95% confidence interval for one outcome: bacterial counts in CFU/mL. The protocol of the study was registered on PROSPERO, registration number CRD42022365006. Articles were downloaded ( = 6758) from EMBASE ( = 2255), PubMed ( = 1516), and Cochrane ( = 2987). After the selection process, a total of four articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and three in the quantitative synthesis. Our results show that chitosan reduced the number of bacteria. The difference in mean quantity was -4.68 × 10. The interval of the random-effects model was [-2.15 × 10; 1.21 × 10] and the prediction interval was [1.03 × 10; 9.40 × 10]. The I2 value was 98% ( = 0.35), which indicates a high degree of heterogeneity. Chitosan has some antibacterial effects when used as a component of chewing gum, but further studies are needed. It can be a promising antimicrobial agent for prevention.
Topics: Humans; Streptococcus mutans; Saliva; Chitosan; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chewing Gum; Dental Caries
PubMed: 37894948
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015270 -
Journal of the American Medical... Sep 2018Our objective was to review the characteristics, current applications, and evaluation measures of conversational agents with unconstrained natural language input...
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to review the characteristics, current applications, and evaluation measures of conversational agents with unconstrained natural language input capabilities used for health-related purposes.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and ACM Digital using a predefined search strategy. Studies were included if they focused on consumers or healthcare professionals; involved a conversational agent using any unconstrained natural language input; and reported evaluation measures resulting from user interaction with the system. Studies were screened by independent reviewers and Cohen's kappa measured inter-coder agreement.
RESULTS
The database search retrieved 1513 citations; 17 articles (14 different conversational agents) met the inclusion criteria. Dialogue management strategies were mostly finite-state and frame-based (6 and 7 conversational agents, respectively); agent-based strategies were present in one type of system. Two studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 1 was cross-sectional, and the remaining were quasi-experimental. Half of the conversational agents supported consumers with health tasks such as self-care. The only RCT evaluating the efficacy of a conversational agent found a significant effect in reducing depression symptoms (effect size d = 0.44, p = .04). Patient safety was rarely evaluated in the included studies.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of conversational agents with unconstrained natural language input capabilities for health-related purposes is an emerging field of research, where the few published studies were mainly quasi-experimental, and rarely evaluated efficacy or safety. Future studies would benefit from more robust experimental designs and standardized reporting.
PROTOCOL REGISTRATION
The protocol for this systematic review is registered at PROSPERO with the number CRD42017065917.
Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Communication; Delivery of Health Care; Natural Language Processing; Speech Recognition Software
PubMed: 30010941
DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocy072 -
Cancers Mar 2022Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare disease for which scarce evidence is available. We summarized data available on systemic treatment of advanced SBA. (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare disease for which scarce evidence is available. We summarized data available on systemic treatment of advanced SBA.
METHODS
Scientific literature was evaluated to find phase II or phase III clinical trials on systemic treatment for advanced SBA. MeSH terms were selected and combined for the initial search, then inclusion and exclusion criteria were set in a search protocol. Four medical oncologists looked for evidence on Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases. Moreover, abstracts from 2016 to June 2021 from the American Society for Clinical Oncology, European Society for Medical Oncology, Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium and World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer were browsed. The selected studies, matching the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were finally tabulated and analyzed.
RESULTS
The trials finally selected were 18 phase II/III clinical trials. Four small phase II trials support the activity of oxaliplatin-based doublets in first-line treatment (CAPOX and mFOLFOX).
CONCLUSION
No good level evidence is available on the use of bevacizumab, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, targeted agents or immunotherapy. First-line treatments are largely derived from colorectal cancer protocols, mainly oxaliplatin-based doublets.
PubMed: 35326652
DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061502 -
Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical... Sep 2015This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and side effects between single-agent and doublet chemotherapy in first-line treatment of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
AIM
This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and side effects between single-agent and doublet chemotherapy in first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with performance status 2 (PS2).
METHODS
We searched for randomized controlled trials in online electronic databases and extracted data from eligible studies for meta-analysis. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS), pooled risk difference (RD) for 1-year survival, pooled risk ratio (RR) for objective response rate (ORR) and adverse effects were calculated using a fixed-effect model.
RESULTS
Six trials with 386 participants in the single-agent group and 389 participants in the doublet group were included in this review. Compared with single-agent chemotherapy, doublet significantly improved OS (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.61-0.84; P < 0.0001) and significantly increased 1-year survival rate (RD -0.09; 95% CI -0.14 to -0.03; P = 0.004) and ORR (RR 0.4; 95% CI 0.30-0.69; P = 0.0002). Doublet chemotherapy also significantly increased the risk of grade 3/4 neutropenia (RR = 4.97; 95% CI 2.93-8.43; P < 0.00001), thrombocytopenia (RR = 10.29; 95% CI 3.80-27.85; P < 0.00001) and anemia (RR = 2.50; 95% CI 1.27-4.90; P = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS
Our study implies that carboplatin-containing doublet chemotherapy improved OS, 1-year survival rate and ORR, but increased the risk of grade 3/4 hematotoxicity. Carboplatin-containing doublet may well be superior to non-carboplatin-containing treatment.
Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Survival Rate
PubMed: 25866140
DOI: 10.1111/ajco.12359