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International Journal of Implant... Dec 2023This systematic review aimed to investigate the accuracy of intraoral scan (IOS) impressions of implant-supported restorations in in vivo studies. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
This systematic review aimed to investigate the accuracy of intraoral scan (IOS) impressions of implant-supported restorations in in vivo studies.
METHODS
A systematic electronic search and review of studies on the accuracy of IOS implant impressions were conducted to analyze the peer-reviewed literature published between 1989 and August 2023. The bias analysis was performed by two reviewers. Data on the study characteristics, accuracy outcomes, and related variables were extracted. A meta-analysis of randomized control trials was performed to investigate the impact of IOS on peri-implant crestal bone loss and the time involved in the impression procedure.
RESULTS
Ten in vivo studies were included in this systematic review for final analysis. Six studies investigated the trueness of IOS impressions, but did not reach the same conclusions. One study assessed the precision of IOS impressions for a single implant. Four clinical studies examined the accuracy of IOS implant impressions with a follow-up of 1-2 years. In full arches, IOS impression procedure needed significantly less time than conventional one (mean difference for procedure time was 8.59 min [6.78, 10.40 min], P < 0.001), prosthetic survival rate was 100%, and marginal bone levels of all participants could be stably maintained (mean difference in marginal bone loss at 12 months was 0.03 mm [-0.08, 0.14 mm], P = 0.55).
CONCLUSIONS
The accuracy of IOS impressions of implant-supported restorations varied greatly depending on the scanning strategy. The trueness and precision of IOS in the partial and complete arches remain unclear and require further assessment. Based on follow-up clinical studies, IOS impressions were accurate in clinical practice. However, these results should be interpreted with caution, as some evidences are obtained from the same research group.
Topics: Humans; Dental Implants; Research Design; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Clonal Hematopoiesis; Electronics
PubMed: 38055096
DOI: 10.1186/s40729-023-00517-8 -
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aug 2021The number of procedures performed by internal medicine residents in the United States (US) is declining. An increasing proportion of residents do not feel confident... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The number of procedures performed by internal medicine residents in the United States (US) is declining. An increasing proportion of residents do not feel confident performing essential invasive bedside procedures and, upon graduation, desire additional training. Several residency programs have utilized the medical procedure service (MPS) to address this issue. We aim to summarize the current state of evidence by systematically evaluating the effect of the MPS on resident education, comfort, and training, as well as patient safety and procedural outcomes in the US.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of all studies reporting the use of an MPS with supervision from a board-certified physician in internal medicine residencies in the US. Database search was performed on PubMed, Embase, ERIC, and Cochrane Library from January 2000 to November 2020 for relevant studies. Quality of evidence assessment and random-effects proportion meta-analyses were performed.
RESULTS
A total of nine studies reporting on 3879 procedures performed by MPS were identified. Procedures were safely performed, with a pooled complication rate of 2.1% (95% CI: 1.0-3.5) and generally successful, with a pooled success rate of 94.7% (95% CI: 90.8-97.7). The range of procedures performed by residents under MPS was 6.7-72.8 procedures per month (n = 9) compared to 4.3-64.4 procedures (n = 4) without MPS. MPS significantly increased confidence, comfort, and use of appropriate safety measures among residents.
CONCLUSION
There are a limited number of published studies on MPS supervised by a board-certified physician in US internal medicine residencies. Procedures performed by MPS are generally successfully completed and safe. MPS benefits internal medicine residents training by improving competency, comfort, and confidence.
Topics: Certification; Clinical Competence; Humans; Internship and Residency; Patient Safety; United States
PubMed: 33547571
DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06526-2 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2023Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is characterized by impaired myeloid differentiation resulting in an accumulation of immature blasts in the bone marrow and peripheral... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
A Direct Comparison, and Prioritisation, of the Immunotherapeutic Targets Expressed by Adult and Paediatric Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Cells: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is characterized by impaired myeloid differentiation resulting in an accumulation of immature blasts in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Although AML can occur at any age, the incidence peaks at age 65. The pathobiology of AML also varies with age with associated differences in incidence, as well as the frequency of cytogenetic change and somatic mutations. In addition, 5-year survival rates in paediatrics are 60-75% but fall to 5-15% in older AML patients. This systematic review aimed to determine whether the altered genes in AML affect the same molecular pathways, indifferent of patient age, and, therefore, whether patients could benefit from the repurposing drugs or the use of the same immunotherapeutic strategies across age boundaries to prevent relapse. Using a PICO framework and PRISMA-P checklist, relevant publications were identified using five literature databases and assessed against an inclusion criteria, leaving 36 articles, and 71 targets for therapy, for further analysis. QUADAS-2 was used to determine the risk of bias and perform a quality control step. We then priority-ranked the list of cancer antigens based on predefined and pre-weighted objective criteria as part of an analytical hierarchy process used for dealing with complex decisions. This organized the antigens according to their potential to act as targets for the immunotherapy of AML, a treatment that offers an opportunity to remove residual leukaemia cells at first remission and improve survival rates. It was found that 80% of the top 20 antigens identified in paediatric AML were also within the 20 highest scoring immunotherapy targets in adult AML. To analyse the relationships between the targets and their link to different molecular pathways, PANTHER and STRING analyses were performed on the 20 highest scoring immunotherapy targets for both adult and paediatric AML. There were many similarities in the PANTHER and STRING results, including the most prominent pathways being angiogenesis and inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signalling pathways. The coincidence of targets suggests that the repurposing of immunotherapy drugs across age boundaries could benefit AML patients, especially when used in combination with conventional therapies. However, due to cost implications, we would recommend that efforts are focused on ways to target the highest scoring antigens, such as WT1, NRAS, IDH1 and TP53, although in the future other candidates may prove successful.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Child; Humans; Immunotherapy; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
PubMed: 37298623
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119667 -
Journal of Surgical Oncology Feb 2018The field of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has suffered from a lack of clinical trials to validate its expanding use. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The field of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has suffered from a lack of clinical trials to validate its expanding use.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate published and ongoing clinical trials seeking to better define role of CRS/HIPEC in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies.
METHODS
Systematic review by PubMed search was performed using terms "Clinical trial," "intraperitoneal chemotherapy," and "HIPEC." ClinicalTrials.gov and EudraCT registries were searched for active clinical trials. Eligibility included CRS/HIPEC trials investigating adult patient populations from published clinical reports and/or trials currently accruing or at completion.
RESULTS
Thirteen published trials and 57 active clinical trials were included for review.
CONCLUSIONS
Published and ongoing U.S. and international clinical trials for CRS and HIPEC are defining important parameters that include improving patient selection, strategic sequences of treatment, cytoreductive strategies, chemotherapeutics, optimal hyperthermic temperature and timing, and toxicity profiles. Main barriers or limitations to trial development remain patient enrollment, trial design, and oncologic community collaboration. Overall progress is positive with increasing number of clinical trials throughout the world. Collaboration between surgeons and the wider oncologic community will be crucial to validate this important treatment strategy.
Topics: Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Peritoneal Neoplasms; Prognosis; Survival Rate
PubMed: 29120491
DOI: 10.1002/jso.24813 -
Systematic Reviews Mar 2017Systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence can provide a rich understanding of complex phenomena. This type of review is increasingly popular, has been... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence can provide a rich understanding of complex phenomena. This type of review is increasingly popular, has been used to provide a landscape of existing knowledge, and addresses the types of questions not usually covered in reviews relying solely on either quantitative or qualitative evidence. Although several typologies of synthesis designs have been developed, none have been tested on a large sample of reviews. The aim of this review of reviews was to identify and develop a typology of synthesis designs and methods that have been used and to propose strategies for synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence.
METHODS
A review of systematic reviews combining qualitative and quantitative evidence was performed. Six databases were searched from inception to December 2014. Reviews were included if they were systematic reviews combining qualitative and quantitative evidence. The included reviews were analyzed according to three concepts of synthesis processes: (a) synthesis methods, (b) sequence of data synthesis, and (c) integration of data and synthesis results.
RESULTS
A total of 459 reviews were included. The analysis of this literature highlighted a lack of transparency in reporting how evidence was synthesized and a lack of consistency in the terminology used. Two main types of synthesis designs were identified: convergent and sequential synthesis designs. Within the convergent synthesis design, three subtypes were found: (a) data-based convergent synthesis design, where qualitative and quantitative evidence is analyzed together using the same synthesis method, (b) results-based convergent synthesis design, where qualitative and quantitative evidence is analyzed separately using different synthesis methods and results of both syntheses are integrated during a final synthesis, and (c) parallel-results convergent synthesis design consisting of independent syntheses of qualitative and quantitative evidence and an interpretation of the results in the discussion.
CONCLUSIONS
Performing systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative evidence is challenging because of the multiple synthesis options. The findings provide guidance on how to combine qualitative and quantitative evidence. Also, recommendations are made to improve the conducting and reporting of this type of review.
Topics: Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Qualitative Research; Research Design
PubMed: 28335799
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-017-0454-2 -
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology May 2017The safety and efficacy of standard poststent angioplasty in patients undergoing carotid artery stent placement have not been well-established. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKROUND
The safety and efficacy of standard poststent angioplasty in patients undergoing carotid artery stent placement have not been well-established.
PURPOSE
We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the safety and efficacy of carotid artery stent placement and analyzed outcomes of standard-versus-selective poststent angioplasty.
DATA SOURCES
A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Web of Science was performed for studies published between January 2000 and January 2015.
STUDY SELECTION
We included studies with >30 patients describing standard or selective poststent angioplasty during carotid artery stent placement.
DATA ANALYSIS
A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the following outcomes: periprocedural stroke/TIA, procedure-related neurologic/cardiovascular morbidity/mortality, bradycardia/hypotension, long-term stroke at last follow-up, long-term primary patency, and technical success.
DATA SYNTHESIS
We included 87 studies with 19,684 patients with 20,378 carotid artery stenoses. There was no difference in clinical ( = .49) or angiographic outcomes ( = .93) in carotid artery stent placement treatment with selective or standard poststent balloon angioplasty. Both selective and standard poststent angioplasty groups had a very high technical success of >98% and a low procedure-related mortality of 0.9%. There were no significant differences between both groups in the incidence of restenosis ( = .93) or procedure-related complications ( = .37).
LIMITATIONS
No comparison to a patient group without poststent dilation could be performed.
CONCLUSIONS
Our meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in angiographic and clinical outcomes among series that performed standard poststent angioplasty and those that performed poststent angioplasty in only select patients.
Topics: Aged; Angioplasty, Balloon; Carotid Stenosis; Female; Humans; Male; Patient Selection; Stents; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28302610
DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A5103 -
Medicine Oct 2022Probiotics and rifaximin are treatments for gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with traveler's diarrhea (TD), and they both proved beneficial for the prevention of TD.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Probiotics and rifaximin are treatments for gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with traveler's diarrhea (TD), and they both proved beneficial for the prevention of TD. However, comparative effectiveness research between them has not been performed. A systematic review and network meta-analysis are to be performed to clarify which of them is more effective in the prevention of TD.
METHODS
Literature concerning the effectiveness of probiotics or rifaximin in the prevention of TD was searched in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and clinical registries for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception of these databases to November 30, 2021 without any language restrictions. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of TD, and the safety outcome was the incidence of adverse events. The effect size of probiotics was measured by using relative ratio (RR), and the network meta-analysis was performed by using a frequentist approach and a random-effect model.
RESULTS
Totally 17 RCTs after screening 1119 retrieved records were included in analysis and 9 RCTs were with low risk of bias. Compared with placebo, both probiotics and rifaximin were associated with lower incidence of TD (probiotics, RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76-0.95; rifaximin, RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.35-0.63), and rifaximin was more effective than probiotics (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.4-0.78). Further analysis showed that sodium butyrate, rifaximin and L. acidophilus + L. bulgaricus + Bifido.bifidum + Strept. Thermophilus were the three most effective treatments for TD.
CONCLUSIONS
Both rifaximin and probiotics are superior over placebo, and rifaximin has better treatment effect than probiotics in reducing the incidence of TD. Different types of probiotics have heterogeneous treatment effects.
Topics: Butyric Acid; Diarrhea; Dysentery; Humans; Network Meta-Analysis; Probiotics; Rifaximin
PubMed: 36221413
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030921 -
BMC Health Services Research Sep 2021Healthcare management faces complex challenges in allocating hospital resources, and predicting patients' length-of-stay (LOS) is critical in effectively managing those... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Healthcare management faces complex challenges in allocating hospital resources, and predicting patients' length-of-stay (LOS) is critical in effectively managing those resources. This work aims to map approaches used to forecast the LOS of Pediatric Patients in Hospitals (LOS-P) and patients' populations and environments used to develop the models.
METHODS
Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) methodology, we performed a scoping review that identified 28 studies and analyzed them. The search was conducted on four databases (Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline). The identification of relevant studies was structured around three axes related to the research questions: (i) forecast models, (ii) hospital length-of-stay, and (iii) pediatric patients. Two authors carried out all stages to ensure the reliability of the review process. Articles that passed the initial screening had their data charted on a spreadsheet. Methods reported in the literature were classified according to the stage in which they are used in the modeling process: (i) pre-processing of data, (ii) variable selection, and (iii) cross-validation.
RESULTS
Forecasting models are most often applied to newborn patients and, consequently, in neonatal intensive care units. Regression analysis is the most widely used modeling approach; techniques associated with Machine Learning are still incipient and primarily used in emergency departments to model patients in specific situations.
CONCLUSIONS
The studies' main benefits include informing family members about the patient's expected discharge date and enabling hospital resources' allocation and planning. Main research gaps are associated with the lack of generalization of forecasting models and limited reported applicability in hospital management. This study also provides a practical guide to LOS-P forecasting methods and a future research agenda.
Topics: Child; Hospitals; Humans; Length of Stay; Reproducibility of Results; Research Design
PubMed: 34496862
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06912-4 -
Trials Aug 2015In a stepped wedge, cluster randomised trial, clusters receive the intervention at different time points, and the order in which they received it is randomised. Previous... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In a stepped wedge, cluster randomised trial, clusters receive the intervention at different time points, and the order in which they received it is randomised. Previous systematic reviews of stepped wedge trials have documented a steady rise in their use between 1987 and 2010, which was attributed to the design's perceived logistical and analytical advantages. However, the interventions included in these systematic reviews were often poorly reported and did not adequately describe the analysis and/or methodology used. Since 2010, a number of additional stepped wedge trials have been published. This article aims to update previous systematic reviews, and consider what interventions were tested and the rationale given for using a stepped wedge design.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, PsychINFO, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and the Current Controlled Trials Register for articles published between January 2010 and May 2014. We considered stepped wedge randomised controlled trials in all fields of research. We independently extracted data from retrieved articles and reviewed them. Interventions were then coded using the functions specified by the Behaviour Change Wheel, and for behaviour change techniques using a validated taxonomy.
RESULTS
Our review identified 37 stepped wedge trials, reported in 10 articles presenting trial results, one conference abstract, 21 protocol or study design articles and five trial registrations. These were mostly conducted in developed countries (n = 30), and within healthcare organisations (n = 28). A total of 33 of the interventions were educationally based, with the most commonly used behaviour change techniques being 'instruction on how to perform a behaviour' (n = 32) and 'persuasive source' (n = 25). Authors gave a wide range of reasons for the use of the stepped wedge trial design, including ethical considerations, logistical, financial and methodological. The adequacy of reporting varied across studies: many did not provide sufficient detail regarding the methodology or calculation of the required sample size.
CONCLUSIONS
The popularity of stepped wedge trials has increased since 2010, predominantly in high-income countries. However, there is a need for further guidance on their reporting and analysis.
Topics: Humans; Patient Selection; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Research Design; Research Support as Topic; Sample Size; Socioeconomic Factors; Time Factors
PubMed: 26278881
DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0839-2 -
Systematic Reviews Nov 2022Blood derivatives therapy is a conventional clinical treatment, while the treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is relatively novel. To provide clinical references for... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Blood derivatives therapy is a conventional clinical treatment, while the treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is relatively novel. To provide clinical references for treating AD, this meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of blood derivatives therapy on the patients with AD.
METHODS
A systematic articles search was performed for eligible studies published up to December 6, 2021 through the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, ClinicalTrials.gov , Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and Wanfang databases. The included articles were screened by using rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study selection and data-extraction were performed by two authors independently. Random effects model or fixed effects model was used. Quality of studies and risk of bias were evaluated according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. All analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.4. The study was designed and conducted according to the Preferring Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline.
RESULTS
A total of three plasma administrations (two plasma exchange and one young plasma infusion) and five intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) randomized controlled trials with a sample size of 1148 subjects diagnosed with AD were included. There was no significant difference in cognitive improvement and all-cause discontinuation between intervention and placebo groups (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.79-1.54). And Intervention groups showed not a statistically significant improvement in cognition of included subjects measured by the ADAS-Cog (MD 0.36, 95% CI 0.87-1.59), ADCS-ADL (MD -1.34, 95% CI - 5.01-2.32) and NPI (MD 2.20, 95% CI 0.07-4.32) score compared to the control groups. IVIG is well tolerated for AD patients even under the maximum dose (0.4 g/kg), but it is inferior to placebo in Neuropsychiatric Inventory scale in AD patients (MD 2.19, 95% CI 0.02-4.37).
CONCLUSIONS
The benefits of blood derivatives therapy for AD are limited. It is necessary to perform well-designed randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes focusing on the appropriate blood derivatives for the specific AD sub-populations in the future.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42021233886.
Topics: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Cognition; Control Groups; Plasmapheresis
PubMed: 36443888
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-022-02115-y