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British Journal of Anaesthesia Apr 2006Epidural analgesia is considered by many to be the best method of pain relief after major surgery. It is used routinely in many thoracic surgery centres. Although... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
Epidural analgesia is considered by many to be the best method of pain relief after major surgery. It is used routinely in many thoracic surgery centres. Although effective, side-effects include hypotension, urinary retention, incomplete (or failed) block, and, in rare cases, paraplegia. Paravertebral block (PVB) is an alternative technique that may offer comparable analgesic effectiveness and a better side-effect profile. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of all relevant randomized trials comparing PVB with epidural analgesia in thoracic surgery. Data were abstracted and verified by both authors. Studies were tested for heterogeneity, and meta-analyses were done with random effects or fixed effects models. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was used for numerical outcomes and odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous outcomes, both with 95% CI. We identified 10 trials that had enrolled 520 thoracic surgery patients. All of the trials were small (n<130) and none were blinded. There was no significant difference between PVB and epidural groups for pain scores at 4-8, 24 or 48 h, WMD 0.37 (95% CI: -0.5, 121), 0.05 (-0.6, 0.7), -0.04 (-0.4, 0.3), respectively. Pulmonary complications occurred less often with PVB, OR 0.36 (0.14, 0.92). Urinary retention, OR 0.23 (0.10, 0.51), nausea and vomiting, OR 0.47 (0.24, 0.53), and hypotension, OR 0.23 (0.11, 0.48), were less common with PVB. Rates of failed block were lower in the PVB group, OR 0.28 (0.2, 0.6). PVB and epidural analgesia provide comparable pain relief after thoracic surgery, but PVB has a better side-effect profile and is associated with a reduction in pulmonary complications. PVB can be recommended for major thoracic surgery.
Topics: Analgesia, Epidural; Humans; Hypotension; Nerve Block; Pain, Postoperative; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thoracotomy; Urinary Retention
PubMed: 16476698
DOI: 10.1093/bja/ael020 -
Sexual Medicine Reviews Jul 2016Despite improvements in the care of patients after spinal cord injury (SCI), permanent impairment of locomotion, sensation, and autonomic function remains a major... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Despite improvements in the care of patients after spinal cord injury (SCI), permanent impairment of locomotion, sensation, and autonomic function remains a major hurdle. After the acute stage of injury, recovering sexual function is a high priority.
AIM
To review the efficacy of intracavernous injections (ICIs) in men with SCI and to identify prognostic factors affecting the efficacy of ICIs in this population.
METHODS
Systematic review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed-Medline, Embase, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. The literature search was restricted to articles published in English, French, and Spanish up to November 2014 using the key words alprostadil, papaverine, moxisylite, alpha-blocking agent, phentolamine, intracavernous injection, spinal cord injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and erectile dysfunction. Studies involving patients with SCI and erectile dysfunction treated with ICIs of alprostadil, papaverine, and α-blocking agents, including retrospective and prospective cohorts, population studies, and randomized controlled trials, were included.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Overall response rate to ICI for erectile dysfunction in patients with SCI.
RESULTS
Of 283 studies identified, 23 involved 713 patients with SCI. ICIs resulted in successful erections in 88% of patients (n = 713, 95% CI = 83%-92%). Erections were obtained in 93% of patients (n = 101, 95% CI = 83%-99%) with the combination of papaverine and phentolamine, in 91% (n = 274, 95% CI = 78%-97%) with papaverine alone, and in 80% (n = 119, 95% CI = 64%-90%) with alprostadil. Type of injected drug, doses, level of injury (complete or incomplete), extent of injury, age, time since injury, and persistence or transience of erections were evaluated, but statistical analysis could not identify specific factors predictive of a response to ICI.
CONCLUSION
ICIs are an effective treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with SCI. No predictive factor for efficacy could be identified. Studies comparing the response to ICI in upper vs lower motor neuron lesions could improve our understanding of ICI failure.
Topics: Alprostadil; Erectile Dysfunction; Humans; Male; Moxisylyte; Papaverine; Penile Erection; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Cord Injuries; Vasodilator Agents
PubMed: 27871959
DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.02.005 -
Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery Sep 2023Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD)...
BACKGROUND
Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) has been shown to decrease the risk of SCI in open thoracic aortic procedures; however, its utility in TEVAR remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the role of prophylactic CSFD in preventing SCI in TEVAR.
METHODS
A literature search of five databases was performed and all studies published before September 2022 that reported SCI rates in TEVAR patients undergoing prophylactic CSFD were included. A random effects meta-analysis of means or proportions was performed for single-arm data. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported for comparisons between groups.
RESULTS
A total of 4,793 patients undergoing TEVAR from 40 studies were included. The mean age was 68.8 years and 70.9% of patients were male. The overall SCI rate was 3.5%, with a 1.3% rate of immediate SCI and a 1.9% rate of delayed SCI. There were no significant differences in SCI rates between prophylactic CSFD patients and non-drained patients. Routine CSFD did not have a significant impact on SCI rates compared to non-drained patients. There was an increased rate of transient SCI with selective CSFD compared to non-drained patients (OR 2.08; 95% CI: 1.06-4.08; P=0.03). The most common drain-related complication was spinal headache (4.3%). The major complication rate was 1.6%, of which epidural or spinal hematoma (0.9%) was the most common, followed by intracranial or subdural hemorrhage (0.8%) and paraparesis or paraplegia (0.8%).
CONCLUSIONS
This study found no significant difference in SCI rates between prophylactic CSFD patients and their non-drained counterparts. CSFD is associated with a small but non-negligible risk of serious complications. Multi-center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are warranted to help stratify the risk of both SCI and CSFD-related complications in patients undergoing endovascular aortic procedures.
PubMed: 37817857
DOI: 10.21037/acs-2023-scp-17 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Aug 2021The level of injury is linked with biochemical alterations and limitations in physical activity among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), which are crucial... (Review)
Review
The level of injury is linked with biochemical alterations and limitations in physical activity among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), which are crucial determinants of body composition. We searched five electronic databases from inception until 22 July 2021. The pooled effect estimates were computed using random-effects models, and heterogeneity was calculated using I statistics and the chi-squared test. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We pooled 40 studies comprising 4872 individuals with SCI (3991 males, 825 females, and 56 sex-unknown) in addition to chronic SCI (median injury duration 12.3 y, IQR 8.03-14.8). Individuals with tetraplegia had a higher fat percentage (weighted mean difference (WMD) 1.9%, 95% CI 0.6, 3.1) and lower lean mass (WMD -3.0 kg, 95% CI -5.9, -0.2) compared to those with paraplegia. Those with tetraplegia also had higher indicators of central adiposity (WMD, visceral adipose tissue area 0.24 dm 95% CI 0.05, 0.43 and volume 1.05 L 95% CI 0.14, 1.95), whereas body mass index was lower in individuals with tetraplegia than paraplegia (WMD -0.9 kg/mg, 95% CI -1.4, -0.5). Sex, age, and injury characteristics were observed to be sources of heterogeneity. Thus, individuals with tetraplegia have higher fat composition compared to paraplegia. Anthropometric measures, such as body mass index, may be inaccurate in describing adiposity in SCI individuals.
PubMed: 34501356
DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173911 -
Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery Sep 2012A combined open-endovascular technique has emerged as an alternative treatment option for thoracoabdominal pathologies. However, reported experiences from various...
BACKGROUND
A combined open-endovascular technique has emerged as an alternative treatment option for thoracoabdominal pathologies. However, reported experiences from various medical centers have been contradictory and heterogeneous. The aim of this study is to assess the mortality rate and various complication rates associated with this approach.
METHODS
An electronic health database search was performed on all articles published up to March of 2012 describing combined open-endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal pathologies. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they had ≥10 patients and reported the basic outcome criteria. End points of the meta-analysis were defined as primary technical success, endoprosthesis related complications, 30-day/in-hospital mortality, symptoms of spinal cord ischemia (SCI) and irreversible paraplegia, permanent renal function impairment, and other major complications.
RESULTS
Fourteen studies were deemed eligible for this meta-analysis with a total of 528 patients (68.0% male, mean age 70.5 years). The mean follow-up period was 34.2 months. The pooled estimate for primary technical success and visceral graft patency was 95.4% and 96.5% respectively. An endoleak developed in 106 (21.1%) patients in whom both stages had been completed. The pooled rate for symptomatic SCI was 7.0% and for irreversible paraplegia 4.4%. The pooled proportion for permanent renal failure was 7.0% and for mesenteric ischemia 4.5%. Prolonged respiratory support and cardiac complications were observed in a pooled rate of 7.8% and 4.6% respectively. The meta-analysis for 30-day/in-hospital mortality revealed a pooled rate of 14.3%.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the hybrid technique for thoracoabdominal aortic pathology provides a less invasive approach, the technique is still associated with a considerable morbidity and mortality rates. High risk patients unfit to withstand open repair, are equally likely to suffer significant complications with the hybrid procedure. The choice of the optimal treatment strategy for thoracoabdominal pathologies should be carefully made on a patient to patient basis, assessing the clinical fitness and the anatomical suitability of each patient. The hybrid approach should be reserved for high volume centers with accumulated experience and high standards of perioperative management.
PubMed: 23977508
DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2225-319X.2012.08.02 -
Journal of Anesthesia Dec 2016Motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring has been used to prevent neurological complications such as paraplegia in patients who underwent thoracic or thoracoabdominal... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring has been used to prevent neurological complications such as paraplegia in patients who underwent thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAA/TAAA) surgery. The object of this study was making a systematic review to survey the performance of MEP monitoring during TAA/TAAA open repair surgery. We searched electronic databases for relevant studies. We summarized the diagnostic data with summary sensitivity, summary specificity and forest plots of pooled sensitivity, and conducted sub-group analysis. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. We also surveyed the reporting rate of clinical key factors such as methods of anesthesia, surgery, and success rate of MEP. Nineteen studies met our criteria. The results of meta-analysis showed 89.1 % summary sensitivity (95 % confidence interval 47.9-98.6 %) and 99.3 % summary specificity (95 % confidence interval 96.1-99.9 %). Sub-group analysis of pooled sensitivity and specificity by all-or-none cut-off point were better than other cut-off points. The results of the QUADAS-2 were not good. The performance of MEP monitoring was good for detecting postoperative paraplegia in TAA/TAAA open repair surgery. The cut-off point of all-or-none may be the best, according to our review.
Topics: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Humans; Nervous System Diseases; Paraplegia; Sensitivity and Specificity; Vascular Surgical Procedures
PubMed: 27612851
DOI: 10.1007/s00540-016-2242-x -
Bulletin of Emergency and Trauma Apr 2018To systematically search the literature and to summarize current evidence pertaining to the epidemiology of SCI in the MENA region incidence, gender, age, type of the... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To systematically search the literature and to summarize current evidence pertaining to the epidemiology of SCI in the MENA region incidence, gender, age, type of the injury and etiology of the injury.
METHODS
Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost were systematically searched from their dates of inception till July 2017 for English and non-English language articles. Also, regional databases were searched. Data were extracted from eligible articles and pooled under the random effect model using . References of the included articles were also screened for potentially relevant studies.
RESULTS
We identified 29 articles from seven countries in the MENA region (Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar). The mean age of the cases at time of injury was 31.32 (95% CI: 28.74-33.91). The random pooled annual incidence of TSCI per million was 23.24 (95% CI: 5.64-49.21). Pooled proportion of male gender was 77% (95% CI 73-80%) of the cases. Complete paraplegia was the most common type of injury. Thoracic level injury predominated. Also, the most commonly affected age group was 20-29 then 30-39. Motor vehicle accidents were found to be the leading cause of injury, then falls, gunshot, violence and sports. Further meta-regression analysis showed no association between age and etiology of the injury.
CONCLUSION
This review shows lack of evidence about SCI in most countries of the MENA region. More epidemiological studies are needed.
PubMed: 29719837
DOI: 10.29252/beat-060201 -
Journal of Endovascular Therapy : An... Apr 2016To determine the efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for degenerative aneurysm involving only the descending thoracic aorta (DTAA). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
To determine the efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for degenerative aneurysm involving only the descending thoracic aorta (DTAA).
METHODS
An English-language literature review was performed through PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify any study evaluating the outcomes of TEVAR for DTAA. The main endpoints of this analysis were all-cause 30-day and late postoperative mortality. Secondary outcome measures were procedure success, vascular access complications, paraplegia, stroke, early endoleaks during the index hospitalization, aneurysm-related death, reinterventions, and conversion to open repair. To control for the anticipated heterogeneity among small observational studies, absolute values and means were pooled using random effects models; the results are expressed as pooled proportions, means, or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
Eleven studies reporting on 673 patients (mean age 72.6 years, mean aneurysm diameter 62.9 cm) with DTAA were selected for the analysis. Technical success was reported in 91.0% of patients, and vascular access complications requiring repair were encountered in 9.7% of cases. Pooled overall 30-day, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 96.0%, 80.3%, 77.3%, and 74.0%, respectively. Five studies compared the results of TEVAR after elective (n=151) and urgent/emergent procedure (n=77); the latter was a predictor of 30-day mortality (17.1% vs 1.8%, RR 3.83, 95% CI 1.18 to 12.40, p=0.025). Paraplegia occurred in 3.2% of patients and was permanent in 1.4% of patients. The stroke rate was 2.7%. Early type I endoleak was observed in 7.3%, type II endoleak in 2.0%, and type III in 1.2% of patients. The mean follow-up of 9 studies was 22.3 months. At 3 years, freedom from reintervention was 90.3%. Death secondary to aneurysm rupture and/or fistula was reported in 3.2% of patients.
CONCLUSION
Current results indicate that TEVAR for DTAA can be performed with rather high technical success, low postoperative morbidity, and good 3-year survival.
Topics: Aged; Aorta, Thoracic; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; Endovascular Procedures; Female; Humans; Male; Postoperative Complications; Risk Factors; Stents; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26802610
DOI: 10.1177/1526602815626560 -
Journal of Neurology Jun 2022Adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) is a rare but probably underdiagnosed autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder due to pathogenic variants in GBE1. The... (Review)
Review
Adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) is a rare but probably underdiagnosed autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder due to pathogenic variants in GBE1. The phenotype is characterized by neurogenic bladder dysfunction, spastic paraplegia, and axonal neuropathy. Additionally, cognitive symptoms and dementia have been reported in APBD but have not been studied systematically. Using exome sequencing, we identified two previously unreported bi-allelic missense GBE1 variants in a patient with severe memory impairment along with the typical non-cognitive symptoms. We were able to confirm a reduction of GBE1 activity in blood lymphocytes. To characterize the neuropsychological profile of patients suffering from APBD, we conducted a systematic review of cognitive impairment in this rare disease. Analysis of 24 cases and case series (in total 58 patients) showed that executive deficits and memory impairment are the most common cognitive symptoms in APBD.
Topics: Cognitive Dysfunction; Glycogen Storage Disease; Humans; Mutation, Missense; Nervous System Diseases
PubMed: 34999962
DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-10960-z -
Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2014To systematically review studies that investigated the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) of physically disabled adult subjects. (Review)
Review
AIM
To systematically review studies that investigated the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) of physically disabled adult subjects.
METHODS
The studies were identified via MedLine, Science Direct, Science Search, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Wiley, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cochrane, Indice Bibliográfico Espanõl de Ciencias de la Salud, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database and System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe. No restriction on publication date was imposed.
RESULTS
Data from 6 studies were included. The results showed that physically disabled adult subjects have a lower BMR and/or RMR compared to nondisabled subjects. However, the difference between the groups disappeared when the BMR and RMR were adjusted for fat-free mass. Due to the small number of studies on this subject and the limited types of physical disabilities evaluated in the literature, we could not make a definitive conclusion.
CONCLUSIONS
Disabled individuals seem to have a lower absolute BMR and/or RMR than able-bodied adults; however, this difference was not present or else it disappeared in half of the studies, after adjusting for body mass and/or fat-free mass.
Topics: Adult; Basal Metabolism; Body Composition; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disabled Persons; Female; Humans; Male; Paraplegia; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 25376435
DOI: 10.1159/000365175