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Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is an adverse event of prolonged opioid use that increases pain intensity. The optimal drug to prevent these adverse effects is still...
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is an adverse event of prolonged opioid use that increases pain intensity. The optimal drug to prevent these adverse effects is still unknown. We aimed to conduct a network meta-analysis to compare different pharmacological interventions for preventing the increase in postoperative pain intensity caused by OIH. Several databases were searched independently for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing various pharmacological interventions to prevent OIH. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain intensity at rest after 24 h and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Secondary outcomes included pain threshold at 24 h after surgery, total morphine consumption over 24 h, time to first postoperative analgesic requirement, and shivering incidence. In total, 33 RCTs with 1711 patients were identified. In terms of postoperative pain intensity, amantadine, magnesium sulphate, pregabalin, dexmedetomidine, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen plus dexmedetomidine, parecoxib, parecoxib plus dexmedetomidine, and S (+)-ketamine plus methadone were all associated with milder pain intensity than placebo, with amantadine being the most effective (SUCRA values = 96.2). Regarding PONV incidence, intervention with dexmedetomidine or flurbiprofen plus dexmedetomidine resulted in a lower incidence than placebo, with dexmedetomidine showing the best result (SUCRA values = 90.3). Amantadine was identified as the best in controlling postoperative pain intensity and non-inferior to placebo in the incidence of PONV. Dexmedetomidine was the only intervention that outperformed placebo in all indicators. https://www.crd.york.ac. uk/prospero/display_record.php?, CRD42021225361.
PubMed: 37426819
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1199794 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by generalized pain, which is also known as "muscular rheumatism" in Chinese medicine. We undertook this...
OBJECTIVE
Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by generalized pain, which is also known as "muscular rheumatism" in Chinese medicine. We undertook this systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with conventional therapy on pain, health status, depression, and the quality of life of fibromyalgia patients.
METHODS
Studies were retrieved from five electronic databases (PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) with publication date up to August 2022. We included randomized controlled trials examining the effects of a combination of non-pharmacological TCM and conventional therapy on pain intensity, health status, depression, and quality of life.
RESULTS
Four randomized controlled trials with 384 fibromyalgia patients met the inclusion criteria. Results of the meta-analysis showed that non-pharmacological TCM combined with conventional therapy exerted significant positive effects on alleviating pain at the post-intervention time point than conventional therapy only (visual analog scale WMD = -1.410, < 0.01; pressure pain threshold WMD = 0.830, < 0.001, respectively). Significant differences in pain assessment were also observed between the two groups after a long-term follow-up (12 months) (WMD = -1.040 and WMD= 0.380, all < 0.05). The combination therapy group also showed a greater reduction in fibromyalgia impact questionnaire than the control group after a long-term follow-up (WMD = -6.690, < 0.05). Depression and pain-related quality of life showed no difference between groups (all > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Non-pharmacological TCM combined with conventional therapy may be more effective in alleviating pain and improving health status than conventional therapy only. However, it remains some concerns over the safety and clinic application.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
Identifier: CRD42022352991.
PubMed: 37325034
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1097475 -
European Review For Medical and... Jun 2023This systematic review was carried out to review ischemic pressure and post-isometric relaxation for treatment of rhomboid latent myofascial trigger point. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review was carried out to review ischemic pressure and post-isometric relaxation for treatment of rhomboid latent myofascial trigger point.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This systematic review was organized using PRISMA and Cochrane standards. This meta-analysis compares ischemic pressure to post-isometric relaxation for rhomboid latent myofascial trigger point. Search terms included: myofascial pain, trigger point, ischemia pressure, post-isometric relaxation, and electric stimulation. We first searched MEDLINE (including ePub, Ahead of Print, InProgress, and Other Non-Indexed Citations) and then EMBASE and the Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials. Searches were conducted from the databases' inception through August 2022.
RESULT
The RCT review followed PRISMA criteria. PubMed, Embase, PSYCHInfo, and the Cochrane Library were searched from their origin without language constraints to locate all RCTs linked to ischemic pressure vs. post-isometric relaxation for therapy of rhomboid latent myofascial trigger point. 463 duplicates were removed. 140 of 174 citations were removed. Seven high-quality full-text papers out of 34 were included.
CONCLUSIONS
Conservative and noninvasive treatments can only raise pain tolerance. Compared to standard treatment, ischemia pressure and post-isometric relaxation reduced shoulder and neck pain and PPT discomfort. This study suggests that ischemia compression may be more effective than post-isometric relaxation for treating rhomboid latent myofascial trigger points (MTP). Future progress in the field will depend on multi-subject RCTs.
Topics: Humans; Trigger Points; Myofascial Pain Syndromes; Pain Threshold; Neck Pain; Shoulder
PubMed: 37318477
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202306_32620 -
Journal of Critical Care Oct 2023The initiation of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is associated with complex coagulatory and inflammatory processes and consequently needed... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
The initiation of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is associated with complex coagulatory and inflammatory processes and consequently needed anticoagulation. Systemic anticoagulation bears an additional risk of serious bleeding, and its monitoring is of immense importance. Therefore, our work aims to analyze the association of anticoagulation monitoring with bleeding during ECMO support.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Systematic literature review and meta-analysis, complying with the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO-CRD42022359465).
RESULTS
Seventeen studies comprising 3249 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients experiencing hemorrhage had a longer activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), a longer ECMO duration, and higher mortality. We could not find strong evidence of any aPTT threshold association with the bleeding occurrence, as less than half of authors reported a potential relationship. Finally, we identified the acute kidney injury (66%, 233/356) and hemorrhage (46%, 469/1046) to be the most frequent adverse events, while almost one-half of patients did not survive to discharge (47%, 1192/2490).
CONCLUSION
The aPTT-guided anticoagulation is still the standard of care in ECMO patients. We did not find strong evidence supporting the aPTT-guided monitoring during ECMO. Based on the weight of the available evidence, further randomized trials are crucial to clarify the best monitoring strategy.
Topics: Humans; Partial Thromboplastin Time; Anticoagulants; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; Retrospective Studies; Hemorrhage; Heparin
PubMed: 37244207
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2023.154332 -
RMD Open May 2023To provide an extensive review on the associations between knee inflammation and altered pain perception mechanisms in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). MEDLINE, Web... (Review)
Review
To provide an extensive review on the associations between knee inflammation and altered pain perception mechanisms in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE and Scopus were searched up to 13 December 2022. We included articles reporting associations between knee inflammation (measured by effusion, synovitis, bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and cytokines) and signs of altered pain processing (assessed by quantitative sensory testing and/or questionnaire for neuropathic-like pain) in people with knee OA. Methodological quality was evaluated using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Study Quality Assessment Tool. Level of evidence and strength of conclusion were determined using the Evidence-Based Guideline Development method. Nine studies were included, comprising of 1889 people with knee OA. Signs of greater effusion/synovitis may be positively associated with lower knee pain pressure threshold (PPT) and neuropathic-like pain. Current evidence could not establish an association between BMLs and pain sensitivity. Evidence on associations between inflammatory cytokines and pain sensitivity or neuropathic-like pain was conflicting. There are indications of a positive association between higher serum C reactive protein (CRP) levels and lower PPT and presence of temporal summation. Methodological quality varied from level C to A2. Signs of effusion/synovitis may be positively associated with neuropathic-like pain and pain sensitivity. There are indications of a possible positive association between serum CRP levels and pain sensitivity. Given the quality and the small amount of included studies, uncertainty remains. Future studies with adequate sample size and follow-up are needed to strengthen the level of evidence.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022329245.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Pain; Inflammation; Pain Perception; Synovitis; Cytokines
PubMed: 37225282
DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2022-002945 -
Health Technology Assessment... May 2023Early evidence suggests that using radiofrequency ablation as an adjunct to standard care (i.e. endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stenting) may improve... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Early evidence suggests that using radiofrequency ablation as an adjunct to standard care (i.e. endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with stenting) may improve outcomes in patients with malignant biliary obstruction.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and potential risks of endoscopic bipolar radiofrequency ablation for malignant biliary obstruction, and the value of future research.
DATA SOURCES
Seven bibliographic databases, three websites and seven trials registers were searched from 2008 until 21 January 2021.
REVIEW METHODS
The study inclusion criteria were as follows: patients with biliary obstruction caused by any form of unresectable malignancy; the intervention was reported as an endoscopic biliary radiofrequency ablation to ablate malignant tissue that obstructs the bile or pancreatic ducts, either to fit a stent (primary radiofrequency ablation) or to clear an obstructed stent (secondary radiofrequency ablation); the primary outcomes were survival, quality of life or procedure-related adverse events; and the study design was a controlled study, an observational study or a case report. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane tools. The primary analysis was meta-analysis of the hazard ratio of mortality. Subgroup analyses were planned according to the type of probe, the type of stent (i.e. metal or plastic) and cancer type. A de novo Markov model was developed to model cost and quality-of-life outcomes associated with radiofrequency ablation in patients with primary advanced bile duct cancer. Insufficient data were available for pancreatic cancer and secondary bile duct cancer. An NHS and Personal Social Services perspective was adopted for the analysis. A probabilistic analysis was conducted to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for radiofrequency ablation and the probability that radiofrequency ablation was cost-effective at different thresholds. The population expected value of perfect information was estimated in total and for the effectiveness parameters.
RESULTS
Sixty-eight studies (1742 patients) were included in the systematic review. Four studies (336 participants) were combined in a meta-analysis, which showed that the pooled hazard ratio for mortality following primary radiofrequency ablation compared with a stent-only control was 0.34 (95% confidence interval 0.21 to 0.55). Little evidence relating to the impact on quality of life was found. There was no evidence to suggest an increased risk of cholangitis or pancreatitis, but radiofrequency ablation may be associated with an increase in cholecystitis. The results of the cost-effectiveness analysis were that the costs of radiofrequency ablation was £2659 and radiofrequency ablation produced 0.18 quality-adjusted life-years, which was more than no radiofrequency ablation on average. With an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £14,392 per quality-adjusted life-year, radiofrequency ablation was likely to be cost-effective at a threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year across most scenario analyses, with moderate uncertainty. The source of the vast majority of decision uncertainty lay in the effect of radiofrequency ablation on stent patency.
LIMITATIONS
Only 6 of 18 comparative studies contributed to the survival meta-analysis, and few data were found concerning secondary radiofrequency ablation. The economic model and cost-effectiveness meta-analysis required simplification because of data limitations. Inconsistencies in standard reporting and study design were noted.
CONCLUSIONS
Primary radiofrequency ablation increases survival and is likely to be cost-effective. The evidence for the impact of secondary radiofrequency ablation on survival and of quality of life is limited. There was a lack of robust clinical effectiveness data and, therefore, more information is needed for this indication.
FUTURE WORK
Future work investigating radiofrequency ablation must collect quality-of-life data. High-quality randomised controlled trials in secondary radiofrequency ablation are needed, with appropriate outcomes recorded.
STUDY REGISTRATION
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42020170233.
FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in ; Vol. 27, No. 7. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Topics: Humans; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Cholestasis; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis; Observational Studies as Topic; Quality of Life
PubMed: 37212444
DOI: 10.3310/YYMN9802 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2023Arthritis, the inflammation of joints, attributes to the patient's pain, joint deformation, and limited range of motion. Emerging studies have shown the effects of...
Arthritis, the inflammation of joints, attributes to the patient's pain, joint deformation, and limited range of motion. Emerging studies have shown the effects of acupuncture on different types of arthritis. We aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on arthritis animal models and summarize the related mechanisms. We retrieved studies that met our criteria from PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Research Information Service System. The quality assessment was evaluated by using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's risk of bias tool. The pain withdrawal latency, pain withdrawal threshold, and paw volume data were digitized using Engauge Digitizer software. The meta-analysis was performed, and the figures were generated using RevMan software. The meta-analysis of data from 21 animal studies revealed that acupuncture increased tolerance to pain stimuli, and reduced swelling in arthritis animals. Although the number of included studies is insufficient, the results suggest acupuncture to be effective in improving arthritis-induced inflammation and pain by regulating the nervous and immune system.
PubMed: 37113994
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1153980 -
Malaysian Orthopaedic Journal Mar 2023Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common operation and is becoming more common due to population aging and increasing BMI. TKA provides excellent improvement in quality...
INTRODUCTION
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common operation and is becoming more common due to population aging and increasing BMI. TKA provides excellent improvement in quality of life but carries risk of arterial complications in the perioperative period. This systematic review aims to provide a greater understanding of the incidence of such complications, and time taken to diagnose arterial injury.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
PubMed, Medline, Ovid SP and EMBASE databases were searched with the following MeSH keywords: 'complication', 'vascular injury', 'ischaemia', 'spasm', 'thrombosis', 'pseudoaneurysm', 'transection', 'pulse', 'ABPI OR ABI', 'Doppler', 'amputation'. All arterial vascular events in the perioperative state of the total knee replacement were included. Records were independently screened by two reviewers, and data was extracted according to a pre-determined proforma. Overall incidence and time to diagnosis was calculated for complications. Systematic review registration PROSPERO: CRD42018086643. No funding was received.
RESULTS
Twelve studies were selected for inclusion. A total of 3325 cases of arterial complications were recorded across all studies, and were divided into three categories, pseudoaneurysms (0.06%); ischaemia and thrombosis (0.17%); haemorrhage and arterial transections (0.07%). Time taken to reach the diagnosis for each complication was longest in the ischaemia and thrombosis group (6.8 days), followed by pseudoaneurysm (3.5 days) and haemorrhage and transections (3.0 days).
CONCLUSION
TKA post-operative vascular complications are rare, but when they do occur they lead to limb and life threatening complications. This should be discussed with patients during the consent process. Current times to diagnosis represent missed opportunities to recognise arterial injury and facilitate rapid treatment of the complication. A very low threshold for seeking specialist input should be adopted, and any concern for vascular injury, such as unexplained perioperative bleeding, absent lower limb pulses in the post-operative period or unexplained severe pain should warrant immediate review by a vascular surgeon, and in centres where this is not possible, immediate blue-light transfer to the closest vascular centre.
PubMed: 37064631
DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2303.010 -
Neurologia 2023Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pathology characterised by widespread pain commonly associated with psychological distress affecting quality of life. In recent... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pathology characterised by widespread pain commonly associated with psychological distress affecting quality of life. In recent years, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been investigated to treat chronic pain. The aim of the current review is to determine the effects of tDCS and TMS on the main symptoms of patients with FM.
DEVELOPMENT
A systematic review based on PRISMA guidelines was carried out. The search strategy was performed in MEDLINE, SCOPUS, PEDro and Cochrane Library. Randomised controlled trials based on the effects of tDCS and TMS on pain, pressure pain threshold (PPT), fatigue, anxiety and depression, catastrophising and quality of life in patients with FM were analysed. Fourteen studies were included.
CONCLUSIONS
The application of tDCS to the motor cortex is the only intervention shown to decrease pain in the short and medium-term in patients with FM. The application of both interventions showed improvements in PPT, catastrophising and quality of life when applied to the motor cortex, and in fatigue when applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The effects of these interventions on anxiety and depression are unclear.
Topics: Humans; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Fibromyalgia; Quality of Life; Chronic Pain; Fatigue
PubMed: 37031798
DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2020.07.025 -
Health Technology Assessment... Mar 2023We aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and complication rates of total ankle replacement with those of arthrodesis (i.e. ankle fusion) in the...
BACKGROUND
We aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and complication rates of total ankle replacement with those of arthrodesis (i.e. ankle fusion) in the treatment of end-stage ankle osteoarthritis.
METHODS
This was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel-group, non-blinded randomised controlled trial. Patients with end-stage ankle osteoarthritis who were aged 50-85 years and were suitable for both procedures were recruited from 17 UK hospitals and randomised using minimisation. The primary outcome was the change in the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire walking/standing domain scores between the preoperative baseline and 52 weeks post surgery.
RESULTS
Between March 2015 and January 2019, 303 participants were randomised using a minimisation algorithm: 152 to total ankle replacement and 151 to ankle fusion. At 52 weeks, the mean (standard deviation) Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire walking/standing domain score was 31.4 (30.4) in the total ankle replacement arm ( = 136) and 36.8 (30.6) in the ankle fusion arm ( = 140); the adjusted difference in the change was -5.6 (95% confidence interval -12.5 to 1.4; = 0.12) in the intention-to-treat analysis. By week 52, one patient in the total ankle replacement arm required revision. Rates of wound-healing issues (13.4% vs. 5.7%) and nerve injuries (4.2% vs. < 1%) were higher and the rate of thromboembolic events was lower (2.9% vs. 4.9%) in the total ankle replacement arm than in the ankle fusion arm. The bone non-union rate (based on plain radiographs) in the ankle fusion arm was 12.1%, but only 7.1% of patients had symptoms. A post hoc analysis of fixed-bearing total ankle replacement showed a statistically significant improvement over ankle fusion in Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire walking/standing domain score (-11.1, 95% confidence interval -19.3 to -2.9; = 0.008). We estimate a 69% likelihood that total ankle replacement is cost-effective compared with ankle fusion at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained over the patient's lifetime.
LIMITATIONS
This initial report contains only 52-week data, which must therefore be interpreted with caution. In addition, the pragmatic nature of the study means that there was heterogeneity between surgical implants and techniques. The trial was run across 17 NHS centres to ensure that decision-making streams reflected the standard of care in the NHS as closely as possible.
CONCLUSIONS
Both total ankle replacement and ankle fusion improved patients' quality of life at 1 year, and both appear to be safe. When total ankle replacement was compared with ankle fusion overall, we were unable to show a statistically significant difference between the two arms in terms of our primary outcome measure. The total ankle replacement versus ankle arthrodesis (TARVA) trial is inconclusive in terms of superiority of total ankle replacement, as the 95% confidence interval for the adjusted treatment effect includes both a difference of zero and the minimal important difference of 12, but it can rule out the superiority of ankle fusion. A post hoc analysis comparing fixed-bearing total ankle replacement with ankle fusion showed a statistically significant improvement of total ankle replacement over ankle fusion in Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire walking/standing domain score. Total ankle replacement appears to be cost-effective compared with ankle fusion at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained over a patient's lifetime based on long-term economic modelling.
FUTURE WORK
We recommend long-term follow-up of this important cohort, in particular radiological and clinical progress. We also recommend studies to explore the sensitivity of clinical scores to detect clinically important differences between arms when both have already achieved a significant improvement from baseline.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
This trial is registered as ISRCTN60672307 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02128555.
FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in ; Vol. 27, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Topics: Humans; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Ankle; Ankle; Quality of Life; Osteoarthritis; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Arthrodesis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Multicenter Studies as Topic
PubMed: 37022932
DOI: 10.3310/PTYJ1146