The prevalence of dermatophytoses in Brazil: a systematic review

Dermatophytosis is a common cutaneous mycosis worldwide whose prevalence in Brazil is still unknown. This systematic review has estimated the burden of dermatophytoses from updated literature data reported in the general Brazilian population. We used the following databases: Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library and Scopus for studies published between 2011 and 2020. Original articles with an emphasis on prevalence data for dermatophytosis in the Brazilian population, and diagnosed by culture exam or molecular biology were eligible. We also assessed the methodological quality of the studies. A total of 24 articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The occurrence of dermatophytoses found in the studies ranged from 4–88.50 %. The pooled prevalence of dermatophytosis for the population studies was 25 % (95 % CI: 24.7–25.3 %). The size of the samples used in the studies ranged from 45 to 36 446 participants, and ages ranged up to 98 years old. The populations studied involved mostly women. The presence of tinea unguium (toenail and fingernail) and tinea pedis were the most frequent dermatophytosis, and we observed a predominance of Trichophyton rubrum, T. interdigitale and T. mentagrophytes. The studies were primarily conducted in patient groups with suspected mycoses and were not entirely representative of the general population. Yet we believe that in the future, more collaborative strategies would improve both diagnostic capacity and epidemiological methodologies, associating the prevalence of dermatophytosis with social and environmental risk factors. This review helps to better understand future epidemiological trends in Brazil and the world.

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Lumbar Roll Usage While Sitting Reduces the Forward Head Posture in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105171 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5171

Author(s):

Yusuke Handa ◽

Kenya Okada ◽

Hiroshi Takasaki

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grade System ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Forward Head Posture ◽

Quality Of Evidence ◽

Head Posture ◽

Head Extension ◽

The Cochrane Library

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether the use of a lumbar roll reduced forward head posture (FHP) while sitting among individuals with or without musculoskeletal disorders. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from their inception to August 2020. The quality of evidence for variables used in the meta-analysis was determined using the GRADE system. Five studies satisfied the criteria for data analysis. All studies included individuals without any spinal symptoms. Data from five studies on neck angle showed a statistically significant (p = 0.02) overall effect (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.77), indicating a lesser neck flexion angle while sitting with a lumbar roll than without it. Data from two studies on head angle showed a statistically significant (p = 0.04) overall effect (SMD = 0.47), indicating a lesser head extension angle while sitting with a lumbar roll than without it. In each meta-analysis, the quality of evidence was very low in the GRADE system. The use of a lumbar roll while sitting reduced FHP among individuals without spinal symptoms.

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Traditional Chinese Herb Combined with Surgery versus Surgery for Varicocele Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2015/689056 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rong-liang Dun ◽

Min Yao ◽

Long Yang ◽

Xue-jun Cui ◽

Jian-min Mao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Chinese Herb ◽

Chinese Herbs ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Dichotomous Data ◽

Surgery Group ◽

Traditional Chinese Herb ◽

The Cochrane Library

Objective. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery for male varicocele infertility compared to surgery.Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) data of traditional Chinese herbs combined with surgery for male varicocele fertility versus surgery were collected by searching the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Chinese databases. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Handbook. Study outcomes were presented as risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous data.Results. Seventeen of 72 potentially relevant trials met the inclusion criteria. The methodological qualities of the RCTs were low. Compared with the surgery group, the traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery group had superiority in pregnancy rate at 3-month (RR=1.76, andP=0.008), 6-month (RR=1.58, andP=0.0005), and 2-year (RR=1.58, andP=0.0005) follow-ups. No RCT was found to describe the side effects.Conclusion. On considering the low methodological quality of RCTs, there was no enough evidence on traditional Chinese herb with surgery for male varicocele infertility, and more high-quality RCTs of large sample sizes are required.

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Does Conservative Kidney Management Offer a Quantity or Quality of Life Benefit Compared to Dialysis? A Systematic Review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-196946/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Buur Louise Engelbrecht ◽

Madsen Jens Kristian ◽

Eidemak Inge ◽

Krarup Elizabeth ◽

Lauridsen Thomas Guldager ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Symptom Burden ◽

Place Of Death ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Elderly Individuals ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

The Cochrane Library

Abstract Background Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5) collaborate with their clinicians when choosing their future treatment modality. Most elderly patients with CKD5 may only have two treatment options: dialysis or conservative kidney management (CKM). The objective of this systematic review was to investigate whether CKM offers a quantity or quality of life benefit compared to dialysis for some patients with CKD5.MethodsThe databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies comparing patients with CKD5 treated with CKM or dialysis. The primary outcomes were mortality and quality of life (QoL). Hospitalization, symptom burden, and place of death were secondary outcomes. For studies reporting hazard ratios, pooled values were calculated, and forest plots conducted.ResultsTwenty-four primary studies, all observational, were identified. All studies except one reported an increased mortality in patients treated with CKM (pooled hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.41-0.69). For patients aged ≥ 80 years and for elderly individuals with comorbidities, results were ambiguous. In most studies, CKM seemed advantageous for QoL and secondary outcomes. Findings were limited by the heterogeneity of studies and biased outcomes favouring dialysis.ConclusionsIn general, patients with CKD5 live for a shorter time on CKM than on dialysis. In patients aged ≥ 80 years old, and in elderly individuals with comorbidities, the survival benefits of dialysis seem to be lost. Regarding QoL, symptom burden, hospitalization, and place of death, CKM may have advantages. Higher quality studies are needed to guide patients and clinicians in the decision-making process.

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Analysis the Link between Periodontal Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18179312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 9312

Author(s):

Leslie Borsa ◽

Margaux Dubois ◽

Guillaume Sacco ◽

Laurence Lupi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Periodontal Disease ◽

Periodontal Diseases ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

The Cochrane Library

The hypothesis of an infectious connection from the oro-pharyngeal sphere to the brain underlines the interest in analyzing the link between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the link between Alzheimer’s disease and periodontal disease in patients aged 65 and over. Databases (PubMed (MEDLINE), the Cochrane Library, and Embase) were analyzed for relevant references up to 21 June 2021. The authors independently selected the studies and extracted the data. The quality of included studies was checked using the National Institutes of Health’s quality assessment tools. Five studies were included. The selected studies described in their results an increase in F. nucleatum in Alzheimer’s disease patients (adjusted p = 0.02), and its incidence was linked to C. rectus and P. gingivalis (adjusted HR = 1.22 (1.04–1.43), p = 0.012) as well as A. naeslundii (crude HR = 2.0 (1.1–3.8)). The presence of periodontitis at baseline was associated with a six-fold increase in the rate of cognitive decline over a 6-month follow-up period (ADAS-Cog mean change = 2.9 ± 6.6). The current review suggests an association between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The treatment of periodontal disease could be a way to explore Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

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Does conservative kidney management offer a quantity or quality of life benefit compared to dialysis? A systematic review

BMC Nephrology ◽

10.1186/s12882-021-02516-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Buur Louise Engelbrecht ◽

Madsen Jens Kristian ◽

Eidemak Inge ◽

Krarup Elizabeth ◽

Lauridsen Thomas Guldager ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Symptom Burden ◽

Place Of Death ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Elderly Individuals ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

The Cochrane Library

Abstract Background Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5) collaborate with their clinicians when choosing their future treatment modality. Most elderly patients with CKD5 may only have two treatment options: dialysis or conservative kidney management (CKM). The objective of this systematic review was to investigate whether CKM offers a quantity or quality of life benefit compared to dialysis for some patients with CKD5. Methods The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies comparing patients with CKD5 who had chosen or were treated with either CKM or dialysis. The primary outcomes were mortality and quality of life (QoL). Hospitalization, symptom burden, and place of death were secondary outcomes. For studies reporting hazard ratios, pooled values were calculated, and forest plots conducted. Results Twenty-five primary studies, all observational, were identified. All studies reported an increased mortality in patients treated with CKM (pooled hazard ratio 0.47, 95 % confidence interval 0.34–0.65). For patients aged ≥ 80 years and for elderly individuals with comorbidities, results were ambiguous. In most studies, CKM seemed advantageous for QoL and secondary outcomes. Findings were limited by the heterogeneity of studies and biased outcomes favouring dialysis. Conclusions In general, patients with CKD5 who have chosen or are on CKM live for a shorter time than patients who have chosen or are on dialysis. In patients aged ≥ 80 years old, and in elderly individuals with comorbidities, the survival benefits of dialysis seem to be lost. Regarding QoL, symptom burden, hospitalization, and place of death, CKM may have advantages. Higher quality studies are needed to guide patients and clinicians in the decision-making process.

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The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980000000598 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 3 (4a) ◽

pp. 509-514 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

E Ernst ◽

MH Pittler

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Herbal Remedy ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Double Blind ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Tanacetum Parthenium ◽

Literature Searches ◽

The Cochrane Library

AbstractObjectiveFeverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) is a popular herbal remedy often advocated for the prevention of migraine. The aims of this systematic review are to update the evidence from rigorous clinical trials for or against the efficacy of feverfew for migraine prevention and to provide a safety profile of this herbal remedy.DesignLiterature searches were performed using the following databases: Medline, Embase, Biosis, CISCOM and the Cochrane Library (all from their inception to December 1999). Only randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of feverfew mono-preparations for the prevention of migraine in human subjects were included. All articles were read by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted in a pre-defined, standardized fashion. The methodological quality of the trials was evaluated by the Jadad score. For the assessment of safety issues, major reference texts were also consulted.ResultsSix trials met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The majority favour feverfew over placebo. Yet important caveats exist. The data also suggest that feverfew is associated with only mild and transient adverse effects and few other safety concerns.ConclusionsFeverfew is likely to be effective in the prevention of migraine. There are no major safety problems.

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Global epidemiology of acromegaly: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje-21-0216 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Salvatore Crisafulli ◽

Nicoletta Luxi ◽

Janet Sultana ◽

Andrea Fontana ◽

Federica Spagnolo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Large Scale ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Geographic Area ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Global Epidemiology ◽

Study Heterogeneity ◽

Quality Assessments

Objective: To date, no systematic reviews and meta-analysis on the global epidemiology of acromegaly are available in literature. The aims of this study are to provide a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the global epidemiology of acromegaly and to evaluate the quality of study reporting for the identified studies. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies assessing the epidemiology of acromegaly from inception until 31st January 2020. We included original observational studies written in English, reporting acromegaly prevalence and/or incidence for a well-defined geographic area. Two reviewers independently extracted data and performed quality assessments. Prevalence and incidence pooled estimates were derived performing a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 32 studies were included in the systematic review, and 22 of them were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of acromegaly was 5.9 (95%CI: 4.4-7.9) per 100,000 persons, while the incidence rate (IR) was 0.38 (95%CI: 0.32-0.44) cases per 100,000 person-years. For both prevalence and IR, a considerable between-study heterogeneity was found (I2= 99.3% and 86.0%, respectively). The quality of study reporting was rated as medium for 20 studies and low for 12 studies. Conclusions: Although the largest amount of heterogeneity was due to the high precision of the studies’ estimates, data source and geographic area could represent relevant study-levels factors which could explain about 50% of the total between-study variability. Large-scale high quality studies on the epidemiology of acromegaly are warranted to help the public health system in making decisions.

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Interventions for Alleviating Cancer-Related Dyspnea: A Systematic Review

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2007.15.5796 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (14) ◽

pp. 2396-2404 ◽

Cited By ~ 113

Author(s):

Irit Ben-Aharon ◽

Anat Gafter-Gvili ◽

Mical Paul ◽

Leonard Leibovici ◽

Salomon M. Stemmer

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Supplemental Oxygen ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Analog Scale ◽

Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

The Cochrane Library

Purpose Dyspnea is one of the most distressing symptoms experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the role of interventions for the palliation of dyspnea. Methods We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials assessing all pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions for dyspnea palliation in cancer patients, and searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, conference proceedings, and references. Two reviewers independently appraised the quality of trials and extracted data. Results Our search yielded 18 trials. Fourteen evaluated pharmacologic interventions: seven assessing opioids (a total of 256 patients), five assessing oxygen (137 patients), one assessing helium-enriched air, and one assessing furosemide. Four trials evaluated nonpharmacologic interventions (403 patients). The administration of subcutaneous morphine resulted in a significant reduction in dyspnea Visual Analog Scale (VAS) compared with placebo. No difference was observed in dyspnea VAS score when nebulized morphine was compared with subcutaneous morphine, although patients preferred the nebulized route. The addition of benzodiazepines to morphine was significantly more effective than morphine alone, without additional adverse effects. Oxygen was not superior to air for alleviating dyspnea, except for patients with hypoxemia. Nursing-led interventions improved breathlessness. Acupuncture was not beneficial. Conclusion Our review supports the use of opioids for dyspnea relief in cancer patients. The use of supplemental oxygen to alleviate dyspnea can be recommended only in patients with hypoxemia. Nursing-led nonpharmacologic interventions seem valuable. Only a few studies addressing this question were performed. Thus, further studies evaluating interventions for alleviating dyspnea are warranted.

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Does Conservative Kidney Management Offer A quantity or Quality of Life Benefit Compared to Dialysis? A Systematic Review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-121179/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Louise Buur ◽

Jens Madsen ◽

Inge Eidemak ◽

Elizabeth Krarup ◽

Thomas Lauridsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Symptom Burden ◽

Place Of Death ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Elderly Individuals ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

The Cochrane Library

Abstract Background Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5) collaborate with their clinicians when choosing their future treatment modality. Most elderly patients with CKD5 may only have two treatment options: dialysis or conservative kidney management (CKM). The objective of this systematic review is to investigate whether CKM offers a quantity or quality of life benefit compared to dialysis for some patients with CKD5.Methods The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies comparing patients with CKD5 treated with CKM or dialysis. The primary outcomes were survival and quality of life (QoL). Hospitalization, symptom burden, and place of death were secondary outcomes. For studies reporting hazard ratios, pooled values were calculated and forest plots conducted.Results Twenty-four primary studies, all observational, were identified. All studies except one reported shorter survival in patients treated with CKM (pooled hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.41-0.69). For patients aged ≥ 80 years and for elderly individuals with comorbidities, results were ambiguous. In most studies, CKM seemed advantageous for QoL and secondary outcomes. Findings were limited by the heterogeneity of studies and biased outcomes favouring dialysis.Conclusions In general, patients with CKD5 live for a shorter time on CKM than on dialysis. In patients aged ≥ 80 years old, and in elderly individuals with comorbidities, the survival benefits of dialysis seem to be lost. Regarding QoL, symptom burden, hospitalization, and place of death, CKM may have advantages. Higher quality studies are needed to guide patients and clinicians in the decision-making process.

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A Systematic Review of Symptoms and Quality of Life Issues in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours

Neuroendocrinology ◽

10.1159/000475793 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. 320-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Megan Topping ◽

Debra Gray ◽

Elizabeth Friend ◽

Albert Davies ◽

John K. Ramage

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Neuroendocrine Tumours ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Life Issues ◽

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours ◽

Patient Groups ◽

The Cochrane Library

Purpose: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) are rare neoplasms, in that they may only present symptoms of the hormone secreted, without any generic cancer issues. It is thus important to measure quality of life (QoL) in these patients by evaluating issues relevant and important to them, as opposed to general cancer issues. This paper systematically reviews papers addressing the symptoms and QoL implications of pNETs, and evaluates each subtype separately, with the aim to create a list of QoL issues relevant to these patient groups. Methods: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, OpenGrey, and the Cochrane Library were searched for publications (1990-2016) reporting symptoms and QoL issues in pNETs. Results: Following screening of 2,797 papers, 69 articles were eligible for data extraction. From these papers, 84 different symptoms or QoL issues were extracted: 21 for gastrinoma, 18 for glucagonoma, 50 for insulinoma, 10 for VIPoma and 15 for non-functioning pNETs. No issues were reported for somatostatinoma, PPoma or ACTHoma. The most frequently reported symptoms vary by subtype. Conclusions: This review emphasises the need to develop a QoL measure for pNETs with specific items relevant to the different subtypes, due to the distinct symptoms reported. Following from this review, patient and healthcare professional interviews will be conducted in large cohorts across many different countries to collect more data on QoL issues specific to pNETs. This data will all be collated with the aim to create a QoL measure for pNETs.

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