Local anaesthetics combined with vasoconstrictors in patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing dental procedures: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

IntroductionThe use of vasoconstrictors combined with local anaesthetics (LAs) in dentistry for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still controversial in the scientific literature. It raises concerns regarding the possibility of transient episodes, triggering negative cardiovascular outcomes.Method/designTrials eligible for our systematic review will enrol patients with CVD who have undergone dental treatments carried out with the use of LAs by comparing two arms: LAs with vasoconstrictors and LAs without vasoconstrictors. The research will be conducted in the electronic databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Healthstar (via Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science, from their inception to December 2017, without any restrictions in terms of language and status of publication. A team of reviewers will independently assess titles, abstracts and complete text to determine eligibility. For eligible studies, the same reviewers will perform data extraction and evaluate the risk of bias in the selected articles. The selected outcomes comprise death, mortality by a specific cause, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, hospitalisation, pain, bleeding, arrhythmias, ischaemic episodes, anxiety, adverse effects, changes in blood pressure, changes in heart rate, anxiety and results obtained via oximetry. Whenever possible, we will conduct a meta-analysis to establish the effects of LAs with and without vasoconstrictors in the patients with CVD, and the overall quality of evidence for each outcome will be determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation classification system.Ethics and disseminationEthics committee approval was not necessary because this is a protocol of systematic review. This systematic review will be submitted for presentation at conferences and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Our review will assess the risks of cardiovascular events when using LAs with and without vasoconstrictors in patients with CVD, focusing on important clinical outcomes.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016045421.

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Use of opioids in patients with cancer with hepatic impairment—a systematic review

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2021-003065 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bmjspcare-2021-003065

Author(s):

Lewis Thomas Hughes ◽

David Raftery ◽

Paul Coulter ◽

Barry Laird ◽

Marie Fallon

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cancer Pain ◽

Hepatic Impairment ◽

Evaluation System ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Hepatic Function ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Assessment Development ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Central Register

PurposeOpioids are recommended for moderate-to-severe cancer pain; however, in patients with cancer, impaired hepatic function can affect opioid metabolism. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for the use of opioids in patients with cancer with hepatic impairment.MethodsA systematic review was conducted and the following databases searched: AMED (−2021), MEDLINE (−2021), EMBASECLASSIC + EMBASE (−2021) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (−2021). Eligible studies met the following criteria: patients with cancer-related pain, taking an opioid (as defined by the WHO Guidelines for the pharmacological and radiotherapeutic management of cancer pain in adults and adolescents); >18 years of age; patients with hepatic impairment defined using recognised or study-defined definitions; clinical outcome hepatic impairment related; and primary studies. All eligible studies were appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.ResultsThree studies (n=95) were eligible but heterogeneity meant meta-analysis was not possible. Each individual study focused on only one each of oxycodone±hydrocotarnine, oxycodone/naloxone and morphine. No recommendations could be formulated on the preferred opioid in patients with hepatic impairment.ConclusionsMorphine is the preferred opioid in hepatic impairment owing to clinical experience and pharmacokinetics. This review, however, found little clinical evidence to support this. Dose adjustments of morphine and the oxycodone formulations reviewed remain necessary in the absence of quality evidence. Overall, the quality of existing evidence on opioid treatments in cancer pain and hepatic impairment is low and there remains a need for high-quality clinical studies examining this.

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Right versus left thoracic approach oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030157 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. e030157

Author(s):

Tianci Chai ◽

Zhimin Shen ◽

Sui Chen ◽

Yuhan Lin ◽

Zhenyang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Oesophageal Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Malignant Tumours ◽

Central Register ◽

Registration Number ◽

Thoracic Approach ◽

Randomised Controlled

IntroductionOesophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours and has been identified as one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Surgery is considered to be the optimal treatment for patients with resectable oesophageal cancer. Oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer can significantly extend the survival period of patients and provide a potential opportunity for a cure. However, there is still controversy regarding which thoracic approach (right or left) during oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer can lead to better surgical outcomes globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis will be performed to determine which thoracic approach during oesophagectomy will achieve longer patient survival and will be more beneficial for patients.Methods and analysisWe will search PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cancerlit, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Google Scholar databases for relevant clinical trials published in any language before 1 October 2019. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, propensity score-matched comparative studies and prospective cohort studies of interest, published or unpublished, that meet the inclusion criteria will be included. Subgroup analysis of the type of operation, tumour pathological stage and ethnicity will be performed.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019124133.Ethics and disseminationBecause this study will be based on published or unpublished records and studies, there is no need for ethics approval. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Effect of different visual presentations on the comprehension of prognostic information: a systematic review

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making ◽

10.1186/s12911-021-01612-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eman Abukmail ◽

Mina Bakhit ◽

Chris Del Mar ◽

Tammy Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Survival Curve ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Visual Presentation ◽

Free Text ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Prognostic Information ◽

Study Selection ◽

Central Register

Abstract Background Understanding prognostic information can help patients know what may happen to their health over time and make informed decisions. However, communicating prognostic information well can be challenging. Purpose To conduct a systematic review to identify and synthesize research that has evaluated visual presentations that communicate quantitative prognostic information to patients or the public. Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (from inception to December 2020), and forward and backward citation search. Study selection Two authors independently screened search results and assessed eligibility. To be eligible, studies required a quantitative design and comparison of at least one visual presentation with another presentation of quantitative prognostic information. The primary outcome was comprehension of the presented information. Secondary outcomes were preferences for or satisfaction with the presentations viewed, and behavioral intentions. Data extraction Two authors independently assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Data synthesis Eleven studies (all randomized trials) were identified. We grouped studies according to the presentation type evaluated. Bar graph versus pictograph (3 studies): no difference in comprehension between the groups. Survival vs mortality curves (2 studies): no difference in one study; higher comprehension in survival curve group in another study. Tabular format versus pictograph (4 studies): 2 studies reported similar comprehension between groups; 2 found higher comprehension in pictograph groups. Tabular versus free text (3 studies): 2 studies found no difference between groups; 1 found higher comprehension in a tabular group. Limitations Heterogeneity in the visual presentations and outcome measures, precluding meta-analysis. Conclusions No visual presentation appears to be consistently superior to communicate quantitative prognostic information.

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Poststroke depression and risk of stroke recurrence and mortality: protocol of a meta-analysis and systematic review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026316 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. e026316 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Wa Cai ◽

Robert Stewart ◽

Christoph Mueller ◽

Yi-Jing Li ◽

Wei-Dong Shen

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Stroke Recurrence ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Poststroke Depression ◽

Stroke Outcomes ◽

Cochrane Database ◽

Central Register ◽

Registration Number

IntroductionA number of observational studies have indicated that poststroke depression could increase the risk of stroke outcomes. There is a meta-analysis indicating that poststroke depression is a risk factor of all-cause mortality. This paper reports the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the associations of poststroke depression with stroke recurrence and mortality in order to determine whether poststroke depression is a predictor of stroke outcomes according to data extracted from relevant observational studies.Methods and analysisMEDLINE, Web of Science databases, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews will be used to conduct the search. Published studies written in English will be included. The risk of bias for the studies included in the systematic review or meta-analysis will be assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. HRs for stroke recurrence and mortality with 95% CIs will be included as primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression will be performed.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval will not be needed because the data used in this systematic review will be extracted from published studies. The results of the systematic review focusing on whether depression after stroke is a predictor for stroke recurrence and mortality will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018107944.

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Acupuncture methods for acute migraine attack: a Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031043 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. e031043 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jing Zhou ◽

Junlong Li ◽

Jiwei Yang ◽

Jianliang Li ◽

Chongxin Wang

Keyword(s):

Bayesian Network ◽

Evaluation System ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Acute Migraine ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Assessment Development ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Central Register ◽

Registration Number

IntroductionMigraine is a primary cause of disability worldwide, particularly affecting young adults and middle-aged women. Although multiple clinical trials and systematic reviews have suggested that acupuncture could be effective in treating acute migraine attacks, the methodologies in academic studies and commonly applied practices vary greatly. This study protocol outlines a plan to assess and rank the effectiveness of the different acupuncture methods in order to develop a prioritised acupuncture-based treatment regimen for acute migraine attacks.ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of different acupuncture methods and conventional medicinal methods in the treatment of acute migraine attacks.Methods and analysisSix databases will be searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and Wanfang Database from inception to 31 August 2019. The primary outcomes will be assessed using metrics for intensity and duration (in hours) of pain post-treatment. Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted using WinBUGS V.1.4.3. Finally, we will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation System to assess the quality of evidence.Ethics and disseminationThe results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. Since no private and confidential patient data will be contained in the reporting, there are no ethical considerations associated with this protocol.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019126472.

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Local anaesthetics combined with vasoconstrictors in patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing dental procedures: systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044357 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e044357

Author(s):

Caio Chaves Guimaraes ◽

Luciane Cruz Lopes ◽

Cristiane de Cássia Bergamaschi ◽

Juliana Cama Ramacciato ◽

Marcus Tolentino Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Local Anaesthetics ◽

Control Group ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Quality Of Evidence ◽

Dental Procedures

ObjectivesThere is a lack of evidence about the use of local anaesthetics (LAs) in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in dental procedures. Thus, this study evaluated the safety of using LA with vasoconstrictor to determine the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with CVD.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsWe have searched in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE (via Ovid), Healthstar (via Ovid), CINAHL, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) up to January 2020. We have included RCTs involving adults with CVD within two groups: intervention group with LA with vasoconstrictor and control group with LA without vasoconstrictor. The primary outcomes assessed were death, mortality by a specific cause, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, hospitalisation, pain, bleeding and arrhythmias. The secondary outcomes were ST segment depression, anxiety, adverse effects and changes in haemodynamic parameters. The data were pooled using random effects meta-analyses and the confidence in the estimates was verified using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).ResultsTen RCTs (n=478 participants) were included. Most of them had a high risk of bias. There were more cases of pain and bleeding in groups without vasoconstrictor. Meta-analysis demonstrated a decrease in the systolic blood pressure with the use of LA with vasoconstrictor (standard mean difference −0.95, 95% CI −1.35 to −0.55) after procedure. Overall, for the other outcomes assessed there was no statistical difference. The quality of evidence was considered low according to the GRADE profile.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the use of LA with vasoconstrictors (epinephrine in low doses) is safe in patients with some types of CVD. However, the low quality of evidence demonstrated that literature needs further studies in order to confirm these results.Protocol registrationPROSPERO (CRD42016045421).

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Effectiveness of female condom in preventing HIV and sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023055 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. e023055 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ruth KB Mome ◽

Alison B Wiyeh ◽

Eugene J Kongnyuy ◽

Charles Shey Wiysonge

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Female Condom ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Assessment Development ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Registration Number ◽

Hiv Acquisition

IntroductionThe HIV pandemic continues to evolve with young women being the most vulnerable group to acquire infection. The presence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) further enhances HIV susceptibility and also leads to long-term complications such as infertility and cervical cancer. The female condom is a self-initiated method for STI and HIV prevention but there are controversies on its effects. We aim to assess the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of the use of female condoms for prevention of STI and HIV acquisition among women.Methods and analysisWe will search Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry and reference lists of relevant publications for potentially eligible studies. We will screen search outputs, select eligible studies, extract data and assess risk of bias in duplicate; resolving discrepancies through discussion and consensus or arbitration. We will combine data from clinically homogenous studies in a fixed effect meta-analysis and assess the certainty of the evidence using the method for Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. We registered the planned systematic review with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) in March 2018 and will finalise the search strategy in August 2018; conduct the searches and select eligible studies between August and October 2018; and collect data, conduct statistical analyses and prepare and submit the manuscript for consideration by a peer-reviewed journal between November 2018 and April 2019.Ethics and disseminationWe will use publicly available data; hence no formal ethical approval is required for this review. We will disseminate the findings of this review through conference presentations and publication in an open-access peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018090710.

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Macrolides for the treatment of COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol

10.31219/osf.io/rvp59 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Catalina Verdejo ◽

Laura Vergara-Merino ◽

Natalia Carvajal-Juliá ◽

Nicolás Meza ◽

Eva Madrid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Direct Evidence ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Randomised Trials ◽

Web Based ◽

Central Register ◽

Registration Number ◽

Review Protocol

ObjectiveThis living systematic review aims to provide a timely, rigorous and continuously updated summary of the evidence available on the role of macrolides for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.Data sources We will conduct searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), grey literature and in a centralised repository in L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence). L·OVE is a platform that maps PICO questions to evidence from Epistemonikos database. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, L·OVE was adapted to expand the range of evidence it covers and customised to group all COVID-19 evidence in one place. The search will cover the period until the day before submission to a journal.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methods We adapted an already published common protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question. We will include randomised trials evaluating the effect of macrolides — as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs — versus placebo or no treatment in patients with COVID-19. Randomised trials evaluating macrolides in infections caused by other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and non-randomised studies in COVID-19 will be searched in case we find no direct evidence from randomised trials, or if the direct evidence provides low- or very low-certainty for critical outcomes.Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome. A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit it every time the conclusions change or whenever there are substantial updates.Ethics and dissemination No ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.PROSPERO Registration number CRD42020181032

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Oxymetazoline for the treatment of rosacea-associated persistent facial erythema. Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

10.1101/2020.05.25.20111344 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Geovanna Cárdenas ◽

Francisco Novillo ◽

Shuheng Lai ◽

Héctor Fuenzalida ◽

Francisca Verdugo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Facial Erythema ◽

Central Register ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review is to assess the impact of oxymetazoline in patients with moderate to severe rosacea.Data SourcesWe will conduct a comprehensive search in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Lilacs, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and grey literature, to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials regardless of language or publication status (published, unpublished, in press and in progress).Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methodsWe will include randomized trials evaluating the effect of oxymetazoline in patients with moderate to severe rosacea. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, data extraction, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE [1] system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.Ethics and DisseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.Protocol and RegistrationThis protocol was adapted to the specificities of the question assessed in this review and registered to PROSPERO with the ID CRD42020150262.

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Pharmacological interventions for COVID-19: Protocol for a Rapid Living Systematic Review with network meta-analysis

10.1101/2020.05.02.20088823 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Carolina Pereira Nunes Pinto ◽

Aline Pereira da Rocha ◽

Keilla Martins Milby ◽

César Ramos Rocha-Filho ◽

Felipe Sebastião de Assis Reis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Critical Appraisal ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Pharmacological Interventions ◽

Systematic Review Methodology ◽

Assessment Development ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Central Register

ABSTRACTCONTEXT AND OBJECTIVECoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged in China in December 2019 and rapidly spread. Although extraordinary efforts have been made on research regarding pharmacological interventions, none have proven effective. This is the protocol for a rapid living systematic review that aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of different pharmacological interventions for the treatment of COVID-19.METHODSrapid living systematic review methodology with Network Meta-Analysis following the recommendations of Cochrane Handbook. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-RCTs that evaluate single and/or combined pharmacological interventions at any dose for the treatment of COVID-19. We will search PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), LILACS, Scopus and SciELO to identify potentially eligible studies. No language restrictions will be used in the selection. We will perform the critical appraisal of included studies with the Risk of Bias tool and the certainty of evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

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