Haematological malignancy: are patients appropriately referred for specialist palliative and hospice care? A systematic review and meta-analysis of published data

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious life-threatening complication in patients with gastric cancer. Abnormal coagulation function and tumour-related treatment may contribute to the occurrence of VTE. Many guidelines considered that surgical treatment would put patients with cancer at high risk of VTE, so positive prevention is needed. However, there are no studies that have systematically reviewed the postoperative risk and distribution of VTE in patients with gastric cancer. We thus conduct this systematic review to determine the risk of VTE in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery and provide some evidence for clinical decision-making.Methods and analysisStudies reporting the incidence of VTE after gastric cancer surgery will be included. Primary studies of randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, population-based surveys and cross-sectional studies are eligible for this review and only studies published in Chinese and English will be included. We will search the Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang data from their inception to November 2019. Two reviewers will independently select studies and extract data. The quality of each included study will be assessed with tools corresponding to their study design. Meta-analysis will be used to pool the incidence data from included studies. Heterogeneity of the estimates across studies will be assessed, if necessary, a subgroup analysis will be performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method is applied to assess the level of evidence obtained from this systematic review.Ethics and disseminationThis proposed systematic review and meta-analysis is based on published data, and thus ethical approval is not required. The results of this review will be sought for publication.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019144562

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A systematic review and meta-analysis on endovascular treatment as an attractive alternative for acute superior mesenteric venous thrombosis

Vascular ◽

10.1177/1708538121991270 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 170853812199127

Author(s):

Lixin Wang ◽

Enci Wang ◽

Fei Liu ◽

Wei Zhang ◽

Xiaolong Shu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Treatment Group ◽

Conservative Treatment ◽

Venous Thrombosis ◽

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Published Data ◽

Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis ◽

Surgery Group

Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the published data on the efficacy and safety of therapies for superior mesenteric venous thrombosis (SMVT), aiming to provide a reference and set of recommendations for clinical treatment. Methods Relevant databases were searched for studies published from 2000 to June 2020 on SMVT treated with conservative treatment, surgical treatment, or endovascular approach. Different treatment types were grouped for analysis and comparison, and odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The outcomes were pooled using meta-analytic methods and presented by forest plots. Results Eighteen articles, including eight on SMVT patients treated with endovascular therapies, were enrolled. The treatment effectiveness was compared between different groups according to the change of symptoms, the occurrence of complications, and mortality as well. The conservative treatment group had better efficacy compared to the surgery group (89.0% vs. 78.6%, P <0.05), and the one-year survival rate was also higher (94.4% vs. 80.0%, P >0.05), but without statistical significance. As for endovascular treatment, the effectiveness was significantly higher than the surgery group (94.8% vs. 75.2%, P <0.05), and the conservative treatment group as well (93.3% vs. 86.3%, P >0.05), which still requires further research for the lack of statistical significance. Conclusions Present findings indicate that anticoagulation, as conservative treatment should be the preferred clinical option in the clinic for SMVT, due to its better curative effect compared to other treatment options, including lower mortality, fewer complications, and better prognosis. Moreover, endovascular treatment is a feasible and promising approach that is worth in-depth research, for it is less invasive than surgery and has relatively better effectiveness, thus can provide an alternative option for SMVT treatment and may be considered as a reliable method in clinical.

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Therapeutic Use of Botulinum Neurotoxins in Dermatology: Systematic Review

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13020120 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 120

Author(s):

Emanuela Martina ◽

Federico Diotallevi ◽

Giulia Radi ◽

Anna Campanati ◽

Annamaria Offidani

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Published Data ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Botulinum Toxins ◽

Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex ◽

Off Label ◽

Facial Erythema ◽

Notalgia Paresthetica

Botulinum toxin is a superfamily of neurotoxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum with well-established efficacy and safety profile in focal idiopathic hyperhidrosis. Recently, botulinum toxins have also been used in many other skin diseases, in off label regimen. The objective of this manuscript is to review and analyze the main therapeutic applications of botulinum toxins in skin diseases. A systematic review of the published data was conducted, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Botulinum toxins present several label and off-label indications of interest for dermatologists. The best-reported evidence concerns focal idiopathic hyperhidrosis, Raynaud phenomenon, suppurative hidradenitis, Hailey–Hailey disease, epidermolysis bullosa simplex Weber–Cockayne type, Darier’s disease, pachyonychia congenita, aquagenic keratoderma, alopecia, psoriasis, notalgia paresthetica, facial erythema and flushing, and oily skin. Further clinical trials are still needed to better understand the real efficacy and safety of these applications and to standardize injection and doses protocols for off label applications.

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Endoscopic pituitary surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2007.12.17635 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 111 (3) ◽

pp. 545-554 ◽

Cited By ~ 189

Author(s):

Abtin Tabaee ◽

Vijay K. Anand ◽

Yolanda Barrón ◽

David H. Hiltzik ◽

Seth M. Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Pituitary Surgery ◽

Small Sample ◽

Csf Leak ◽

Tumor Control ◽

Published Data ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Short Term ◽

The Impact

Object Surgery on the pituitary gland is increasingly being performed through an endoscopic approach. However, there is little published data on its safety and relative advantages over traditional microscope-based approaches. Published reports are limited by small sample size and nonrandomized study design. A meta-analysis allows for a description of the impact of endoscopic surgery on short-term outcomes. Methods The authors performed retrospective review of data from their institution as well as a systematic review of the literature. The pooled data were analyzed for descriptive statistics on short-term outcomes. Results Nine studies (821 patients) met inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled rate of gross tumor removal was 78% (95% CI 67–89%). Hormone resolution was achieved in 81% (95% CI 71–91%) of adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting tumors, 84% (95% CI 76–92%) of growth hormone secreting tumors, and 82% (95% CI 70–94%) of prolactin secreting tumors. The pooled complication rates were 2% (95% CI 0–4%) for CSF leak and 1% (95% CI 0–2%) for permanent diabetes insipidus. There were 2 deaths reported in the literature that were both related to vascular injury, giving an overall mortality rate of 0.24%. Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis support the safety and short-term efficacy of endoscopic pituitary surgery. Future studies with long-term follow-up are required to determine tumor control.

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Long-term manifestations and modifiers of prevalence estimates of the post-COVID-19 syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

10.1101/2021.10.17.21265123 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel De-la-Rosa-Martínez ◽

Marco Antonio Delaye-Martínez ◽

Omar Yaxmehen Bello-Chavolla ◽

Alejandro Sicilia-Andrade ◽

Isaac David Juárez-Cruz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Population Characteristics ◽

Published Data ◽

System Disease ◽

Prevalence Estimates ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Meta Regression Analysis

Background: Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) is a multi-system disease comprising persistent symptomatology after the acute phase of infection. Long-term PACS effects significantly impact patient outcomes, but their incidence remains uncharacterized due to high heterogeneity between studies. Therefore, we aimed to summarize published data on PACS, characterizing the clinical presentation, prevalence, and modifiers of prevalence estimates. Method: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we research MEDLINE for original studies published from January 1st, 2020, to January 31st, 2021, that reported proportions of PACS manifestations. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they included patients aged ≥18 years with confirmed COVID-19 by RT-PCR or antigen testing and a minimum follow-up of 21 days. The prevalence of individual manifestations across studies was pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. For evaluating determinants of heterogeneity, meta-regression analysis was performed. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019125025). Results: After screening 1,235 studies, we included 29 reports for analysis. Twenty-seven meta-analyses were performed, and 61 long-term manifestations were described. The pooled prevalence of PACS was 56% (95%CI 45-66%), with the most common manifestations being diminished health status, fatigue, asthenia, dyspnea, myalgias, hyposmia and dysgeusia. Most of the included studies presented high heterogeneity. After conducting the meta-regression analysis, we identified that age, gender, number of comorbidities, and reported symptoms significantly modify the prevalence estimation of PACS long-term manifestations. Conclusion: PACS is inconsistently reported between studies, and population characteristics influence the prevalence estimates due to high heterogeneity. A systematized approach for the study of PACS is needed to characterize its impact adequately.

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Association between surgeon grade and implant survival following hip and knee replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047882 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. e047882

Author(s):

Timothy J Fowler ◽

Alex L Aquilina ◽

Ashley W Blom ◽

Adrian Sayers ◽

Michael R Whitehouse

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Knee Replacement ◽

Revision Rate ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Published Data ◽

Implant Survival ◽

Knee Replacements ◽

Orthopaedic Training ◽

Training Programmes

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between surgeon grade (trainee vs consultant) and implant survival following primary hip and knee replacement.DesignA systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Data sourcesMEDLINE and Embase from inception to 6 October 2021.SettingUnits performing primary hip and/or knee replacements since 1990.ParticipantsAdult patients undergoing either a primary hip or knee replacement, predominantly for osteoarthritis.InterventionWhether the surgeon recorded as performing the procedure was a trainee or not.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was net implant survival reported as a Kaplan-Meier survival estimate. The secondary outcome was crude revision rate. Both outcomes were reported according to surgeon grade.ResultsNine cohort studies capturing 4066 total hip replacements (THRs), 936 total knee replacements (TKRs) and 1357 unicompartmental knee replacements (UKRs) were included (5 THR studies, 2 TKR studies and 2 UKR studies). The pooled net implant survival estimates for THRs at 5 years were 97.9% (95% CI 96.6% to 99.2%) for trainees and 98.1% (95% CI 97.1% to 99.2%) for consultants. The relative risk of revision of THRs at 5 and 10 years was 0.88 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.70) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.37 to 1.26), respectively. For TKRs, the net implant survival estimates at 10 years were 96.2% (95% CI 94.0% to 98.4%) for trainees and 95.1% (95% CI 93.0% to 97.2%) for consultants. We report a narrative summary of UKR outcomes.ConclusionsThere is no strong evidence in the existing literature that trainee surgeons have worse outcomes compared with consultants, in terms of the net survival or crude revision rate of hip and knee replacements at 5–10 years follow-up. These findings are limited by the quality of the existing published data and are applicable to countries with established orthopaedic training programmes.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019150494.

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Prognostic Role of miR-221 and miR-222 Expression in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers11070970 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 970 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gloria Ravegnini ◽

Sarah Cargnin ◽

Giulia Sammarini ◽

Federica Zanotti ◽

Justo Lorenzo Bermejo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Fine Tuning ◽

High Expression ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Published Data ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Free Survival

Background: A wealth of evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) can modulate specific genes, increasing our knowledge on the fine-tuning regulation of protein expression. miR-221 and miR-222 have been frequently identified as deregulated across different cancer types; however, their prognostic significance in cancer remains controversial. In view of these considerations, we performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of published data investigating the effects of miR-221/222 on overall survival (OS) and other secondary outcomes among cancer patients. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the strength of association. Results: Fifty studies, analyzing 6086 patients, were included in the systematic review. Twenty-five studies for miR-221 and 17 studies for miR-222 which assessed OS were included in the meta-analysis. High expression of miR-221 and miR-222 significantly predicted poor OS (HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.14–1.93, p = 0.003 and HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.43–2.54, p < 0.001, respectively). Subgroup analysis revealed that the finding on miR-221 was not as robust as the one on miR-222. Furthermore, high miR-222 expression was also associated with worse progression-free survival and disease-free survival pooled with recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: The meta-analysis demonstrated that high expression of miR-222 is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients, whereas the significance of miR-221 remains unclear. More work is required to fully elucidate the role of miR-221 and miR-222 in cancer prognosis, particularly in view of the limitations of existing results, including the significant heterogeneity and limited number of studies for some cancers.

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Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium by anatomical site in men who have sex with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

10.1136/sextrans-2019-054310 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 96 (8) ◽

pp. 563-570

Author(s):

Rosie L Latimer ◽

Hannah S Shilling ◽

Lenka A Vodstrcil ◽

Dorothy A Machalek ◽

Christopher K Fairley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽

Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Published Data ◽

Anatomical Site ◽

Ovid Medline ◽

Registration Number ◽

Sex With Men

ObjectiveTo systematically review and appraise published data, to determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) in men who have sex with men (MSM) tested at each anatomical site, that is, at the urethra, rectum and/or pharynx.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesOvid Medline, PubMed, Embase were searched for articles from 1st January 1981 (the year MG was first identified) to 1st June 2018.Review methodsStudies were eligible for inclusion if they reported MG prevalence in MSM tested at the urethra, rectum and/or pharynx, in at least 50 MSM, using nucleic acid amplification testing. Data were extracted by anatomical site, symptom and HIV status. Summary estimates (95% CIs) were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess heterogeneity between studies.ResultsForty-six studies met inclusion criteria, with 34 reporting estimates of MG prevalence at the urethra (13 753 samples), 25 at the rectum (8629 samples) and 7 at the pharynx (1871 samples). MG prevalence was 5.0% (95% CI 3.5 to 6.8; I2=94.0) at the urethra; 6.2% (95% CI 4.6 to 8.1; I2=88.1) at the rectum and 1.0% (95% CI 0.0 to 5.1; I2=96.0) at the pharynx. The prevalence of MG was significantly higher at urethral and rectal sites in symptomatic versus asymptomatic MSM (7.1% vs 2.2%, p<0.001; and 16.1% vs 7.5%, p=0.039, respectively). MG prevalence at the urethra was significantly higher in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative MSM (7.0% vs 3.4%, p=0.006).ConclusionMG was common in MSM, particularly at urethral and rectal sites (5% to 6%). MG was more commonly detected in symptomatic men at both sites, and more common in HIV-positive men at the urethra. MG was uncommonly detected in the pharynx. Site-specific estimates are similar to those for chlamydia and will be helpful in informing testing practices in MSM.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017058326.

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Oral Fluoroquinolone or Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole vs ß-Lactams as Step-Down Therapy for Enterobacteriaceae Bacteremia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz364 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (10) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Chitra Punjabi ◽

Vivian Tien ◽

Lina Meng ◽

Stan Deresinski ◽

Marisa Holubar

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Oral Treatment ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Published Data ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Dosing Regimens ◽

Step Down ◽

Selection Of ◽

Infection Recurrence

Abstract Background Using published data, we sought to compare outcomes in patients transitioned to either oral fluoroquinolones (FQs) or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) vs ß-lactams (BLs) after an initial intravenous (IV) course for gram-negative rod (GNR) bacteremia. Methods We conducted a systematic review of PubMed and EMBASE and published IDWeek abstracts. We included studies that reported all-cause mortality and/or infection recurrence in patients transitioned to oral FQ/TMP-SMX and BLs. Results Eight retrospective studies met inclusion criteria with data for 2289 patients, of whom 65% were transitioned to oral FQs, 7.7% to TMP-SMX, and 27.2% to BLs. Follow-up periods ranged from 21 to 90 days. All-cause mortality was not significantly different between patients transitioned to either FQ/TMP-SMX or BLs (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–1.87). Overall recurrence of infection, either bacteremia or the primary site, occurred more frequently in patients transitioned to oral BLs vs FQs (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.17–3.61). Analysis limited to recurrent bacteremia was similarly suggestive, although limited by small numbers (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.93–4.99). However, based on known pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, prescribed ß-lactam dosing regimens were frequently suboptimal. Conclusions In the step-down IV to oral treatment of GNR bacteremia, we found insufficient data regarding outcomes after oral TMP-SMX; however, selection of an FQ over commonly utilized ß-lactam regimens may reduce chances of infection recurrence. Although this may be a class effect, it may simply be the result of inadequate dosing of ß-lactams. Additional investigations are warranted to determine outcomes with TMP-SMX and optimized oral ß-lactam dosing regimens.

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