Comparison between bovine carotid artery graft and polytetrafluoroethylene graft for haemodialysis vascular access: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pseudoaneurysm Formation ◽

Background: There is a renewed interest in using bovine carotid artery grafts for haemodialysis vascular access after recent advances in conduit manufacturing and endovascular management of access-related complications. Our aim was to summarize the results of the recent studies comparing bovine carotid artery grafts with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts as vascular access for haemodialysis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted for original articles comparing bovine carotid artery with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for haemodialysis vascular access published between January 2000 and December 2019 searching the databases of Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Results: Four studies were included (one prospective randomized controlled trial and three retrospective studies) with 676 patients in total (bovine carotid artery: 395, polytetrafluoroethylene: 281). There was lower graft infection rate per patient-year in bovine carotid artery grafts (mean difference: −0.03, p < 0.0001). Bovine carotid artery grafts required fewer interventions per patient-year to maintain or restore patency (mean difference: −0.81, p = 0.002). No significant difference was detected regarding pseudoaneurysm formation (p = 0.24), steal syndrome (p = 0.11) or patency rates (primary: 1 year: p = 0.15, 2 years: p = 0.69; primary assisted: 1 year: p = 0.18, 2 years: p = 0.54; secondary: 1 year: p = 0.22, 2 years: p = 0.17). Conclusion: Bovine carotid artery and polytetrafluoroethylene grafts have similar short-term and long-term outcomes, with a possible advantage of bovine carotid artery grafts concerning graft infections and number of required interventions. Thus, bovine carotid artery grafts can be a useful alternative modality for haemodialysis vascular access.

ICS-formoterol reliever versus ICS and SABA reliever in asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ERJ Open Research ◽

10.1183/23120541.00701-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 00701-2020

Author(s):

Lee Hatter ◽

Pepa Bruce ◽

Irene Braithwaite ◽

Mark Holliday ◽

James Fingleton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Treatment Algorithm ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Severe Exacerbation ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

BackgroundThe Global Initiative for Asthma recommends as-needed inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-formoterol as an alternative to maintenance ICS plus short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) reliever at Step 2 of their stepwise treatment algorithm. Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of these two treatment regimens, with a focus on severe exacerbation prevention.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing as-needed ICS-formoterol with maintenance ICS plus SABA. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from database inception to 12 December 2019. The primary outcome was time to first severe exacerbation. RCTs were excluded if they used as-needed budesonide-formoterol as part of a maintenance and reliever regimen, or did not report on severe exacerbations. The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020154680).ResultsFour RCTs (n=8065 participants) were included in the analysis. As-needed ICS-formoterol was associated with a prolonged time to first severe exacerbation (hazard ratio 0.85, 95%CI 0.73 to 1.00; p=0.048) and reduced daily ICS dose (mean difference −177.3 mcg, 95%CI −182.2 to −172.4). Asthma symptom control was worse in the as-needed group (ACQ-5 mean difference 0.12, 95%CI 0.09 to 0.14), though did not meet the minimal clinically important difference of 0.50 units. There was no significant difference in serious adverse events (odds ratio 1.07 95%CI 0.84 to 1.36).ConclusionAs-needed ICS-formoterol offers a therapeutic alternative to maintenance low-dose ICS plus SABA in asthma and may be the preferred option if severe exacerbation prevention is the primary aim of treatment.

Tolerability of statin-based management of patients with a history of statin-associated muscle symptoms: protocol for a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052341 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. e052341

Author(s):

Fanny Villoz ◽

Christina Lyko ◽

Cinzia Del Giovane ◽

Nicolas Rodondi ◽

Manuel R Blum

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Control Group ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Clinical Issue ◽

Standard Data ◽

Evaluation Approach ◽

History Of

IntroductionStatin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMSs) are a major clinical issue in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Current guidelines advise various approaches mainly based on expert opinion. We will lead a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the tolerability and acceptability and effectiveness of statin-based therapy management of patients with a history of SAMS. We aim to provide evidence on the tolerability and different strategies of statin-based management of patients with a history of SAMS.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies with a control group. We will search in Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Scopus, Clinicaltrials.gov and Proquest from inception until April 2021. Two independent reviewers will carry out the study selection based on eligibility criteria. We will extract data following a standard data collection form. The reviewers will use the Cochrane Collaboration’s tools and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to appraise the study risk of bias. Our primary outcome will be tolerability and our secondary outcomes will be acceptability and effectiveness. We will conduct a qualitative analysis of all included studies. In addition, if sufficient and homogeneous data are available, we will conduct quantitative analysis. We will synthesise dichotomous data using OR with 95% CI and continuous outcomes by using mean difference or standardised mean difference (with 95% CI). We will determine heterogeneity visually with forest plots and quantitatively with I2 and Q-test. We will summarise the confidence in the quantitative estimate by using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.Ethics and disseminationAs a systematic review of literature without collection of new clinical data, there will be no requirement for ethical approval. We will disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020202619.

Community-based interventions for childhood asthma using comprehensive approaches: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Allergy Asthma & Clinical Immunology ◽

10.1186/s13223-021-00522-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mei Chan ◽

Melinda Gray ◽

Christine Burns ◽

Louisa Owens ◽

Susan Woolfenden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Childhood Asthma ◽

Action Plan ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Community Based Interventions ◽

Community Based

Abstract Objective We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of comprehensive community-based interventions with ≥ 2 components in improving asthma outcomes in children. Methods A systematic search of Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library and hand search of reference collections were conducted to identify any research articles published in English between 2000 and 2019. All studies reporting community-based asthma interventions with ≥ 2 components (e.g., asthma self-management education, home environmental assessment or care coordination etc.) for children aged ≤ 18 years were included. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects model to estimate pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of the 2352 studies identified, 21 studies were included in the final analysis: 19 pre-post interventions, one randomised controlled trial (RCT) and one retrospective study. Comprehensive asthma programs with multicomponent interventions were associated with significant reduction in asthma-related Emergency Department (ED) visits (OR = 0.26; 95% CI 0.20–0.35), hospitalizations (OR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.15–0.38), number of days (mean difference = − 2.58; 95% CI − 3.00 to − 2.17) and nights with asthma symptoms (mean difference = − 2.14; 95% CI − 2.94 to − 1.34), use of short-acting asthma medications/bronchodilators (BD) (OR = 0.28; 95% CI 0.16–0.51), and increase use of asthma action plan (AAP) (OR = 8.87; 95% CI 3.85–20.45). Conclusion Community-based asthma care using more comprehensive approaches may improve childhood asthma management and reduce asthma related health care utilization.

Safety and efficacy of routine diagnostic test reduction interventions in patients admitted to the intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ◽

10.1177/0310057x20962113 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 23-34

Author(s):

Katherine P Hooper ◽

Matthew H Anstey ◽

Edward Litton

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Hospital Mortality ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Diagnostic Testing ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Reducing unnecessary routine diagnostic testing has been identified as a strategy to curb wasteful healthcare. However, the safety and efficacy of targeted diagnostic testing strategies are uncertain. The aim of this study was to systematically review interventions designed to reduce pathology and chest radiograph testing in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). A predetermined protocol and search strategy included OVID MEDLINE, OVID EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until 20 November 2019. Eligible publications included interventional studies of patients admitted to an ICU. There were no language restrictions. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and test reduction. Key secondary outcomes included ICU mortality, length of stay, costs and adverse events. This systematic review analysed 26 studies (with more than 44,00 patients) reporting an intervention to reduce one or more diagnostic tests. No studies were at low risk of bias. In-hospital mortality, reported in seven studies, was not significantly different in the post-implementation group (829 of 9815 patients, 8.4%) compared with the pre-intervention group (1007 of 9848 patients, 10.2%), (relative risk 0.89, 95% confidence intervals 0.79 to 1.01, P = 0.06, I2 39%). Of the 18 studies reporting a difference in testing rates, all reported a decrease associated with targeted testing (range 6%–72%), with 14 (82%) studies reporting >20% reduction in one or more tests. Studies of ICU targeted test interventions are generally of low quality. The majority report substantial decreases in testing without evidence of a significant difference in hospital mortality.

DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: The diagnostic performance of adrenal biopsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje-16-0297 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 175 (2) ◽

pp. R65-R80 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Irina Bancos ◽

Shrikant Tamhane ◽

Muhammad Shah ◽

Danae A Delivanis ◽

Fares Alahdab ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diagnostic Performance ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Small Sample ◽

Moderate Risk ◽

Adrenal Biopsy ◽

Adrenocortical Carcinomas

ObjectiveTo perform a systematic review of published literature on adrenal biopsy and to assess its performance in diagnosing adrenal malignancy.MethodsMedline In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial were searched from inception to February 2016. Reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality in duplicate.ResultsWe included 32 observational studies reporting on 2174 patients (39.4% women, mean age 59.8 years) undergoing 2190 adrenal mass biopsy procedures. Pathology was described in 1621/2190 adrenal lesions (689 metastases, 68 adrenocortical carcinomas, 64 other malignancies, 464 adenomas, 226 other benign, 36 pheochromocytomas, and 74 others). The pooled non-diagnostic rate (30 studies, 2013 adrenal biopsies) was 8.7% (95%CI: 6–11%). The pooled complication rate (25 studies, 1339 biopsies) was 2.5% (95%CI: 1.5–3.4%). Studies were at a moderate risk for bias. Most limitations related to patient selection, assessment of outcome, and adequacy of follow-up. Only eight studies (240 patients) could be included in the diagnostic performance analysis with a sensitivity and specificity of 87 and 100% for malignancy, 70 and 98% for adrenocortical carcinoma, and 87 and 96% for metastasis respectively.ConclusionsEvidence based on small sample size and moderate risk of bias suggests that adrenal biopsy appears to be most useful in the diagnosis of adrenal metastasis in patients with a history of extra-adrenal malignancy. Adrenal biopsy should only be performed if the expected findings are likely to alter the management of the individual patient and after biochemical exclusion of catecholamine-producing tumors to help prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

Early vs Late Use of Anti-TNFa Therapy in Adult Patients With Crohn Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ◽

10.1093/ibd/izaa031 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 1808-1818

Author(s):

Shadi Hamdeh ◽

Muhammad Aziz ◽

Osama Altayar ◽

Mojtaba Olyaee ◽

Mohammad Hassan Murad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Response ◽

Disease Progression ◽

Crohn Disease ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Adult Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Clinical Series ◽

Early Use

Abstract Objectives While anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFa) therapies for Crohn disease (CD) were initially introduced in 1998 for biologic therapies are often introduced after a minimum of 6 years after diagnosis. The benefit of anti-TNFa early in the course of CD is still controversial, with some studies showing better outcomes but others not. To determine whether earlier introduction of anti-TNFa therapy improves efficacy in clinical trials or clinical series, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing early vs late anti-TNFa use in the management of CD. Methods A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus was conducted from each database’s inception to November 3, 2019. We included comparative studies of early vs late use of anti-TNFa therapy in adult patients with CD. Results Eleven studies were included in the analysis, with a total of 2501 patients. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the early use of anti-TNFa was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the need for surgery (relative risk [RR] = 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26–0.69; I2 = 68%) and disease progression (RR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35–0.75; I2 = 61%). Early use also showed an increase in early remission (RR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.54–2.46; I2 = 0%) and clinical response. There was no statistically significant difference in achieving late remission (RR = 1.39; 95% CI, 0.94–2.05; I2 = 65%) or mucosal healing (RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.63–1.91; I2 = 0%). Conclusion This systematic review suggests that using anti-TNFa earlier in the treatment of CD (within 3 years) may improve clinical outcomes compared to late administration in terms of achieving early clinical remission, clinical response, disease progression, and the need for surgery.

Use of Prophylaxis for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Isolated Foot or Ankle Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1693464 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 119 (10) ◽

pp. 1686-1694 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bavand Bikdeli ◽

Renuka Visvanathan ◽

David Jimenez ◽

Manuel Monreal ◽

Samuel Z. Goldhaber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Vte Prophylaxis ◽

Ankle Surgery ◽

AbstractAlthough prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is recommended after many surgeries, evidence base for use of VTE prophylaxis after foot or ankle surgery has been elusive, leading into varying guidelines recommendations and notable practice variations. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to determine if use of VTE prophylaxis decreased the frequency of subsequent VTE, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), compared with control. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov through May 2018, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective controlled observational studies of VTE prophylaxis in patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery. Our search retrieved 263 studies, of which 6 were finally included comprising 1,600 patients. Patients receiving VTE prophylaxis had lower risk for subsequent DVT (risk ratio [RR]: 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55–0.94) and subsequent VTE (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55–0.94). There was only one case of nonfatal PE, no cases of fatal PE, and no change in all-cause mortality (RR: 3.51; 95% CI: 0.14–84.84). There was no significant difference in the risk for bleeding (RR: 2.12; 95% CI: 0.53–8.56). Very few RCTs exist regarding the efficacy and safety of VTE prophylaxis in foot and ankle surgery. Prophylaxis appears to reduce the risk of subsequent VTE, but the event rates are low and symptomatic events are rare. Future studies should determine the subgroups of patients undergoing foot or ankle surgery in whom prophylaxis may be most useful.

Blinding integrity in randomized sham-controlled trials of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology ◽

10.1017/s1461145712001691 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 1173-1181 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Marcelo T. Berlim ◽

Hannah J. Broadbent ◽

Frederique Van den Eynde

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Major Depression ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Treatment Allocation ◽

Abstract Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe and effective treatment for major depression (MD). However, the perceived lack of a suitable sham rTMS condition might have compromised the success of blinding procedures in clinical trials. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled trials (RCTs) on high frequency (HF-), low frequency (LF-) and bilateral rTMS for MD. We searched the literature from January 1995 to July 2012 using Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus. The main outcome measure was participants' ability to correctly guess their treatment allocation at study end. We used a random-effects model and risk difference (RD). Overall, data were obtained from seven and two RCTs on HF- and bilateral rTMS, respectively. No RCT on LF-rTMS reporting on blinding success was found. HF- and bilateral rTMS trials enrolled 396 and 93 depressed subjects and offered an average of approximately 13 sessions. At study end, 52 and 59% of subjects receiving HF-rTMS and sham rTMS were able to correctly guess their treatment allocation, a non-significant difference (RD = −0.04; z = −0.51; p = 0.61). Furthermore, 63.3 and 57.5% of subjects receiving bilateral and sham rTMS were able to correctly guess their treatment allocation, also a non-significant difference (RD = 0.05; z = 0.49; p = 0.62). In addition, the use of angulation and sham coil in HF-rTMS trials produced similar results. In summary, existing sham rTMS interventions appear to result in acceptable levels of blinding regarding treatment allocation.

The Role of Mean Platelet Volume as a Predictor of Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Critical Care Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2016/4370834 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Pattraporn Tajarernmuang ◽

Arintaya Phrommintikul ◽

Atikun Limsukon ◽

Chaicharn Pothirat ◽

Kaweesak Chittawatanarat

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Critically Ill Patients ◽

Mean Platelet Volume ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Small Sample ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Platelet Volume ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean

Background. An increase in the mean platelet volume (MPV) has been proposed as a novel prognostic indicator in critically ill patients.Objective. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether there is an association between MPV and mortality in critically ill patients.Methods. We did electronic search in Medline, Scopus, and Embase up to November 2015.Results. Eleven observational studies, involving 3724 patients, were included. The values of initial MPV in nonsurvivors and survivors were not different, with the mean difference with 95% confident interval (95% CI) being 0.17 (95% CI: −0.04, 0.38;p=0.112). However, after small sample studies were excluded in sensitivity analysis, the pooling mean difference of MPV was 0.32 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.60;p=0.03). In addition, the MPV was observed to be significantly higher in nonsurvivor groups after the third day of admission. On the subgroup analysis, although patient types (sepsis or mixed ICU) and study type (prospective or retrospective study) did not show any significant difference between groups, the difference of MPV was significantly difference on the unit which had mortality up to 30%.Conclusions. Initial values of MPV might not be used as a prognostic marker of mortality in critically ill patients. Subsequent values of MPV after the 3rd day and the lower mortality rate unit might be useful. However, the heterogeneity between studies is high.

Mirror therapy simultaneously combined with electrical stimulation for upper limb motor function recovery after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/0269215520951935 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 026921552095193

Author(s):

Alberto Saavedra-García ◽

Jose A Moral-Munoz ◽

David Lucena-Anton

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Motor Function ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Mirror Therapy

Objective: To evaluate the current evidence on the effectiveness of simultaneous combination of mirror therapy and electrical stimulation in the recovery of upper limb motor function after stroke, compared with conventional therapy, mirror therapy or electrical stimulation isolated. Data sources: Articles published in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Cochrane Central register of controlled trials and ScienceDirect up to July 2020. Review methods: The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro tool. The RevMan 5.4 statistical software was used to obtain the meta-analysis, through the standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and to evaluate the risk of bias. The GRADE approach was employed to assess the certainty of evidence. Results: Eight articles were included in this systematic review, seven were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 314 participants were analyzed. The overall quality of the articles included in this review was good. There was no overall significant mean difference on upper limb motor function after stroke using the Upper-Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment by 1.56 (95% CI = –2.08, 5.20; P = 0.40; moderate-certainty evidence) and the Box and Block Test results by 1.39 (95% CI = –2.14, 4.92; P = 0.44; high-certainty evidence). There was overall significant difference in the Action Research Arm Test by 3.54 (95% CI = 0.18, 6.90; P = 0.04; high-certainty evidence). Conclusion: Direct scientific evidence about the effectiveness of the combined therapy of mirror therapy and electrical stimulation simultaneously for the improvement of the upper limb motor function after stroke is lacking. Further high-quality and well-designed research is needed.