scholarly journals The effect of dobutamine in sepsis: a propensity score matched analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Youfeng Zhu ◽  
Haiyan Yin ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Xiaoling Ye ◽  
Jianrui Wei

Abstract Background The use of dobutamine in patients with sepsis is questionable currently. As the benefit of dobutamine in septic patients is unclear, we aimed to evaluate whether the use of dobutamine was associated with decreased hospital mortality in sepsis patients. Methods Based on the analysis of MIMIC III public database, we performed a big-data, real world study. According to the use of dobutamine or not, patients were categorized as the dobutamine group or non dobutamine group.We used propensity score matched (PSM) analysis to adjust for confoundings. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Results In the present study, after screening 38,605 patients, 2826 patients with sepsis were included. 121 patients were in dobutamine group and 2165 patients were in non dobutamine group. Compared with patients in non-dobutamine group, patients in dobutamine group had a lower MAP, higher HR, higher RR, higher severity of illness scores. 72 of 121 patients (59.5%) in the dobutamine group and 754 of 2165 patients (34.8%) in the non-dobutamine group died in the hospital, which resulted in a significant between-group difference (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.01–2.40; P = 0.000). For the secondary outcomes, patients in dobutamine group received more MV use, more renal replacement therapy use, had longer ICU stay durations and more cardiac arrhythmias than those in non-dobutamine group. After adjusting for confoundings between groups by PSM analysis, hospital mortality was consistently higher in dobutamine group than that in non-dobutamine group (60.2% vs. 49.4%, OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.01–2.37; P = 0.044). Conclusions Among patients with sepsis, our study showed that the use of dobutamine was not associated with decreased hospital mortality. Further large scale, randomized controlled studies are warrented to confirm our findings.

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 3471-3471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ang Li ◽  
Robert S Makar ◽  
Shelley Hurwitz ◽  
Lynne Uhl ◽  
Richard M. Kaufman ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) are a group of uncommon disorders characterized clinically by the presence of thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA). Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a proven treatment for cases of autoimmune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) characterized by an ADAMTS13 activity level of ≤10%, but the efficacy of TPE in TMA with an ADAMTS13 activity level of >10% remains controversial. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 186 adult patients included in the Harvard TMA Research Collaborative registry who presented with MAHA and thrombocytopenia concerning for TTP but an ADAMTS13 activity level of >10%. A propensity score (PS) logistic regression model was constructed based on 11 clinically relevant confounding variables: age; sex; ethnicity; Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI); history of prior solid organ or bone marrow transplant; the presence of neurologic symptoms; the presence of sepsis, shock, or multiorgan failure (MOF); platelet count; creatinine; LDH; and INR. Matching was performed using a 1:1 nearest neighbor method without replacement within a set caliper distance. Standardized differences were used to assess the quality of matching and ensure balance of baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was 90-day survival. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, percent of patients experiencing platelet count recovery, time to platelet count recovery, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results: Prior to matching, patients treated with TPE (N=71) had a lower acuity of illness compared to untreated patients (N=115) as reflected by a lower mean CCI (2.3 vs. 3.4, P = 0.003), lower mean INR (1.1 vs. 1.3, P = 0.02), and lower incidence of sepsis, shock or MOF (23% vs. 36%, P = 0.06). Consistent with this confounding, TPE in the pre-matched cohort appeared to be associated with reduced mortality at 90 days (HR 0.51, P = 0.01). The PS match was performed to address these imbalances and resulted in 59 TPE-treated patients paired to 59 untreated controls. After matching, baseline characteristics of the treated and untreated groups were well balanced, with a standardized difference of ≤11% in all PS variables (see Figure). In contrast to the unmatched cohort, Cox regression analysis stratified by matched pairs showed no significant difference in the primary outcome of 90-day survival between the treated and untreated groups (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.44-1.8, P = 0.72) (see Table). We performed subgroup analyses by age, diagnostic category, and ADAMTS13 activity level and again did not observe any benefit to TPE. With regard to secondary outcomes, in-hospital mortality (OR 0.77, P = 0.53), percent of patients with platelet count recovery (OR 1.6, P = 0.21), median time to platelet count recovery (6 vs. 6 days, P = 0.99), and median hospital LOS (14 vs. 18 days, P = 0.93) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: In the absence of a randomized controlled trial, PS matching represents a rigorous statistical approach to study the effect of treatment while adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics across groups of patients. Here we have used PS matching to assess the efficacy of TPE in the management of TMA associated with an ADAMTS13 activity level of >10%. Our data indicate that there is no benefit from TPE for this diverse group of TMA patients without severe ADAMTS13 deficiency. Figure 1. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 2. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


VASA ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Hanji Zhang ◽  
Dexin Yin ◽  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Yezhou Li ◽  
Dejiang Yao ◽  
...  

Summary: Our meta-analysis focused on the relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the incidence of aneurysms and looked at the relationship between smoking, hypertension and aneurysms. A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase databases (up to March 31, 2020) resulted in the identification of 19 studies, including 2,629 aneurysm patients and 6,497 healthy participants. Combined analysis of the included studies showed that number of smoking, hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in aneurysm patients was higher than that in the control groups, and the total plasma Hcy level in aneurysm patients was also higher. These findings suggest that smoking, hypertension and HHcy may be risk factors for the development and progression of aneurysms. Although the heterogeneity of meta-analysis was significant, it was found that the heterogeneity might come from the difference between race and disease species through subgroup analysis. Large-scale randomized controlled studies of single species and single disease species are needed in the future to supplement the accuracy of the results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Bücker ◽  
Josefine Gehlenborg ◽  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Stefan Westermann

AbstractThe majority of individuals with problematic and pathological gambling remain untreated, and treatment barriers are high. Internet-based interventions can help to address existing barriers, and first studies suggest their potential for this target group. Within a randomized controlled trial (N = 150) with two assessment times (baseline and post-intervention), we aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptance, and effectiveness of a self-guided Internet-based intervention targeted at gambling problems. We expected a significant reduction in gambling symptoms (primary outcome) and depressive symptoms as well gambling-specific dysfunctional thoughts (secondary outcomes) in the intervention group (IG) compared to a wait-list control group with access to treatment-as-usual (control group, CG) after the intervention period of 8 weeks. Results of the complete cases, per protocol, intention-to-treat (ITT), and frequent user analyses showed significant improvements in both groups for primary and secondary outcomes but no significant between-group differences (ITT primary outcome, F(1,147) = .11, p = .739, ηp2 < .001). Moderation analyses indicated that individuals in the IG with higher gambling and depressive symptoms, older age, and comorbid anxiety symptoms showed significant improvement relative to the CG. The intervention was positively evaluated (e.g., 96.5% rated the program as useful). Possible reasons for the nonsignificant between-group differences are discussed. Future studies should include follow-up assessments and larger samples to address limitations of the present study. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03372226), http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03372226, date of registration (13/12/2017).


Author(s):  
Ahmad Shamabadi ◽  
Shahin Akhondzadeh

Abstract Pharmacotherapy is the conventional treatment for depression, with only half of the patients responding to the first trial of monotherapy with first-line medicines. One way to overcome this resistance is to use complementary and alternative medicine. The antidepressant effects of Lavandula angustifolia, which is commonly called lavender, have been investigated in previous studies. This study aims to provide the first systematic review of lavender in treating patients with depression diagnosis. ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and three trial registries were searched until May 2020 to find randomized controlled trials on lavender for depressed patients. The primary outcome was difference between the intervention and control groups in changing depression scores from baseline to endpoint. The included studies were assessed for effect size and methodological quality. Seven clinical trials were identified, in which 852 patients were studied. In six trials, the effectiveness of lavender in treating depression was reported, as being more pronounced adjunct to a typical antidepressant in one study. Significant reported side effects include headaches and eructation. Lavender is beneficial, tolerable, and safe in treating depression. Despite obtaining promising results, they are not enough to recommend prescribing lavender to depressed patients. Further high-quality, large-scale studies for rectifying the shortcomings of existing studies are recommended.


10.2196/14648 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. e14648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Johansson ◽  
Mats Westas ◽  
Gerhard Andersson ◽  
Urban Alehagen ◽  
Anders Broström ◽  
...  

Background Depression is a common cause of reduced well-being and prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there is a lack of effective intervention strategies targeting depression. Objective The study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-delivered and adapted internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program aimed at reducing depression in patients with CVD. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 144 patients with CVD with at least mild depression (Patient Health Questionnaire–9 [PHQ-9] score ≥5) were randomized 1:1 to a 9-week program of iCBT (n=72) or an active control participating in a Web-based discussion forum (online discussion forum [ODF], n=72). The iCBT program, which included 7 modules, was adapted to fit patients with CVD. Nurses with an experience of CVD care provided feedback and a short introduction to cognitive behavioral therapy. The primary outcome, depression, was measured using PHQ-9. Secondary outcomes were depression measured using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale–self-rating version (MADRS-S), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measured using Short Form 12 (SF-12) survey and EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), and the level of adherence. An intention-to-treat analysis with multiple imputations was used. Between-group differences in the primary and secondary outcomes were determined by the analysis of covariance, and a sensitivity analysis was performed using mixed models. Results Compared with ODF, iCBT had a significant and moderate treatment effect on the primary outcome depression (ie, PHQ-9; mean group difference=−2.34 [95% CI −3.58 to −1.10], P<.001, Cohen d=0.62). In the secondary outcomes, compared with ODF, iCBT had a significant and large effect on depression (ie, MADRS-S; P<.001, Cohen d=0.86) and a significant and moderate effect on the mental component scale of the SF-12 (P<.001, Cohen d=0.66) and the EQ-VAS (P<.001, Cohen d=0.62). Overall, 60% (n=43) of the iCBT group completed all 7 modules, whereas 82% (n=59) completed at least half of the modules. No patients were discontinued from the study owing to a high risk of suicide or deterioration in depression. Conclusions Nurse-delivered iCBT can reduce depression and improve HRQoL in patients with CVD, enabling treatment for depression in their own homes and at their preferred time. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02778074; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02778074


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirui Zhang ◽  
Yupei Li ◽  
Guina Liu ◽  
Baihai Su

Abstract Background Anticoagulation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients has been associated with survival benefit; however, the optimal anticoagulant strategy has not yet been defined. The objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of intermediate-to-therapeutic versus prophylactic anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis on the primary outcome of in-hospital mortality and other patient-centered secondary outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to August 10th 2021. Cohort studies and randomized clinical trials that assessed the efficacy and safety of intermediate-to-therapeutic versus prophylactic anticoagulation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included. Baseline characteristics and relevant data of each study were extracted in a pre-designed standardized data-collection form. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcomes were incidence of thrombotic events and incidence of any bleeding and major bleeding. Pooled analysis with random effects models yielded relative risk with 95 % CIs. Results This meta-analysis included 42 studies with 28,055 in-hospital COVID-19 patients totally. Our pooled analysis demonstrated that intermediate-to-therapeutic anticoagulation was not associated with lower in-hospital mortality (RR=1.12, 95 %CI 0.99-1.25, p=0.06, I2=77 %) and lower incidence of thrombotic events (RR=1.30, 95 %CI 0.79-2.15, p=0.30, I2=88 %), but increased the risk of any bleeding events (RR=2.16, 95 %CI 1.79-2.60, p<0.01, I2=31 %) and major bleeding events significantly (RR=2.10, 95 %CI 1.77-2.51, p<0.01, I2=11 %) versus prophylactic anticoagulation. Moreover, intermediate-to-therapeutic anticoagulation decreased the incidence of thrombotic events (RR=0.71, 95 %CI 0.56-0.89, p=0.003, I2=0 %) among critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU), with increased bleeding risk (RR=1.66, 95 %CI 1.37-2.00, p<0.01, I2=0 %) and unchanged in-hospital mortality (RR=0.94, 95 %CI 0.79-1.10, p=0.42, I2=30 %) in such patients. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. Conclusions We recommend the use of prophylactic anticoagulation against intermediate-to-therapeutic anticoagulation among unselected hospitalized COVID-19 patients considering insignificant survival benefits but higher risk of bleeding in the escalated thromboprophylaxis strategy. For critically ill COVID-19 patients, the benefits of intermediate-to-therapeutic anticoagulation in reducing thrombotic events should be weighed cautiously because of its association with higher risk of bleeding. Trial registration The protocol was registered at PROSPERO on August 17th 2021 (CRD42021273780). Graphical abstract


Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Opeolu Adeoye ◽  
Heidi Sucharew ◽  
Jane Khoury ◽  
Pamela Schmit ◽  
Joseph Broderick ◽  
...  

Background: The Phase 2 Combined approach to Lysis utilizing Eptifibatide And Rt-PA in Acute Ischemic Stroke - Full Dose Regimen (CLEAR-FDR) trial was a single arm trial that demonstrated the safety of full dose (0.9mg/kg) rt-PA plus eptifibatide in AIS patients treated with rt-PA within three hours of symptom onset. Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS) III randomized AIS patients to rt-PA plus endovascular therapy versus standard r-tPA. Albumin in Acute Stroke (ALIAS) Part 2 randomized patients to albumin±rt-PA versus saline±rt-PA. We compared outcomes in CLEAR-FDR patients to propensity score-matched rt-PA only subjects in ALIAS Part 2 and IMS. Methods: All datasets were restricted to subjects with baseline modified Rankin score (mRS) of 0 or 1. Controls were selected using propensity score matching of CLEAR-FDR subjects and rt-PA only subjects from both IMS III and ALIAS. Age, gender, race, baseline mRS, baseline NIHSS score, and time from stroke onset to rt-PA were included in the logistic model used to generate a propensity score for each subject. The greedy matching algorithm was then used to match 1:3. The primary outcome was 90-day severity-adjusted mRS dichotomization based on baseline NIHSS. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mRS dichotomized as excellent (mRS 0-1); favorable (mRS 0-2); and, nonparametric analysis of the ordinal mRS. Results: Eighteen CLEAR-FDR subjects were matched with 52 controls. Median age in CLEAR-FDR and control subjects was 67 and 68 years respectively. Median NIHSS in both CLEAR-FDR and control subjects was 11. At 90 days, CLEAR-FDR subjects had a nonsignificant greater proportion of patients with a favorable primary outcome (61% versus 38%; unadjusted RR 1.59; 95%CI 0.96-2.63; P=0.10). Secondary outcomes also favored CLEAR-FDR subjects: excellent outcomes - 67% versus 38% (RR 1.73; 95%CI 1.08-2.79; P=0.04); favorable outcomes - 67% versus 58% (RR 1.16; 95%CI 0.77-1.73; P=0.50); and ordinal Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel, P=0.13. Conclusion: The outcomes for combination of full dose rt-PA plus eptifibatide showed a consistent direction of effect in favor of the combination over rt-PA alone. A trial to establish the efficacy of rt-PA plus eptifibatide for improving AIS outcomes is warranted and in the planning stages.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitham Abaza ◽  
Michael Marschollek

Abstract Background Due to the ubiquity of mobile phones in low and middle income countries, we aimed to examine the feasibility of SMS education among diabetic patients in Egypt, and assess the impact of educational text messages, compared to traditional paper-based methods, on glycemic control and self-management behaviors. Methods We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial at Misr University for Science & Technology hospital in Cairo-Egypt. Known as MUST diabetes awareness program, patients were included if they had diabetes, owned a mobile phone, and could read SMS messages or lived with someone that could read for them. Intervention patients received daily messages and weekly reminders addressing various diabetes care categories. We expected greater improvement in their glycemic control compared to controls who only received paper-based educational material. The primary outcome was the change in HbA1c, measured by the difference between endpoint and baseline values and by the number of patients who experienced at least 1% reduction from baseline to endpoint. Key secondary outcomes included blood glucose levels, body weight, treatment and medication adherence, self-efficacy, and diabetes knowledge. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA, chi-square, and t-tests. Results Thirty four intervention and 39 control patients completed the study. Over 12 weeks, 3880 messages were sent. Each intervention patient received 84 educational and 12 reminder messages plus one welcome message. Our primary outcome did not differ significantly (Δ 0.290; 95% CI -0.402 to 0.983; p = 0.406) between groups after 3 months, demonstrating a mean drop of −0.69% and −1.05% in the control and intervention group respectively. However, 16 intervention patients achieved the targeted 1% drop versus only 6 controls, suggesting clear association between study group and 1% HbA1c reductions (chi-square = 8.655; df = 1; p = 0.003). Secondary outcomes seemed in favor of intervention patients at endpoint, with considerable improvements in treatment and medication adherence, self-efficacy, and knowledge scores. Participants also indicated full satisfaction with the program. Conclusions SMS education is a feasible and acceptable method for improving glycemic control and self-management behaviors among Egyptian diabetics. However, whether it is more effective than traditional paper-based methods needs further investigation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT02868320. Registered 9 August 2016. Retrospectively registered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-371
Author(s):  
Kentarou Hayashi ◽  
Yusuke Sasabuchi ◽  
Hiroki Matsui ◽  
Mikio Nakajima ◽  
Hiroyuki Ohbe ◽  
...  

Introduction: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by infectious diseases, with cytokines possibly having an important role in the disease mechanism. Acrylonitrile-co-methallyl sulfonate surface-treated (AN69ST) membrane is expected to improve the outcomes of patients with sepsis through cytokine adsorption. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical effect of the AN69ST membrane in comparison to standard continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) membranes for panperitonitis due to lower gastrointestinal perforation. Methods: Using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified adult patients with sepsis due to panperitonitis receiving any CRRT. Propensity score matching was used to compare patients who received CRRT with the AN69ST membrane (AN69ST group) and those who received CRRT with other membranes (non-AN69ST group). The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 528 and 1,445 patients were included in the AN69ST group and in the non-AN69ST group, respectively. Propensity score matching resulted in 521 pairs. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality (32.1 vs. 35.5%; p = 0.265) and 30-day mortality (41.3 vs. 42.8%, p = 0.074) between the AN69ST group and the non-AN69ST group. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in-hospital mortality between CRRT with the AN69ST membrane and CRRT with standard CRRT membranes for panperitonitis due to lower gastrointestinal perforation. These results indicate that the AN69ST membrane is not superior to the standard CRRT membrane.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yuhong Zhou ◽  
Shutang Han ◽  
Yamin He

Background. Tongxieyaofang (TXYF), a prescription originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used on treating Diarrhea Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate whether TXYF was effective and safe for IBS-D. Methods. We searched seven electronic databases including CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang Data up to 26 July 2017. Randomized controlled trails (RCTs) were eligible, regardless of blinding. Risk of bias of included trials was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook. Results. The total number of participants analyzed in the meta-analysis was 3062, of which 1556 received TXYF, while 1506 received ordinary treatment. The primary outcome was clinical effective rate. Compared with conventional medication which included probiotics, pinaverium bromide, trimebutine, and Oryzanol, TXYF significantly improved the clinical effective rate (n=37, OR: 4.61; 95% CI: 3.67–5.78; P < 0.00001) and decreased the adverse events (n=10, OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.08–0.86; P = 0.03). There was not significant association with the score of abdominal pain, defecating frequency, fecal property, and total symptom. Conclusions. We suggested a moderate recommendation for TXYF on IBS-D, due to the fact that the risk of bias of the finally included trails was not high. Considering that all identified studies were not of high qualities and large samples, further rigorously designed and large scale RCTs were necessary to improve the applicability of our study results.


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