Nutritional therapy in the treatment of pressure injuries: a systematic review

Abstract Objective: to review literature on the use of nutritional therapy in the treatment of pressure injuries. Methods: a systematic review of the PubMed, Lilacs and Scielo databases was performed, with studies in the English and Portuguese languages published in the last five years selected. Result: three articles that investigated the use of different doses of arginine, a mixture of amino acids and nutritional supplements enriched with arginine, zinc and antioxidants were analyzed. The studies found that there was a reduction in the area of wounds in the intervention groups, although the difference in size was not significant in all the articles. Conclusion: nutritional intervention should be considered an integral part of the treatment of pressure injuries. The use of certain nutrients may positively affect the healing process of such injuries. Due to the heterogeneity of the methodologies used, the small sample size and the range of intervention times and nutrients used, more scientifically rigorous studies are recommended to create an evidence based nutritional intervention model for the treatment of pressure injuries.

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Dietary Interventions in the Management of Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Best-Evidence Synthesis

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12092664 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2664

Author(s):

Ethan Lowry ◽

Joanne Marley ◽

Joseph G. McVeigh ◽

Emeir McSorley ◽

Philip Allsopp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Nutritional Intervention ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Chronic Widespread Pain ◽

Small Sample ◽

Vegan Diet ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Best Evidence Synthesis

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterised by chronic widespread pain alongside fatigue, poor sleep quality and numerous comorbidities. It is estimated to have a worldwide prevalence of 1.78%, with a predominance in females. Treatment interventions for fibromyalgia have limited success, leading to many patients seeking alternative forms of treatment, including modifications to their diet and lifestyle. The effectiveness of dietary changes in fibromyalgia has not been widely researched or evaluated. This systematic review identified twenty-two studies, including 18 randomised control trials (RCTs) and four cohort studies which were eligible for inclusion. In total these studies investigated 17 different nutritional interventions. Significant improvements in reported pain were observed for those following a vegan diet, as well as with the low fermentable oligo di-mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diets. Supplementation with Chlorella green algae, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-l-carnitine or a combination of vitamin C and E significantly improved measures of pain. Interpretation of these studies was limited due to the frequent poor quality of the study design, the wide heterogeneity between studies, the small sample size and a high degree of bias. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to recommend any one particular nutritional intervention for the management of fibromyalgia and further research is needed.

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Treatment strategies for cerebrospinal shunt infections: a systematic review of observational studies

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e038978

Author(s):

Joan L Robinson ◽

Dolores Freire ◽

Liza Bialy

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Small Sample ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Csf Shunt ◽

Entry Site ◽

Recurrence Rates ◽

Ovid Medline ◽

Shunt Infections

ObjectiveA systematic review was conducted of studies comparing time to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sterilisation or rate of recurrence with different treatment strategies for CSF shunt infections.MethodsA librarian-directed search was conducted of Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid Medline Daily and Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Wiley Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text via EBSCOhost, Scopus Advanced Search, and Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to May 2019. Studies of any design that compared outcomes in groups of any age with different management strategies were included. Studies that compared complete versus incomplete shunt removal were excluded. Quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.ResultsThe search identified 2208 records, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. All were cohort studies of moderate quality. Four studies compared the duration of antibiotics; none demonstrates that a longer course prevented recurrences. Two studies analysed addition of rifampin, with one showing a decrease in recurrences while the other had a small sample size. No studies analysed the addition of intraventricular antibiotics, but one showed equally good results with once versus twice daily administration. One study reported no difference in recurrences with placement of antibiotic-impregnated catheters. Recurrence rates did not differ with shunt replacement minimum of 7 days vs less than 7 days after CSF became sterile. There were no recurrences in either group when shunt replacement was performed after sterile CSF cultures were obtained at 24 vs 48 hours after antibiotics were discontinued. A new shunt entry site did not decrease recurrences.DiscussionThe main limitations are the lack of high-quality studies, the small sample sizes and the heterogeneity which precluded meta-analysis. Addition of rifampin for staphylococcal infections may decrease relapse but requires further study.

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The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in gout: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Rheumatology International ◽

10.1007/s00296-021-04876-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Cox ◽

Sonal Gupta ◽

Sizheng Steven Zhao ◽

David M. Hughes

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Small Sample ◽

Future Research ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractThe aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to describe prevalence of cardiovascular disease in gout, compare these results with non-gout controls and consider whether there were differences according to geography. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies reporting prevalence of any cardiovascular disease in a gout population. Studies with non-representative sampling, where a cohort had been used in another study, small sample size (< 100) and where gout could not be distinguished from other rheumatic conditions were excluded, as were reviews, editorials and comments. Where possible meta-analysis was performed using random-effect models. Twenty-six studies comprising 949,773 gout patients were included in the review. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated for five cardiovascular diseases: myocardial infarction (2.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI)s 1.6, 5.0), heart failure (8.7%; 95% CI 2.9, 23.8), venous thromboembolism (2.1%; 95% CI 1.2, 3.4), cerebrovascular accident (4.3%; 95% CI 1.8, 9.7) and hypertension (63.9%; 95% CI 24.5, 90.6). Sixteen studies reported comparisons with non-gout controls, illustrating an increased risk in the gout group across all cardiovascular diseases. There were no identifiable reliable patterns when analysing the results by country. Cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent in patients with gout and should prompt vigilance from clinicians to the need to assess and stratify cardiovascular risk. Future research is needed to investigate the link between gout, hyperuricaemia and increased cardiovascular risk and also to establish a more thorough picture of prevalence for less common cardiovascular diseases.

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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 ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

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.

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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Acetaminophen-Related Liver Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies in Vivo

Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy ◽

10.2174/1574888x16666211007092055 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Li Wang ◽

Yiwen Zhang ◽

Jiajun Zhong ◽

Yuan Zhang ◽

Shuisheng Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Liver Injury ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Small Sample ◽

Control Group

Objective: The efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in acetaminophen-induced liver injury has been investigated in animal experiments, but individual studies with a small sample size cannot be used to draw a clear conclusion. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies to explore the potential of using MSCs in acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Methods: Eight databases were searched for studies reporting the effects of MSCs on acetaminophen hepatoxicity. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool for animal studies was applied to assess the methodological quality. A meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.4 and STATA/SE 16.0 software. Results: Eleven studies involving 159 animals were included according to PRISMA statement guidelines. Significant associations were found for MSCs with the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) (standardized mean difference (SMD) − 2.58, p < 0.0001), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (SMD − 1.75, p = 0.001), glutathione (GSH) (SMD 3.7, p < 0.0001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (SMD 1.86, p = 0.022), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (SMD 5.14, p = 0.0002) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (SMD − 4.48, p = 0.011) compared with those in the control group. The subgroup analysis showed that the tissue source of MSCs significantly affected the therapeutic efficacy (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis results demonstrate that MSCs could be a potential treatment for acetaminophen-related liver injury.

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Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Linezolid and Daptomycin for Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Bloodstream Infections

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.00714-13 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 57 (10) ◽

pp. 5013-5018 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Donald W. Whang ◽

Loren G. Miller ◽

Neil M. Partain ◽

James A. McKinnell

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Bloodstream Infections ◽

Small Sample ◽

Antibiotic Selection ◽

Vancomycin Resistant

ABSTRACTBloodstream infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE-BSI) result in substantial patient mortality and cost. Daptomycin and linezolid are commonly prescribed for VRE-BSI, but there are no clinical trials to determine optimal antibiotic selection. We conducted a systematic review for investigations that compared daptomycin and linezolid for VRE-BSI. We searched Medline from 1966 through 2012 for comparisons of linezolid and daptomycin for VRE-BSI. We included searches of EMBASE, clinicaltrials.gov, and national meetings. Data were extracted using a standardized instrument. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using a fixed-effects model. Our search yielded 4,243 publications, of which 482 contained data on VRE treatment. Most studies (452/482) did not present data on BSI or did not provide information on linezolid or daptomycin. Among the remaining 30 studies, 9 offered comparative data between the two agents. None were randomized clinical trials. There was no difference in microbiologic (n= 5 studies, 517 patients; OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.4 to 1.7;P= 0.95) and clinical (n= 3 studies, 357 patients; OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.0;P= 0.7) cures between the two antibiotics. There was a trend toward increased survival with linezolid compared to daptomycin treatment (n= 9 studies, 1,074 patients; OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.8;I2= 0 [whereI2is a measure of inconsistency]), but this did not reach statistical significance (P= 0.054). There are limited data to inform clinicians on optimal antibiotic selection for VRE-BSI. Available studies are limited by small sample size, lack of patient-level data, and inconsistent outcome definitions. Additional research, including randomized clinical trials, is needed before conclusions can be drawn about treatment options for VRE therapy.

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Effectiveness of Directional Microphones and Noise Reduction Schemes in Hearing Aids: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.16.7.7 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 16 (07) ◽

pp. 473-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Ruth A. Bentler

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Noise Reduction ◽

Hearing Aids ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Careful Consideration ◽

Small Sample ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Directional Microphones ◽

Directional Microphone

A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to find evidence of real-world effectiveness of directional microphone and digital noise reduction features in current hearing aids. The evidence was drawn from randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized intervention studies, and descriptive studies. The quality of each study was evaluated for factors such as blinding, power of statistical analyses, and use of psychometrically strong outcome measures. Weaknesses in the identified studies included small sample size, resultant poor power to detect potentially worthwhile differences, and overlapping experimental conditions. Nine studies were identified for directional microphones, and the evidence (albeit weak) supports effectiveness. Two studies were identified for the noise reduction feature, and the evidence was equivocal. For the researcher, such a systematic review should encourage the careful consideration of appropriate methodologies for assessing feature effectiveness. For the clinician, the outcomes reported herein should encourage use of such a systematic review to drive clinical practice.

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Abstract 181: A Systematic Review of Interventions to Increase tPA Administration

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.181 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Mollie McDermott ◽

Lesli E Skolarus ◽

James F Burke

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Public Education ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Reports ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Fixed Effect Model ◽

Small Sample ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Design Elements

Introduction: Rates of tPA administration remain low nationally and globally despite its demonstrated efficacy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to increase the rate of tPA administration. Methods: We searched PubMed and EMBASE to identify all studies (excluding case reports) published between 1995 and January 8, 2015 documenting interventions to increase the utilization of tPA. We screened each study with pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Design elements and study data were extracted from eligible studies. The principal summary measure was the percentage change in rate of tPA administration. Fixed and random effects meta-analytic models were built to summarize the effect of intervention compared to control as well as intervention subtypes. Results: Our search yielded 1457 results of which 25 met eligibility criteria. We identified 13 pre-post studies and 11 randomized or quasi-experimental studies. Included studies utilized EMS (n=14), telemedicine (n=6), and public education (n=5). Intervention settings included urban (n=13), rural (n=4), and combined (n=4). In a fixed effect model, tPA administration was significantly higher in the intervention arm across all studies that limited enrollment to ischemic stroke patients (n=14) with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.71. Interventions involving EMS were associated with an increased rate of tPA administration with a RR of 1.51, (95% CI: 1.43-1.59, p<0.0001); promoting public education RR = 2.62, (95% CI: 1.54-4.43, p<0.01); and utilizing telemedicine RR = 2.97, (95% CI: 2.61-3.39, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Interventions to increase tPA use appear to have considerable efficacy. Comparative inferences between intervention types are limited by small sample size and intervention heterogeneity.

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Efficacy of heavy eccentric calf training for treating mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2018-099934 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 53 (17) ◽

pp. 1070-1077 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Myles Calder Murphy ◽

Mervyn J Travers ◽

Paola Chivers ◽

James Robert Debenham ◽

Sean Iain Docking ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Natural History ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Achilles Tendinopathy ◽

Small Sample ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Exercise Interventions ◽

And Function

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of heavy eccentric calf training (HECT) in comparison with natural history, traditional physiotherapy, sham interventions or other exercise interventions for improvements in pain and function in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.DesignA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted as per the PRISMA guidelines.Data sourcesPUBMED, CINAHL (Ovid) and CINAHL (EBSCO) were searched from inception until 24 September 2018.Eligibility criteriaRandomised controlled trials comparing HECT to natural history, sham exercise, traditional physiotherapy and other exercise interventions were included. Primary outcome assessing pain and function was the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles.ResultsSeven studies met the inclusion criteria. This review suggests HECT may be superior to both natural history, mean difference (MD) (95% CI) of 20.6 (11.7 to 29.5, one study) and traditional physiotherapy, MD (95% CI) of 17.70 (3.75 to 31.66, two studies). Following removal of one study, at high risk of bias, due to pre-planned sensitivity analysis, this review suggests HECT may be inferior to other exercise interventions, MD (95% CI) of −5.65 (-10.51 to −0.79, three studies). However, this difference is unlikely to be clinically significant.ConclusionCurrent evidence suggests that HECT may be superior to natural history and traditional physiotherapy while HECT may be inferior to other exercise interventions. However, due to methodological limitations, small sample size and a lack of data we are unable to be confident in the results of the estimate of the effect, as the true effect is likely to be substantially different.Systematic review registryPROSPERO registration number: CRD4201804493Protocol referenceThis protocol has been published open access: Murphy M, Travers MJ, Gibson, W. Is heavy eccentric calf training superior to natural history, sham rehabilitation, traditional physiotherapy and other exercise interventions for pain and function in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy? Systematic Reviews 2018; 7: 58

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Transitional interventions to reduce early psychiatric readmissions in adults: systematic review

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.112.115030 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 202 (3) ◽

pp. 187-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

Simone N. Vigod ◽

Paul A. Kurdyak ◽

Cindy-Lee Dennis ◽

Talia Leszcz ◽

Valerie H. Taylor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Absolute Risk ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Small Sample ◽

Future Research ◽

Post Discharge ◽

Psychiatric Readmission ◽

Patient Provider Communication

BackgroundUp to 13% of psychiatric patients are readmitted shortly after discharge. Interventions that ensure successful transitions to community care may play a key role in preventing early readmission.AimsTo describe and evaluate interventions applied during the transition from in-patient to out-patient care in preventing early psychiatric readmission.MethodSystematic review of transitional interventions among adults admitted to hospital with mental illness where the study outcome was psychiatric readmission.ResultsThe review included 15 studies with 15 non-overlapping intervention components. Absolute risk reductions of 13.6 to 37.0% were observed in statistically significant studies. Effective intervention components were: pre- and post-discharge patient psychoeducation, structured needs assessments, medication reconciliation/education, transition managers and in-patient/out-patient provider communication. Key limitations were small sample size and risk of bias.ConclusionsMany effective transitional intervention components are feasible and likely to be cost-effective. Future research can provide direction about the specific components necessary and/or sufficient for preventing early psychiatric readmission.

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