Urgent Carotid Endarterectomy for Patients with Unstable Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Outcomes

Vascular ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 243-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin O. Patterson ◽  
Peter J. Holt ◽  
Robert J. Hinchliffe ◽  
Matt M. Thompson ◽  
Ian M. Loftus

Current evidence suggests that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) performed within 2 weeks of symptoms produces better long-term results than if it is delayed. Urgent endarterectomy following unstable presentations such as crescendo transient ischemic attack (cTIA) or progressive stroke has been associated with variable results. The evidence for this treatment strategy required reviewing. A systematic review of articles related to urgent CEA between 1980 and 2008 was performed. For cTIA, there was an odds ratio of 5.6 (95% confidence interval 3.3–9.7, p ≤ .0001) for combined stroke or death compared with surgery for “standard” indications. For unstable stroke, the odds ratio was 5.5 (95% confidence interval 3.1–9.3, p ≤ .0001). Patients with unstable neurologic presentations are at higher risk of complications if operated on urgently. Clearer definitions would help more precise patient selection to avoid inadvertently operating on patients with an unacceptably high risk of poor outcome.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengxian Yang ◽  
Ge Li ◽  
Shenzhong Jiang ◽  
Xinjie Bao ◽  
Renzhi Wang

Abstract Biochemical remission after transsphenoidal surgery is still unsatisfied in acromegaly patients with macroadenomas, especially with invasive macroadenomas. Concerning the impact of preoperative somatostatin analogues (SSAs) on surgical outcomes, previous studies with limited cases reported conflicting results. To assess current evidence of preoperative medical treatment, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies. A literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Five randomized controlled trials (RCT) and seven non-RCT comparative studies were included. These studies mainly focused on pituitary macroadenomas though a small number of microadenoma cases were included. For safety, preoperative SSAs were not associated with elevated risks of postoperative complications. With respect to efficacy, the short-term cure rate was improved by preoperative SSAs, but the long-term cure rate showed no significant improvement. For invasive macroadenomas, the short-term cure rate was also improved, but the long-term results were not evaluable in clinical practice because adjuvant therapy was generally required. In conclusion, preoperative SSAs are safe in patients with acromegaly, and the favorable impact on surgical results is restricted to the short-term cure rate in macroadenomas and invasive macroadenomas. Further well-designed RCTs to examine long-term results are awaited to update the finding of this meta-analysis.


Pain Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey L Corcoran ◽  
Lori A Bastian ◽  
Craig G Gunderson ◽  
Catherine Steffens ◽  
Alexandria Brackett ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To investigate the current evidence to determine if there is an association between chiropractic use and opioid receipt. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods The protocol for this review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018095128). The MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant articles from database inception through April 18, 2018. Controlled studies, cohort studies, and case–control studies including adults with noncancer pain were eligible for inclusion. Studies reporting opioid receipt for both subjects who used chiropractic care and nonusers were included. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were completed independently by pairs of reviewers. Meta-analysis was performed and presented as an odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Results In all, 874 articles were identified. After detailed selection, 26 articles were reviewed in full, and six met the inclusion criteria. Five studies focused on back pain and one on neck pain. The prevalence of chiropractic care among patients with spinal pain varied between 11.3% and 51.3%. The proportion of patients receiving an opioid prescription was lower for chiropractic users (range = 12.3–57.6%) than nonusers (range = 31.2–65.9%). In a random-effects analysis, chiropractic users had a 64% lower odds of receiving an opioid prescription than nonusers (odds ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.30–0.43, P < 0.001, I2 = 92.8%). Conclusions This review demonstrated an inverse association between chiropractic use and opioid receipt among patients with spinal pain. Further research is warranted to assess this association and the implications it may have for case management strategies to decrease opioid use.


Author(s):  
Mairi Pucci ◽  
Diletta Onorato ◽  
Giovanni Carpene ◽  
Brandon Michael Henry ◽  
Fabian Sanchis-Gomar ◽  
...  

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has spread rapidly throughout the world, becoming an overwhelming global health emergency. The array of injuries caused by this virus is broad and not limited to the respiratory system, but encompassing also extensive endothelial and systemic tissue damage. Since statins effectively improve endothelial function, these drugs may have beneficial effects in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, this investigation aimed to provide an updated overview on the interplay between statins and COVID-19, with particular focus on their potentially protective role against progression toward severe or critical illness and death. A systematic electronic search was performed in Scopus and PubMed up to present time. Data on statins use and COVID-19 outcomes especially in studies performed in Europe and North America were extracted and pooled. A total of seven studies met our inclusion criteria, totaling 2,398 patients (1,075 taking statins, i.e., 44.8%). Overall, statin usage in Western patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of progressing toward severe illness or death (odds ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.35–0.99). After excluding studies in which statin therapy was started during hospital admission, the beneficial effect of these drugs was magnified (odds ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.41–0.64). In conclusion, although randomized trials would be necessary to confirm these preliminary findings, current evidence would support a favorable effect of statins as adjuvant therapy in patients with COVID-19. Irrespective of these considerations, suspension of statin therapy seems highly unadvisable in COVID-19 patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 205031212098245
Author(s):  
Assefa Tola Gemeda ◽  
Lemma Demissie Regassa ◽  
Adisu Birhanu Weldesenbet ◽  
Bedasa Taye Merga ◽  
Nanti Legesse ◽  
...  

The foundation of controlling hypertension is adherence to antihypertensive medication adherence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of adherence to antihypertensive medication among adult hypertensive patients in Ethiopia. A comprehensible bibliographic searching was conducted from PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science core collection. All published and unpublished studies that had been accessible before 31 May 2020, and written in English were eligible. Joanna Briggs Institute assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the findings of the included studies. Stata software 16.0 was used to analyze the data. Study-specific estimates were pooled to determine the overall prevalence estimate across studies using a random-effects meta-analysis model. Publication bias and heterogeneity were checked. Fourteen studies with a total of 4938 hypertensive patients were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of medication adherence among hypertensive patients in Ethiopia was 65.41% (95% confidence interval: 58.91–71.91). Sub-group analysis shown that the pooled prevalence of medication adherence was the highest (69.07%, 95% confidence interval: 57.83–80.31, I2 = 93.51) among studies using questionnaire technique whereas the lowest in Morisky Medication Adherence Scale eight-items (60.66%, 95% confidence interval: 48.92–72.40, I2 = 97.16). Moreover, medication adherence was associated with the presence of comorbidities (pooled odds ratio = 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.07–0.38, p = 0.030, I2 = 54.9%) and knowledge about the disease and its management (pooled odds ratio = 2.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.72–4.24, p = 0.04, I2 = 55.55%) but not with place of residence (pooled odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.51–1.93, p = 0.00, I2 = 76.9%). Despite a lack of uniformity among included studies, adherence to antihypertensive medication among the hypertensive population in Ethiopia was moderate. The presence of comorbidities and/or complications reduced the odds of adherence whereas having good knowledge about the disease increased chance of medication adherence among hypertensive patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205031211986911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Zhang ◽  
Han-Zhu Qian ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Sten H Vermund

Background: With the rapidly-increased HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men worldwide, the effectiveness of voluntary medical male circumcision as the tool of HIV prevention still remains undetermined. Purpose: In the current study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between voluntary medical male circumcision and HIV risk among men who have sex with men. Methods and Conclusion: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline, we conducted a comprehensive literature search through multiple databases. A total of 37 articles/abstracts were included in the analysis. We employed random-effects models and subgroup analyses based upon key study characteristics derived from empirical studies. A total of 117,293 men who have sex with men were included in the meta-analysis, and no randomized control trials have been identified. The odds of being HIV positive were 7% lower among men who have sex with men who were circumcised than among men who have sex with men who were uncircumcised (adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–0.99). The evidence for the potential protective effect of voluntary medical male circumcision was stronger among men who have sex with men in Asia and Africa (adjusted odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.53–0.73). Our meta-analyses may suggest a protective effect of voluntary medical male circumcision against HIV infection among men who have sex with men, especially in settings like Asia/Africa.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Ilgaz ◽  
Alex Pinto ◽  
Hülya Gökmen-Özel ◽  
Julio César Rocha ◽  
Esther van Dam ◽  
...  

There is an ongoing debate regarding the impact of phenylketonuria (PKU) and its treatment on growth. To date, evidence from studies is inconsistent, and data on the whole developmental period is limited. The primary aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet on long-term growth in patients with PKU. Four electronic databases were searched for articles published until September 2018. A total of 887 results were found, but only 13 articles met eligibility criteria. Only three studies had an adequate methodology for meta-analysis. Although the results indicate normal growth at birth and during infancy, children with PKU were significantly shorter and had lower weight for age than reference populations during the first four years of life. Impaired linear growth was observed until the end of adolescence in PKU. In contrast, growth impairment was not reported in patients with mild hyperphenylalaninemia, not requiring dietary restriction. Current evidence indicates that even with advances in dietary treatments, “optimal” growth outcomes are not attained in PKU. The majority of studies include children born before 1990s, so further research is needed to show the effects of recent dietary practices on growth in PKU.


Author(s):  
Sharon A. Warren ◽  
Susan Armijo Olivo ◽  
Jorge Fuentes Contreras ◽  
Karen V. L. Turpin ◽  
Douglas P. Gross ◽  
...  

A systematic review/meta-analysis of literature addressing a possible association between traumatic injury and onset of multiple sclerosis was conducted. Medline, Embase, Cochrane DSR, Ovid HealthStar, CINAHL, ISI Web of Science and Scopus were searched for analytical studies from 1950 to 2011. Two investigators independently reviewed articles for inclusion, assessing their quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Of the 13 case-control studies included, 8 were moderate quality and 5 low; of the 3 cohort studies 2 were high and 1 moderate. Meta-analysis including moderate and low quality case-control studies produced a modest but significant odds ratio: 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.93). However, when low quality studies were excluded, the resulting odds ratio was non-significant. Cohort studies produced a non-significant standardized incidence ratio of 1.00 (95% confidence interval: 0.86, 1.16). These findings support the conclusion that there is no association between traumatic injury and multiple sclerosis onset; more high quality cohort studies would help to confirm this observation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Se Jin Cho ◽  
Jung Hwan Baek ◽  
Sae Rom Chung ◽  
Young Jun Choi ◽  
Jeong Hyun Lee

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