Vertigo and Dizziness in Children: An Update

Background: Vertigo and dizziness are relatively infrequent in paediatric patients, but specific data on the prevalence of these disorders are limited and influenced by various factors, including the age of the examined population. These conditions often have a significant impact on patients’ and parents’ quality of life. The aim of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of different aetiologies of vertigo in the paediatric population through a systematic review. Methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Medline and Embase were searched from January 2011 through to 10 September 2021. The search yielded 1094 manuscripts, which were reduced to 7 upon the application of inclusion criteria. Results: A total of 2470 paediatric patients were evaluated by the selected papers. Vestibular Migraine was the most frequently diagnosed condition, occurring alone or in association with other diseases. Overall, audio-vestibular disorders represented the second cause of vertigo, and the prevalence appears to increase according to age growth. Over the years, even though we assisted in the amelioration of diagnostic rates, partially related to an improvement in diagnostic tools, the aetiology of vertigo remains still unclear in a variable percentage of patients. Conclusion: Vertigo in children, despite being an uncommon symptom, requires a multidisciplinary approach, often involving Paediatricians, Neurologists and Otorhinolaryngologists. A comprehensive evaluation of children suffering from vertigo is crucial for establishing a successful therapy and reducing parental worries.

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Medicines Related Problems (MRPs) Originating in Primary Care Settings in Older Adults - A Systematic Review

Journal of Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.1177/08971900211023638 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089719002110236

Author(s):

Rosetta Chinyere Ude-Okeleke ◽

Zoe Aslanpour ◽

Soraya Dhillon ◽

Nkiruka Umaru

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Primary Care ◽

Library Science ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Data Bases ◽

Primary Care Settings ◽

Preventative Interventions ◽

Use Of Health Services

Background: As people age, they become increasingly vulnerable to the untoward effects of medicines due to changes in body systems. These may result in medicines related problems (MRPs) and consequent decline or deterioration in health. Aim: To identify MRPs, indicators of deterioration associated with these MRPs, and preventative interventions from the literature. Design and Setting: Systematic review of primary studies on MRPs originating in Primary Care in older people. Methods: Relevant studies published between 2001 and April 2018 were obtained from Medline (via PubMed), CINAHL, Embase, Psych Info, PASCAL, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and Zetoc. Falls, delirium, pressure ulcer, hospitalization, use of health services and death were agreed indicators of deterioration. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Down and Black tool. Results: There were 1858 articles retrieved from the data bases. Out of these, 21 full text articles met inclusion criteria for the review. MRPs identified were medication error, potentially inappropriate medicines, adverse drug reaction and non-adherence. These were associated with indicators of deterioration. Interventions that involved doctors, pharmacists and patients in planning and implementation yielded benefits in halting MRPs. Conclusion: This Systematic review summarizes MRPs and associated indicators of deterioration. Appropriate interventions appeared to be effective against certain MRPs and their consequences. Further studies to explore deterioration presented in this systematic review is imperative.

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Short-term Efficacy of Upper-Extremity Exercise Training in Patients With Chronic Airway Obstruction: A Systematic Review

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20070368 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (5) ◽

pp. 443-455 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Stefania Costi ◽

Mauro Di Bari ◽

Paolo Pillastrini ◽

Roberto D'Amico ◽

Ernesto Crisafulli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Pulmonary Rehabilitation ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Background, Objectives, and Measurements Patients with chronic airway obstruction (CAO) frequently experience dyspnea and fatigue during activities performed by accessory muscles of ventilation, which competitively participate in arm elevation. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning patients with CAO addresses the effects of upper-extremity exercise training (UEET), added to lower-extremity training or comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation, on the following patient-centered outcomes: exercise capacity, symptoms, ability to perform daily activities, and health-related quality of life. Methods Studies were retrieved using comprehensive database and hand-search strategies. Two independent reviewers determined study eligibility based on inclusion criteria. A detailed description of treatments was mandatory. Reviewers rated study quality and extracted information on study methods, design, intervention, and results. Results Forty publications were evaluated. Four RCTs met the inclusion criteria but had serious methodological limitations, which introduce possible biases that reduce their internal validity. The outcomes measured were heterogeneous, and the results were inconsistent regarding maximal exercise capacity, dyspnea, and health-related quality of life. No effect of UEET was demonstrated for measures of arm fatigue. Limitations and Conclusions The limited methodological quality of the studies retrieved prevented us from performing a meta-analysis, the results of which could be misleading. This systematic review shows that there is limited evidence examining UEET and that the evidence available is of poor quality. Therefore, a recommendation for the inclusion or exclusion of UEET in pulmonary rehabilitation programs for individuals with CAO is not possible. Further research is needed to definitively ascertain the effects of this training modality on patient-centered outcomes.

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Barriers to Implementing the ACGME Outcome Project: A Systematic Review of Program Director Surveys

Journal of Graduate Medical Education ◽

10.4300/jgme-d-11-00222.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 425-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Mohammad U. Malik ◽

David A. Diaz Voss Varela ◽

Charles M. Stewart ◽

Kulsoom Laeeq ◽

Gayane Yenokyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

English Language ◽

Medical Knowledge ◽

Program Directors ◽

Faculty Support ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Competency Based Education ◽

Inadequate Knowledge ◽

Competency Based

Abstract Introduction The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) introduced the Outcome Project in July 2001 to improve the quality of resident education through competency-based learning. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine and explore the perceptions of program directors regarding challenges to implementing the ACGME Outcome Project. Methods We used the PubMed and Web of Science databases and bibliographies for English-language articles published between January 1, 2001, and February 17, 2012. Studies were included if they described program directors' opinions on (1) barriers encountered when attempting to implement ACGME competency-based education, and (2) assessment methods that each residency program was using to implement competency-based education. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were screened by 2 researchers. The grading criterion was created by the authors and used to assess the quality of each study. Results The survey-based data reported the opinions of 1076 program directors. Barriers that were encountered include: (1) lack of time; (2) lack of faculty support; (3) resistance of residents to the Outcome Project; (4) insufficient funding; (5) perceived low priority for the Outcome Project; (6) inadequate salary incentive; and (7) inadequate knowledge of the competencies. Of the 6 competencies, those pertaining to patient care and medical knowledge received the most responses from program directors and were given highest priority. Conclusions The reviewed literature revealed that time and financial constraints were the most important barriers encountered when implementing the ACGME Outcome Project.

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Readiness of Sub-Saharan Africa Healthcare Systems for the New Pandemic, Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Journal of Diabetes Research ◽

10.1155/2018/9262395 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bernardo Nuche-Berenguer ◽

Linda E. Kupfer

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Systems ◽

Diabetes Care ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Scale Up ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Care Health ◽

Sub Saharan

Background. Effective health systems are needed to care for the coming surge of diabetics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Objective. We conducted a systematic review of literature to determine the capacity of SSA health systems to manage diabetes. Methodology. We used three different databases (Embase, Scopus, and PubMed) to search for studies, published from 2004 to 2017, on diabetes care in SSA. Results. Fifty-five articles met the inclusion criteria, covering the different aspects related to diabetes care such as availability of drugs and diagnostic tools, the capacity of healthcare workers, and the integration of diabetes care into HIV and TB platforms. Conclusion. Although chronic care health systems in SSA have developed significantly in the last decade, the capacity for managing diabetes remains in its infancy. We identified pilot projects to enhance these capacities. The scale-up of these pilot interventions and the integration of diabetes care into existing robust chronic disease platforms may be a feasible approach to begin to tackle the upcoming pandemic in diabetes. Nonetheless, much more work needs to be done to address the health system-wide deficiencies in diabetes care. More research is also needed to determine how to integrate diabetes care into the healthcare system in SSA.

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Should Levetiracetam or Phenytoin Be Used for Posttraumatic Seizure Prophylaxis? A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-analysis

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/neu.0000000000001445 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 79 (6) ◽

pp. 775-782 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Nickalus R. Khan ◽

Matthew A. VanLandingham ◽

Tamara M. Fierst ◽

Caroline Hymel ◽

Kathryn Hoes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Antiepileptic Drug ◽

Random Effects ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Seizure Prophylaxis ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Severe Tbi ◽

Antiepileptic Drug Therapy

Abstract BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic seizure (PTS) is a significant complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare levetiracetam with phenytoin for seizure prophylaxis in patients diagnosed with severe TBI. METHODS: An inclusive search of several electronic databases and bibliographies was conducted to identify scientific studies that compared the effect of levetiracetam and phenytoin on PTS. Independent reviewers obtained data and classified the quality of each article that met inclusion criteria. A random effects meta-analysis was then completed. RESULTS: During June and July 2015, a systematic literature search was performed that identified 6097 articles. Of these, 7 met inclusion criteria. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed. A total of 1186 patients were included. The rate of seizure was 35 of 654 (5.4%) in the levetiracetam cohort and 18 of 532 (3.4%) in the phenytoin cohort. Our meta-analysis revealed no change in the rate of early PTS with levetiracetam compared with phenytoin (relative risk, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-1.95; P = .96). CONCLUSION: The lack of evidence on which antiepileptic drug to use in PTS is surprising given the number of patients prescribed an antiepileptic drug therapy for TBI. On the basis of currently available Level III evidence, patients treated with either levetiracetam or phenytoin have similar incidences of early seizures after TBI.

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Association Between Spirituality/religiousness and Quality of Life Among Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-105884/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

CEZIMAR CORREIA BORGES ◽

PATRÍCIA ROBERTA DOS SANTOS ◽

POLISSANDRO MORTOZA ALVES ◽

RENATA CUSTÓDIO MACIEL BORGES ◽

GIANCARLO LUCCHETTI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Academic Research ◽

Positive Association ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is determined by multiple factors that include components such as spirituality and religiousness (S/R). Even though various systematic reviews have investigated the association between S/R and improved health outcomes in the most different groups, healthy young individuals are seldom addressed. The aim this study was to evalue the association between S/R and HRQoL among young, healthy individuals.Methods: Systematic review of papers published in the last ten years and indexed in four academic research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) and two gray literature databases. Inclusion criteria were studies assessing S/R and HRQoL using validated instruments and assessing healthy adults (i.e., non-clinical patients, not belonging to any specific group of chronic diseases), aged between 18 and 64 years old. Results: Ten out of 1,952 studies met the inclusion criteria: nine cross-sectional and one longitudinal cohort study, in which 89% of the participants were college students. Nine studies report a positive association between S/R and HRQoL, while one study did not report any significant association. The main HRQoL domains associated with S/R were the psychological, social relationships, and environment domains, while the S/R most influent facets/components were optimism, inner strength, peace, high control, hope, and happiness. Conclusions: Higher S/R levels among healthy adult individuals were associated with higher HRQoL levels, suggesting the S/R can be an important strategy to deal with adverse environmental situations even among those without chronic diseases, enhancing the wellbeing of individuals. Registration of systematic review: PROSPERO - CRD42018104047

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A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF HEPATITIS VIRUS REVIEW STUDIES: A CASE OF HEALTH ECONOMIC EVALUATION ANALYSIS

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i5.17295 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 114

Author(s):

Phuong Hong Le ◽

Quang Vinh Tran ◽

Trung Quang Vo

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Economic ◽

Economic Evaluation ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Hepatitis Virus ◽

Health Economic Evaluation ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Publication Period

Objective: Systematic reviews of economic analysis are necessary for assessing reports and making a decision. A systematic review of systematic reviews is mean of summarizing the current evidence across specialties of the same or very similar intervention, to provide a synthesis treatment effect. The aim of this study was to explore and to assess the quality of systematic reviews conducted hepatitis economic evaluation.Methods: This study was designed as a systematic review following the AMSTAR guideline through Medline, Cochrane, and Science Direct databases. It was scoped in publication period of 2001 and 2016 in international journals. The quality assessment of the included studies was based on AMSTAR checklist. Two authors did the appreciation independently and all the different results were solved by discussion to give the conclusion.Results: 851 publications found, only 25 studies of those met the inclusion criteria. These studies consisted of 5 studies for vaccination and 20 for non-vaccination. There were only 16% (n=4) based on PRISMA guideline; and twenty-one studies (64%) were not showing about the method of the systematic review or not based on any guideline. Only three articles has published in 2016 with a high standard.Conclusion: According to the results of the appraisal AMSTAR checklist, this review shows clearly the current situation and an urgent need for an increase of quality of hepatitis virus review studies based on health economic evaluation.

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Microplastic contamination of salt intended for human consumption: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SN Applied Sciences ◽

10.1007/s42452-020-03749-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (12) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Evangelos Danopoulos ◽

Lauren Jenner ◽

Maureen Twiddy ◽

Jeanette M. Rotchell

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Future Research ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Research Findings ◽

Human Health Effects ◽

Potential Human Health

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging contaminant ubiquitous in the environment. There is growing concern regarding potential human health effects, a major human exposure route being dietary uptake. We have undertaken a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis to identify all relevant research on MP contamination of salt intended for human consumption. Three thousand nine hundred and nineteen papers were identified, with ten fitting the inclusion criteria. A search of the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science, from launch date to September 2020, was conducted. MP contamination of salt varied significantly between four origins, sea salt 0–1674 MPs/kg, lake salt 8–462 MPs/kg, rock and well salt 0–204 MPs/kg. The majority of samples were found to be contaminated by MPs. Corresponding potential human exposures are estimated to be 0–6110 MPs per year (for all origins), confirming salt as a carrier of MPs. A bespoke risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool was used to appraise the quality of the studies, with studies demonstrating moderate to low RoB. These results suggest that a series of recurring issues need to be addressed in future research regarding sampling, analysis and reporting to improve confidence in research findings.

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Interventions Delivered in the Community Pharmacy to Manage Allergic Rhinitis- A Systematic Review of the Literature

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy8020080 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 80

Author(s):

Jéssica José ◽

Biljana Cvetkovski ◽

Vicky Kritikos ◽

Rachel Tan ◽

Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Community Pharmacy ◽

Selection Process ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

The Impact ◽

Valuable Role

Pharmacists have a valuable role in the management of allergic rhinitis (AR) at the community pharmacy level. This role has been reported extensively in numerous papers. However, a systematic review of the available literature and a comprehensive analysis of the outcomes has not been published. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of interventions developed by pharmacists on clinical AR outcomes. A thorough search was performed in three electronic databases, including studies published between January 2000 and June 2019. After the selection process, only three articles met the inclusion criteria and were further analysed. Despite the scarcity of the available studies, in all of them was clear that the pharmacist plays a pivotal role in the management of AR, significantly improving the patients’ quality of life and symptom control. This systematic review also stresses the utmost importance to investigate and report practices and interventions developed by pharmacists using measurable outcomes.

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Systematic review of the psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures for rheumatoid arthritis in the foot and ankle

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/0269215519862328 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (11) ◽

pp. 1788-1799 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ana Belen Ortega-Avila ◽

Laura Ramos-Petersen ◽

Pablo Cervera-Garvi ◽

Christopher J Nester ◽

José Miguel Morales-Asencio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Measurement Properties ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Patient Reported

Objective: To identify self-reported outcome measures specific to the foot and ankle in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to investigate the methodological quality and psychometric properties of these measures. Method: A systematic review focusing on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Setting: The search was conducted in the PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PEDro and Google Scholar databases, based on the following inclusion criteria: population (with rheumatoid arthritis) > 18 years; psychometric or clinimetric validation studies of patient-reported outcomes specific to the foot and ankle, in different languages, with no time limit. Two of the present authors independently assessed the quality of the studies located and extracted the relevant data. Terwee’s criteria and the COSMIN checklist were employed to ensure adequate methodological quality. Results: Of the initial 431 studies considered, 14 met the inclusion criteria, representing 7,793 patients (56.8 years). These instruments were grouped into three dimensions (pain, perceived health status and quality of life and disability). The time to complete any of the PROMs varies around 15 minutes. PROMs criterias with the worst scores by COSMIN, 92.85% and 85.71% were criterion validity, measurement error, internal consistency and responsiveness. 28.57% of PROMs were compared with the measurement properties. Conclusion: the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score achieved the highest number of positive criteria (according to Terwee and COSMIN), and is currently the most appropriate for patients with Rheumatoid arthritis.

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