A Systematic Review of the Diagnostic Methods of Small Fiber Neuropathies in Rehabilitation

The aim of this systematic review is to guide the physician in defining the pharmacologic and rehabilitative therapeutic approaches for adopting the best strategies described in the current literature. The search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to identify the treatment of small fiber neuropathies. Two reviewers independently reviewed and came to a consensus on which articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria. The authors excluded the duplicates, animal studies and included the English articles in which the treatment of patients with small fiber neuropathies was described. The search identified a total of 975 articles with the keywords “small fiber neuropathy” AND “rehabilitation” OR “therapy” OR “treatment”. Seventy-eight selected full-text were analyzed by the reviewers. Forty-two publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review to describe the rehabilitative and pharmacologic treatment of small fiber neuropathies. Despite the range of different protocols of treatment for small fiber neuropathy, other robust trials are needed. In addition, always different therapeutic approaches are used; a unique protocol could be important for the clinicians. More research is needed to build evidence for the best strategy and to delineate a definitive therapeutic protocol.

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Emergency department ultrasound for the detection of B-lines in the early diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2018.27 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 343-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Kyle McGivery ◽

Paul Atkinson ◽

David Lewis ◽

Luke Taylor ◽

Tim Harris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Emergency Department ◽

Lung Ultrasound ◽

Acute Decompensated Heart Failure ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Decompensated Heart Failure ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

B Lines

AbstractObjectivesDyspnea is a common presenting problem that creates a diagnostic challenge for physicians in the emergency department (ED). While the differential diagnosis is broad, acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a frequent cause that can be challenging to differentiate from other etiologies. Recent studies have suggested a potential diagnostic role for emergency lung ultrasound (US). The objective of this systematic review was to assess the accuracy of early bedside lung US in patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea.MethodsA systematic search of EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library was performed in addition to a grey literature search. We selected prospective studies that reported on the sensitivity and specificity of B-lines from early lung ultrasound in dyspneic patients presenting to the ED. Selected studies underwent quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal and Skills Program (CASP) questionnaire.Data Extraction and SynthesisThe search yielded 3674 articles; seven studies met inclusion criteria and fulfilled CASP requirements for a total of 1861 patients. Summary statistics from the meta-analysis showed that as a diagnostic test for ADHF, bedside lung US had a pooled sensitivity of 82.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]=66.4% to 91.8%) and a pooled specificity of 83.6% (95% CI=72.4% to 90.8%).ConclusionsOur results suggest that in patients presenting to the ED with undifferentiated dyspnea, B-lines from early bedside lung US may be reliably used as an adjunct to current diagnostic methods. The incorporation of lung US may lead to more appropriate and timely diagnosis of patients with undifferentiated ADHF.

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Eating Disorders in Non-Dance Performing Artists: A Systematic Literature Review

Medical Problems of Performing Artists ◽

10.21091/mppa.2017.4039 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 227-234 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marianna E Kapsetaki ◽

Charlie Easmon

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Literature Review ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Small Scale ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Exclusion Criteria ◽

Performing Artists ◽

Search Terms

PURPOSE: Previous literature on dancers and athletes has shown a large impact of eating disorders (EDs) on these individuals, but there is limited research on EDs affecting non-dance performing artists (i.e., musicians, actors, etc.). This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the literature on EDs in non-dance performing artists. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed on 24 databases, using search terms related to EDs and non-dance performing artists. All results from the databases were systematically screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The initial search returned 86,383 total articles, which after screening and removal of duplicates and irrelevant papers yielded 129 results. After screening the 129 full-text results for eligibility, 10 studies met criteria for inclusion: 6 papers addressed EDs in musicians, and 4 papers addressed EDs in theatre performers. Most studies used questionnaires and body mass index (BMI) as diagnostic tools for EDs. Most were small-scale studies and participants were mostly students. Because of the studies’ heterogeneity and varying quality, the results obtained were often contradictory and questionable. CONCLUSIONS: Although there has been a lot of literature in dancers, we found relatively few studies associating EDs with other performing artists, and most were inconsistent in their information.

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Clinical Significance of Molecular Diagnostic Tools for Bacterial Bloodstream Infections: A Systematic Review

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1155/2016/6412085 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jean Pierre Rutanga ◽

Therese Nyirahabimana

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Antibiotic Therapy ◽

Clinical Significance ◽

Molecular Diagnosis ◽

Accurate Diagnosis ◽

Molecular Techniques ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Diagnosis And Treatment ◽

Molecular Diagnostic ◽

Diagnostic Tools

Bacterial bloodstream infection (bBSI) represents any form of invasiveness of the blood circulatory system caused by bacteria and can lead to death among critically ill patients. Thus, there is a need for rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with septicemia. So far, different molecular diagnostic tools have been developed. The majority of these tools focus on amplification based techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which allows the detection of nucleic acids (both DNA and small RNAs) that are specific to bacterial species and sequencing or nucleic acid hybridization that allows the detection of bacteria in order to reduce delay of appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, there is still a need to improve sensitivity of most molecular techniques to enhance their accuracy and allow exact and on time antibiotic therapy treatment. In this regard, we conducted a systematic review of the existing studies conducted in molecular diagnosis of bBSIs, with the main aim of reporting on clinical significance and benefits of molecular diagnosis to patients. We searched both Google Scholar and PubMed. In total, eighteen reviewed papers indicate that shift from conventional diagnostic methods to molecular tools is needed and would lead to accurate diagnosis and treatment of bBSI.

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Can musical intervention improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients? Evidence from a systematic review

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-020005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 133-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Shirlene Vianna Moreira ◽

Francis Ricardo dos Reis Justi ◽

Marcos Moreira

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Trials ◽

Positive Outcome ◽

Memory Deficit ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Exclusion Criteria ◽

Randomized Controlled

ABSTRACT Treatment with music has shown effectiveness in the treatment of general behavioural and cognitive symptoms of patients with various types of dementia. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of treatment with music on the memory of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Lilacs databases up to June 2017 and included all randomized controlled trials that assessed memory using musical interventions in patients with AD. Results: Forty-two studies were identified, and 24 studies were selected. After applying the exclusion criteria, four studies involving 179 patients were included. These studies showed the benefits of using music to treat memory deficit in patients with AD. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review focusing on randomized trials found in the literature that analysed the role of musical interventions specifically in the memory of patients with AD. Despite the positive outcome of this review, the available evidence remains inconsistent due to the small number of randomized controlled trials.

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Trochanteric pain in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: A protocol for a systematic review

10.7287/peerj.preprints.27293 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Axelrod ◽

Kim Madden ◽

Laura Banfield ◽

Mitchell Winemaker ◽

Justin deBeer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Total Hip Arthroplasty ◽

Hip Arthroplasty ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

Total Hip ◽

Review Management ◽

The Cochrane Library ◽

Study Designs

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common surgical procedures. Although THA surgeries are typically very successful, between 3% and 17% of all patients experience trochanteric pain after surgery. Unfortunately, there remains little high quality and reproducible evidence surrounding this disorder, especially following total hip replacement. The objectives of this review are to describe, among pre-operative or post-operative primary THA patients the prevalence, treatments, prognosis, risk factors, and diagnostic methods available for trochanteric pain. Methods: This is a protocol for a descriptive systematic review of trochanteric pain among THA patients. We will include studies of all study designs, with the exception of non-systematic reviews and expert opinion, with no date limits. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library using the Ovid search interface. We will also search the reference lists of included studies for possible missed studies. We will use the systematic review management software Rayyan to assist with study screening. Two reviewers will independently review studies for inclusion and extract data into a study-specific database. Discussion: This study will add to the literature by comprehensively and systematically evaluating the available literature on trochanteric pain after THA. Previous studies have been conducted on the topic but they were not comprehensive or did not review the literature systematically. Additionally, our study will critically evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, adding an evidence-based component to the review. This review will help orthopaedic surgeons better care for patients with trochanteric pain after THA, and will identify knowledge gaps for future research. Registration: This protocol will be registered on PROSPERO

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Neuroangiography patterns and anomalies of middle cerebral artery: A systematic review

Surgical Neurology International ◽

10.25259/sni_125_2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 235

Author(s):

Asra Al Fauzi ◽

Yunus Kuntawi Aji ◽

Rudy Gunawan ◽

Nur Setiawan Suroto

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Middle Cerebral Artery ◽

Cerebral Artery ◽

Endovascular Embolization ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Branching Pattern ◽

Open Access Journals ◽

Online Databases ◽

English Articles ◽

The Cochrane Library

Background: As the largest and most complex cerebral artery, the middle cerebral artery (MCA) patterns and anomalies are not fully reported. At present, there is confusion about the criteria for the different subtypes. The study of MCA patterns and anomalies is important because variants such as accessories or duplicates represent a high risk of failure during endovascular embolization or navigation during treatment for ischemic stroke. This study conducted a systematic review of studies on the neuroangiography patterns and anomalies of MCA. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of four articles online databases and included English articles from PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Directory of Open Access Journals, and EBSCOhost. Results: The proportion of the MCA branching pattern was 1.9% (range from 0% to 6.3%) for monofurcation, 1.0% (range from 0% to 1.4%) for tetrafurcation, 69.9% (range from 58.1% to 92.7%) for bifurcation, and 27% (ranging from 7.3% to 40.4%) for trifurcation. The proportion of MCA anomalies for accessory is 0.03% (range from 0% to 1%), duplication is 0.17% (range from 0% to 3%), and fenestration is 0.15% (range from 0% to 2%). Conclusion: The proportions of the branching pattern and anomalies of MCA based on the systematic review are described in this study. This study is the first to systematically review the neuroangiography pattern of MCA and neuroangiography variations/anomalies of MCA in the literature.

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Trochanteric pain in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: A protocol for a systematic review

10.7287/peerj.preprints.27293v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Axelrod ◽

Kim Madden ◽

Laura Banfield ◽

Mitchell Winemaker ◽

Justin deBeer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Total Hip Arthroplasty ◽

Hip Arthroplasty ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

Total Hip ◽

Review Management ◽

The Cochrane Library ◽

Study Designs

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common surgical procedures. Although THA surgeries are typically very successful, between 3% and 17% of all patients experience trochanteric pain after surgery. Unfortunately, there remains little high quality and reproducible evidence surrounding this disorder, especially following total hip replacement. The objectives of this review are to describe, among pre-operative or post-operative primary THA patients the prevalence, treatments, prognosis, risk factors, and diagnostic methods available for trochanteric pain. Methods: This is a protocol for a descriptive systematic review of trochanteric pain among THA patients. We will include studies of all study designs, with the exception of non-systematic reviews and expert opinion, with no date limits. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library using the Ovid search interface. We will also search the reference lists of included studies for possible missed studies. We will use the systematic review management software Rayyan to assist with study screening. Two reviewers will independently review studies for inclusion and extract data into a study-specific database. Discussion: This study will add to the literature by comprehensively and systematically evaluating the available literature on trochanteric pain after THA. Previous studies have been conducted on the topic but they were not comprehensive or did not review the literature systematically. Additionally, our study will critically evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, adding an evidence-based component to the review. This review will help orthopaedic surgeons better care for patients with trochanteric pain after THA, and will identify knowledge gaps for future research. Registration: This protocol will be registered on PROSPERO

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Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with Aortoesophageal Fistula Related to Aortic Lesions

Gastroenterology Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2020/4850287 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Shan Li ◽

Feng Gao ◽

Hai-ou Hu ◽

Jin Shi ◽

Jie Zhang

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Conservative Treatment ◽

Hemorrhagic Shock ◽

Multiorgan Failure ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Aortoesophageal Fistula ◽

Aortic Graft ◽

Graft Replacement

Objective. Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) related to aortic aneurysm and dissection is an uncommon but life-threatening condition. We performed a systematic review of risk factors for mortality and factors associated with the prognosis of AEF. Methods. A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatments were assessed in terms of their ability to predict mortality. Results. The systematic review identified 184 eligible articles including 219 patients with AEF. Multivariable Cox regression revealed positive correlations of hemorrhagic shock (hazard ratio (HR): 1.824, 95% CI: 1.217-2.735, P=0.004), sepsis (HR: 1.714, 95% CI: 1.112-2.641, P=0.015), multiorgan failure (HR: 3.060, 95% CI: 1.470-6.368, P=0.003), and conservative treatment (HR: 5.257, 95% CI: 3.405-8.116, P<0.001) with mortality and a negative correlation between combination therapy (aortic graft replacement and esophagectomy) and mortality (HR: 0.319, 95% CI: 0.125-0.813, P=0.017). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the 1-year cumulative survival rate was 42.5±3.8%. The overall fistula-related mortality rate was 47.0% (103/219). The most common causes of death were bleeding (54.9%) and infection (29.2%). Conclusions. We found that hemorrhagic shock, sepsis, and multiorgan failure were risk factors for death in patients with AEF. Additionally, conservative treatment was associated with a higher rate of mortality, while combined aortic graft replacement and esophagectomy improved the prognosis.

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Systematic Review of the Role of Biomarkers in Predicting Anastomotic Leakage Following Gastroesophageal Cancer Surgery

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8112005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Cornelis Maarten de Mooij ◽

Martijn Maassen van den Brink ◽

Audrey Merry ◽

Thais Tweed ◽

Jan Stoot

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Anastomotic Leakage ◽

High Specificity ◽

Early Postoperative Period ◽

Cancer Surgery ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Gastroesophageal Cancer ◽

Predictive Values

Anastomotic leakage (AL) following gastroesophageal cancer surgery remains a serious postoperative complication. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of investigated biomarkers for the early detection of AL following esophagectomy, esophagogastrectomy and gastrectomy. All published studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers predicting AL following gastroesophageal resection for cancer were included. The Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched. Risk of bias and applicability were assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) 2 tool. Twenty-four studies evaluated biomarkers in the context of AL following gastroesophageal cancer surgery. Biomarkers were derived from the systemic circulation, mediastinal and peritoneal drains, urine and mediastinal microdialysis. The most commonly evaluated serum biomarkers were C-reactive protein and leucocytes. Both proved to be useful markers for excluding AL owing to its high specificity and negative predictive values. Amylase was the most commonly evaluated peritoneal drain biomarker and significantly elevated levels can predict AL in the early postoperative period. The associated area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve values ranged from 0.482 to 0.994. Current biomarkers are poor predictors of AL after gastroesophageal cancer surgery owing to insufficient sensitivity and positive predictive value. Further research is needed to identify better diagnostic tools to predict AL.

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