Medicine
-
Meta Analysis
Immunoadsorption treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.
As one of the leading causes of heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by dysfunctional muscle contraction and enlarged ventricular chamber. Patients with DCM have been shown to respond well to immunoadsorption (IA) therapies. However, the efficacy and safety of IA treatment for DCM patients remained to be evaluated. ⋯ Results of this meta-analysis indicated that the IA treatment can improve the left ventricular ejection fraction, reduce left ventricular end diastolic diameter, and thus improve clinical outcome in DCM patients. However, further evidence are required to validate the relative safety of IA treatment. Multi-center, double blind studies should be conducted to elucidate the precise effect of IA treatment in DCM patients.
-
Meta Analysis
Fixation options for reconstruction of the greater trochanter in unstable intertrochanteric fracture with arthroplasty.
With the aggravation of population aging, the incidence of intertrochanteric fracture also increases dramatically. Patients are often elderly accompany with severe osteoporosis and various complications. Therefore, we should select an individualized treatment based on the each patient's state. Arthroplasty is recommended for unstable fractures with obvious osteoporosis, ipsilateral femoral head necrosis or arthritis. Rigid fixation of the greater trochanter with arthroplasty is challenging because of the powerful pulling forces created by multiple muscles being transmitted to the greater trochanter. Currently, there are few contemporary literatures on the evaluation of unstable intertrochanteric fracture with efficient fixation of the greater trochanter. Moreover, there is no consensus to choose which implant to immobilize the greater trochanter. The purpose of this study was to review previous literatures and provide a valuable guidance. ⋯ The locking plate, which not only provides rigid fixation but also results in lower rate of postoperative complications. However, further prospective randomized and cohort studies are needed.
-
Meta Analysis
Prevalence of burnout in medical students in China: A meta-analysis of observational studies.
This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of burnout among medical students in China. A systematic search from the following electronic databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wangfang database, VIP database, Chinese biomedical literature database, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was independently conducted by 2 reviewers from inception to September 2019. The data were analyzed using stata software Version 11. ⋯ There was a statistically significant difference among the different grades (P = .000). Our findings suggest a high prevalence of burnout among medical students. Society, universities, and families should take appropriate measures and allot more care to prevent burnout among medical students.
-
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complaint in patients following general anesthesia. Various antiemetics, including 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists, are effective but still have limited efficacy. Therefore, combination therapy is preferable to using a single drug alone in high-risk patients. We performed a comparative study on the antiemetic effect of palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, monotherapy vs palonosetron-midazolam combination therapy for the prevention of PONV. ⋯ The combination therapy of palonosetron with midazolam did not lead to a greater reduction in the incidence of PONV than monotherapy in patients undergoing breast surgery and receiving IV-PCA containing fentanyl.
-
The influence of pre-treatment controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is inconclusive. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of CONUT score in NSCLC patients. ⋯ These results demonstrate that high CONUT score is positively related to poor prognoses. The CONUT score may therefore be considered as an effective prognostic marker in NSCLC patients.