Medicine
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This study aimed to assess the impact of the timing of low-dose hydrocortisone adjuvant therapy initiation on clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock by a systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ Administering low doses of HC early on can decrease the risk of death in septic shock patients in the short-term mortality. There were no substantial disparities observed in the rate of CRRT, the rate of reversal of shock, and the duration of stay in the ICU. Additional extensive RCTs are required to validate this conclusion.
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To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). ⋯ The available evidence shows that acupuncture can effectively improve the total clinical effective rate and sinus rhythm recovery rate, shorten the recovery time of sinus rhythm, and reduce the ventricular rate, and there are no apparent adverse reactions. However, a limited number of studies may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future studies should include more extensive and diverse studies to enhance the power and generalizability of the findings.
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Functional constipation (FC) has been found as a chronic gastrointestinal disease that is commonly diagnosed in patients. However, patients have a low satisfaction level with the treatment of constipation drugs (e.g., 5-HT4 agonists). A meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy and safety between electroacupuncture and 5-HT4 agonists. ⋯ EA has been indicated to be better than 5-HT4 receptor agonists since it can more effectively improve FC patients' life quality and mental state without an increased risk of adverse even. However, the previous evidence is characterized by low quality and small sample size, which should be further confirmed by high-quality and large-sample multicenter RCTs.
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Review Case Reports
Efficacy and safety of early administration of remdesivir in hemodialysis patients with COVID-19: A case report and literature review.
Although the mortality of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has decreased after the emergence of the Omicron variant, it remains high in patients on hemodialysis (HD). Remdesivir (RDV) is considered as the first line drug for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, however the evidence regarding the usage in HD patients is lacking because clinical trials of RDV have excluded HD patients for safety reasons. Thus, accumulation of knowledge on the regimen, efficacy, and tolerability of RDV in HD patients is important. ⋯ Present cases indicated early intervention with RDV may contribute the favorable outcome and daily administration of RDV for up to 10 days was well tolerated even in HD patients. Literature review showed no previous article reported the efficacy and safety of such earlier and longer administration of remdesivir as in the present cases, therefore this report is informative for clinicians to consider the usage of RDV in HD patients.
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Meta Analysis
Short-term effects of denervation in the treatment of hypertension: A meta-analysis excluding drug interferences.
To evaluate the short-term efficacy of denervation in treating hypertension with the exclusion of drug-interfering factors. ⋯ Denervation has the potential to reduce blood pressure in the short-term for patients with medication-naïve hypertension, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile. This offers hope for patients who are intolerant to drug therapy or unwilling to take lifelong medication. However, its long-term effects require further study. Future research should focus on expanding the sample size and prolonging the follow-up period to further solidify its role in the treatment of hypertension.