Medicine
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Meta Analysis
Efficacy and safety of rifaximin for the prophylaxis of hepatic encephalopathy: A meta-analysis.
The efficacy of rifaximin in the prevention of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) has not been established. The aim of this study was to access the efficacy and safety of rifaximin in the prophylaxis of HE. ⋯ Rifaximin is beneficial for primary and secondary prevention of HE, but it does not reduce mortality or increase the incidence of adverse events in patients with end-stage cirrhosis caused by virus or alcohol.
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Observational Study
Assessing the impact of comorbidities on disease severity in COVID-19 patients requires consideration of age.
Older age and comorbidities are risk factors for increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, but few studies have explored their interaction. This study aimed to assess the actual impacts of these factors on disease severity in COVID-19. The enrolled COVID-19 patients were divided into 4 age subgroups (≤44, 45-59, 60-74, and ≥75 years). ⋯ When comorbidities alone were used to predict disease severity, only the predictions were consistent with real outcomes in patients aged ≥75 years, compared with the predictions of high-risk comorbidities mentioned in World Health Organization and Chinese guidelines (Kappa 0.106, P < .05). Although older age and comorbidities were risk factors for severe COVID-19, their effects on disease severity varied across age groups. Additionally, comorbidities had a greater impact on COVID-19 severity in younger patients.
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The study aimed to evaluate blood biochemical markers in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and liver cirrhosis (LC) to discover if they may be utilized to assess their nutritional status, specifically protein malnutrition (PM). A retrospective examination of 500 T2D patients referred to the hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 was performed. After that, participants were split into 2 groups: LC and non-LC. ⋯ A 53.2% had PM as shown by biochemical markers, which might be useful in evaluating patients' nutritional status. PM correlated with older age, decreased hemoglobin levels, reduced total protein, albumin, and transferrin but high ALP with high BMI index (obese). These findings can assist T2D with LC specialists develop better nutritional management and quality of life methods.
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The aim of this review was to provide a review of the pharmacological treatments for pregnancy complications in adults. This review analyzed medications used for pregnancy complications in phase IV clinical trials based on the ClinicalTrials.gov database. The search included completed trials only. ⋯ One trial each focused on anemia, dystocia, and placentation disorders (80, 1003, and 14 participants, respectively) without any adverse drug effects reported. The trials reported minimal adverse drug effects, suggesting potential effectiveness and safety in managing these complications. While the trials mentioned minimal adverse effects, close monitoring and individualized patient care are essential, as are evaluating the risk-benefit ratio and the specific circumstances of each patient.
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Meta Analysis
Ultrasound-guided versus blind arthrocentesis in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
To summarize the current evidence about effectiveness and accuracy of using ultrasound-guided compared to blind arthrocentesis in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ In the comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of knee osteoarthritis, ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis is superior to anatomic landmark-guided arthrocentesis in terms of pain reduction and accuracy.