JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Review Meta Analysis
Association between vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration and mortality among patients with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a worldwide problem. It is unclear whether higher-vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is associated with mortality. This potential association has direct consequences for patients and public health. ⋯ In this meta-analysis of SAB episodes, there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of death when comparing patients with S aureus exhibiting high-vancomycin MIC (≥1.5 mg/L) to those with low-vancomycin MIC (<1.5 mg/L), although the findings cannot definitely exclude an increased mortality risk. These findings should be considered when interpreting vancomycin susceptibility and in determining whether alternative antistaphylococcal agents are necessary for patients with SAB with elevated but susceptible vancomycin MIC values.
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Review Meta Analysis
Accuracy of FDG-PET to diagnose lung cancer in areas with infectious lung disease: a meta-analysis.
Positron emission tomography (PET) combined with fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) is recommended for the noninvasive diagnosis of pulmonary nodules suspicious for lung cancer. In populations with endemic infectious lung disease, FDG-PET may not accurately identify malignant lesions. ⋯ The accuracy of FDG-PET for diagnosing lung nodules was extremely heterogeneous. Use of FDG-PET combined with computed tomography was less specific in diagnosing malignancy in populations with endemic infectious lung disease compared with nonendemic regions. These data do not support the use of FDG-PET to diagnose lung cancer in endemic regions unless an institution achieves test performance accuracy similar to that found in nonendemic regions.
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Review Meta Analysis
Clinical and safety outcomes associated with treatment of acute venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Many anticoagulant strategies are available for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism, yet little guidance exists regarding which drug is most effective and safe. ⋯ Using meta-analytic pooling, there were no statistically significant differences for efficacy and safety associated with most treatment strategies used to treat acute venous thromboembolism compared with the LMWH-vitamin K antagonist combination. However, findings suggest that the UFH-vitamin K antagonist combination is associated with the least effective strategy and that rivaroxaban and apixaban may be associated with the lowest risk for bleeding.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison of weight loss among named diet programs in overweight and obese adults: a meta-analysis.
Many claims have been made regarding the superiority of one diet or another for inducing weight loss. Which diet is best remains unclear. ⋯ Significant weight loss was observed with any low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet. Weight loss differences between individual named diets were small. This supports the practice of recommending any diet that a patient will adhere to in order to lose weight.
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Review Meta Analysis
Does this adult patient have early HIV infection?: The Rational Clinical Examination systematic review.
Timely identification of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in adults can contribute to reduced mortality and likelihood of further HIV transmission. During the first 6 months after infection, known as early HIV infection, patients often report a well-described constellation of symptoms and signs. However, the literature examining utility of the clinical examination in identifying early infection has not been systematically assessed. ⋯ The limited utility of the clinical examination to detect or rule out early HIV infection highlights the importance of routine testing for HIV infection among adults.