The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Review Meta Analysis
Impact of inspiratory muscle training in patients with COPD: what is the evidence?
A meta-analysis including 32 randomised controlled trials on the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was performed. Overall and subgroup analyses with respect to training modality (strength or endurance training, added to general exercise training) and patient characteristics were performed. Significant improvements were found in maximal inspiratory muscle strength (P(I,max); +13 cmH₂O), endurance time (+261 s), 6- or 12-min walking distance (+32 and +85 m respectively) and quality of life (+3.8 units). ⋯ IMT improves inspiratory muscle strength and endurance, functional exercise capacity, dyspnoea and quality of life. Inspiratory muscle endurance training was shown to be less effective than respiratory muscle strength training. In patients with inspiratory muscle weakness, the addition of IMT to a general exercise training program improved P(I,max) and tended to improve exercise performance.
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Review Meta Analysis
Active screening at entry for tuberculosis among new immigrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Although there is no evidence that imported tuberculosis increases the incidence of the disease in host countries, the rise in migration worldwide raises concerns regarding the adequacy of surveillance and control of immigrant-associated tuberculosis in low incidence countries. Assessing the performance of screening of immigrants for tuberculosis is key to rationalizing control policies for the detection and management of immigrant-associated tuberculosis. ⋯ The yield estimates for immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia were 2.4 (95% CI 1.3-3.4; I(2) = 51.5%), 6.5 (95% CI 3.2-10.0; I(2) = 62%) and 11.2 (95% CI 6.2-16.1; I(2) = 95%), respectively. These results provide useful data to inform the development of coherent policies and rational screening services for the detection of immigrant-associated tuberculosis.
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Meta Analysis
Long-acting beta-agonists: a review of formoterol safety data from asthma clinical trials.
The safety of long-acting beta(2)-agonist (LABA) treatment in asthma has been questioned following reported increased respiratory deaths when salmeterol was added to usual pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to examine whether asthma, cardiac or all-cause mortality and morbidity were increased with formoterol use. The analysis included all AstraZeneca randomised controlled parallel-group asthma trials of 3-12-months duration involving formoterol. ⋯ There were few asthma-related or cardiac-related deaths among patients randomised to formoterol, and all differences were nonsignificant compared with non-long-acting beta(2)-agonist-randomised patients. However, despite data on >68,000 patients, the power was insufficient to conclude that there was no increased mortality with formoterol. Cardiac-related serious adverse events were not increased, and asthma-related serious adverse events were significantly reduced with formoterol.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Carbapenems for the treatment of immunocompetent adult patients with nosocomial pneumonia.
The comparative effectiveness and safety of carbapenems with other beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones for the empirical treatment of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia remains controversial. In the present study, a meta-analysis of 12 relevant randomised controlled trials was performed. Overall, carbapenems were associated with lower mortality than fluoroquinolones or beta-lactams, alone or in combination with aminoglycosides (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.55-0.95). ⋯ Carbapenems are equivalent to fluoroquinolones or beta-lactams, alone or in combination with aminoglycosides, for the empirical treatment of immunocompetent adult patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia. However, there is limited evidence, based predominantly on unblinded randomised controlled trials, that carbapenems are associated with lower mortality than the comparators; this association was not observed in a subset analysis of randomised controlled trials with a high methodological quality score. In patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia, carbapenems are associated with worse outcomes than the comparators.
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Meta Analysis
Transbronchial and transoesophageal (ultrasound-guided) needle aspirations for the analysis of mediastinal lesions.
A tissue diagnosis of mediastinal nodes is frequently needed for accurate lung cancer staging as well as the assessment of mediastinal masses. Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a safe procedure that is performed during routine bronchoscopy. Provided mediastinal metastases are confirmed, TBNA has a high impact on patient management. ⋯ Mediastinal lymph nodes located adjacent to the oesophagus can be assessed by transoesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). Owing to the complementary reach of EBUS-TBNA and EUS-FNA in assessing different regions of the mediastinum, recent studies suggest that complete and accurate mediastinal staging can be achieved by the combination of both procedures. It is expected that implementation of minimally invasive endoscopic methods of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration and transoesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration will reduce the need for surgical staging of lung cancer significantly.