Medwave
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Review Meta Analysis
Are cannabinoids effective for treatment of pain in patients with active cancer?
Cannabinoids have been proposed for the treatment of patients with cancer pain, especially if standard treatment does not control symptoms. Using Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by searching 30 databases, we identified nine systematic reviews including seven trials that answer the question of interest, of which six are randomized trials. We performed a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach. We concluded it is unclear whether cannabinoids decrease pain and improve quality of life in patients with refractory cancer pain because the certainty of the evidence is very low, and it probably increases adverse effects substantially.
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Upper gastrointestinal bleeding constitutes a medical-surgical emergency given its important associated morbidity and mortality. The antifibrinolytic tranexamic acid might help stopping bleeding, but controversy remains about its role in this setting. ⋯ We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded tranexamic acid probably decreases rebleeding and mortality, without increasing thromboembolic adverse effects in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
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There are several nonsurgical alternatives to treat radicular pain in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. Epidural steroid injections have been used for several decades, but the different studies have shown variable effects. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified nine systematic reviews including seven pertinent randomized controlled trials. We concluded epidural steroid injection probably leads to little or no effect on reducing radicular pain of spinal stenosis.
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Meta Analysis
Should we add vancomycin antibiotic powder to prevent post operative infection in spine surgery? - First update.
This Living FRISBEE (Living FRIendly Summary of the Body of Evidence using Epistemonikos) is an update of the summary published in June 2015, based on the detection of a new systematic review not identified in the previous version. Intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis is routinely administered to prevent surgical site infection in spinal surgery. Adding intrawound vancomycin powder before surgical closure might further decrease infection risk. ⋯ Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified seven systematic reviews that considered 16 studies, including one randomized controlled trial. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded vancomycin probably does not decrease the risk of infection in low risk surgery, but there is uncertainty about its effects in populations or surgeries with a higher risk because the certainty of the evidence is very low.
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Meta Analysis
Does vitamin C prevent the occurrence of complex regional pain syndrome in patients with extremity trauma requiring surgery?
The complex regional pain syndrome is a neuroinflammatory pathology that affects the central and peripheral nervous system, characterized by disproportional pain in relation to the trauma experimented by the patient. It has been proposed that vitamin C could prevent the development of this syndrome in patients with limb trauma and surgery. ⋯ We generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded it is uncertain whether vitamin C prevents complex regional pain syndrome because the certainty of the evidence is very low.