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Experience and caring needs of patients with psoriasis: A qualitative meta‐synthesis

Abstract

Background

As a chronic skin disease, psoriasis often affects the physical, psychological and social status of the patient, which in turn impacts on their experience of illness and needs. However, there is no review of qualitative research that integrates and analyses the experiences and needs of these three influences from a holistic perspective.

Methods

This review follows the ENTREQ guidelines. Six English databases (JBI, Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsyINFO, CINAHL and Embase) and three Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP and Wanfang) were searched from January 2012 to October 2022. Literature was included if it was relevant to the experience of illness and caring needs of patients with psoriasis. The JBI-QARI was used to rate the quality of included studies.

Results

Eleven studies were included in the meta-synthesis. Four analytical themes were identified for analysis: physical challenges, psychological discomfort, social phenomena and caring needs.

Conclusions

The combined physical, psychological and social effects of psoriasis and the consequent caring needs should be emphasised. Health professionals, including doctors and nurses, should be aware of the multiple changes in patients and their coping strategies, provide information about psoriasis, monitor and follow-up regularly over time and obtain feedback to inform further treatment and care so as to develop high-quality therapeutic interventions to help and guide patients with their coping strategies.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

These findings describe the physical, psychological and social experiences of illness and caring needs of patients with psoriasis. Healthcare professionals should be more aware of patients' easily overlooked psychological and social distress, providing prompt attention and recognition of patients' experiences and needs, offering relevant assistance and support and enhancing daily, regular follow-up to help them improve their understanding of and ability to manage their illness.

No Patient or Public Contribution

This is a meta-synthesis without direct patient involvement.

Development and validation of machine learning models to predict frailty risk for elderly

Abstract

Aims

Early identification and intervention of the frailty of the elderly will help lighten the burden of social medical care and improve the quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, we used machine learning (ML) algorithm to develop models to predict frailty risk in the elderly.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Methods

We collected data on 6997 elderly people from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study wave 6–7 surveys (2011–2012, 2014). After the baseline survey in 1998 (wave 1), the project conducted follow-up surveys (wave 2–8) in 2000–2018. The osteoporotic fractures index was used to assess frailty. Four ML algorithms (random forest [RF], support vector machine, XGBoost and logistic regression [LR]) were used to develop models to identify the risk factors of frailty and predict the risk of frailty. Different ML models were used for the prediction of frailty risk in the elderly and frailty risk was trained on a cohort of 4385 elderly people with frailty (split into a training cohort [75%] and internal validation cohort [25%]). The best-performing model for each study outcome was tested in an external validation cohort of 6997 elderly people with frailty pooled from the surveys (wave 6–7). Model performance was assessed by receiver operating curve and F2-score.

Results

Among the four ML models, the F2-score values were similar (0.91 vs. 0.91 vs. 0.88 vs. 0.90), and the area under the curve (AUC) values of RF model was the highest (0.75), followed by LR model (0.74). In the final two models, the AUC values of RF and LR model were similar (0.77 vs. 0.76) and their accuracy was identical (87.4% vs. 87.4%).

Conclusion

Our study developed a preliminary prediction model based on two different ML approaches to help predict frailty risk in the elderly.

Impact

The presented models from this study can be used to inform healthcare providers to predict the frailty probability among older adults and maybe help guide the development of effective frailty risk management interventions.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Detecting frailty at an early stage and implementing timely targeted interventions may help to improve the allocation of health care resources and to reduce frailty-related burden. Identifying risk factors for frailty could be beneficial to provide tailored and personalized care intervention for older adults to more accurately prevent or improve their frail conditions so as to improve their quality of life.

Reporting Method

The study has adhered to STROBE guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Identification of IGF2 promotes skin wound healing by co‐expression analysis

Abstract

Oral mucosa is an ideal model for studying scarless wound healing. Researchers have shown that the key factors which promote scarless wound healing already exist in basal state of oral mucosa. Thus, to identify the other potential factors in basal state of oral mucosa will benefit to skin wound healing. In this study, we identified eight gene modules enriched in wound healing stages of human skin and oral mucosa through co-expression analysis, among which the module M8 was only module enriched in basal state of oral mucosa, indicating that the genes in module M8 may have key factors mediating scarless wound healing. Through bioinformatic analysis of genes in module M8, we found IGF2 may be the key factor mediating scarless wound healing of oral mucosa. Then, we purified IGF2 protein by prokaryotic expression, and we found that IGF2 could promote the proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells. Moreover, IGF2 promoted wound re-epithelialization and accelerated wound healing in a full-thickness skin wound model. Our findings identified IGF2 as a factor to promote skin wound healing which provide a potential target for wound healing therapy in clinic.

Development and applications of the Anaesthetists Non-Technical Skills behavioural marker system: a systematic review

Por: Kang · J. · Hu · J. · Yan · C. · Xing · X. · Tu · S. · Zhou · F.
Objectives

To comprehensively synthesise evidence regarding the validity and reliability of the Anaesthetists’ Non-Technical Skills (ANTS) behavioural marker system and its application as a tool for the training and assessment of non-technical skills to improve patient safety.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

We employed a citation search strategy. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published from 2002 to May 2022.

Eligibility criteria

English-language publications that applied the ANTS system in a meaningful way, including its use to guide data collection, analysis and reporting.

Data extraction and synthesis

Study screening, data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. We appraised the quality of included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists. A framework analysis approach was used to summarise and synthesise the included articles.

Results

54 studies were identified. The ANTS system was applied across a wide variety of study objectives, settings and units of analysis. The methods used in these studies varied and included quantitative (n=42), mixed (n=8) and qualitative (n=4) approaches. Most studies (n=47) used the ANTS system to guide data collection. The most commonly reported reliability statistic was inter-rater reliability (n=35). Validity evidence was reported in 51 (94%) studies. The qualitative application outcomes of the ANTS system provided a reference for the analysis and generation of new theories across disciplines.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the ANTS system has been used in a wide range of studies. It is an effective tool for assessing non-technical skills. Investigating the methods by which the ANTS system can be evaluated and implemented for training within clinical environments is anticipated to significantly enhance ongoing enhancements in staff performance and patient safety.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022297773.

Evaluating the role of wound‐healing genes in conjunction with stool routine and serum tumor markers for colorectal cancer diagnosis and prognostic implications

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a common malignant digestive tract tumour with high morbidity and mortality. Early detection, treatment and diagnosis are crucial for preventing and treating colorectal cancer, which develops through multi-stage accumulation and gene participation, affecting tumour marker levels. Chronic wounds can lead to the development of certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer. The prolonged inflammation and tissue repair caused by chronic wounds can trigger cellular changes, potentially promoting cancerous cell growth in the colon. The formation and progression of colorectal cancer involve changes in tumour markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), sugar chain antigen 19–9 (CA199) and CA125. This study explores the clinical application value of a stool routine combined with serum tumour marker detection in diagnosing colorectal cancer. The experiment team examined the clinical information of 56 colorectal cancer patients alongside a control group of 56 healthy patients. Distinct stool characteristics and heightened occult blood rates were evident in colorectal cancer cases. The combined approach integrating stool routine and serum tumour markers improved diagnostic accuracy, displaying enhanced sensitivity and specificity compared with individual markers or stool routines alone. Bioinformatics analysis indicated increased CEA and CA125 levels in colorectal cancer tissues versus normal tissues, hinting at potential prognostic implications. Exploring wound-healing genes like Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), Tumour Protein 53 (TP53) and Transforming Growth Factor Alpha (TGFA) revealed heightened expression in colorectal cancer, suggesting their potential role in disease progression. These markers showed associations with various immune cell types, suggesting their impact within the tumour microenvironment (p < 0.05). Single-cell RNA sequencing data highlighted varying CEA expressions across different cell populations in colorectal cancer. The findings indicated that integrating clinical assessments with accurate biomarkers may provide valuable insights into prognostic implications.

Nomogram for predicting surgical site infections in elderly patients after open lumbar spine surgery: A retrospective study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop a nomogram to assess the risk of surgical site infection in elderly patients undergoing open lumbar spine surgery and explore related risk factors. We reviewed the records of 578 elderly patients who had undergone open lumbar spine surgery. The clinical parameters were subjected to lasso regression and logistic regression analyses. Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of postoperative surgical site infection and validated using bootstrap resampling. A total of 578 patients were included in the analysis, of which 17 were diagnosed as postoperative surgical site infection. Following the final logistic regression analysis, obesity, hypoalbuminemia and drinking history were identified as independent risk factors and subsequently incorporated into the nomogram. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.879 (95% CI 0.769 ~ 0.989) after internal validation. The calibration curve exhibited a high level of consistency. Decision curve analysis revealed that this nomogram had greater clinical value when the risk threshold for surgical site infection occurrence was >1% and <89%. We had developed a nomogram for predicting the risk of postoperative surgical site infection in elderly patients who had undergone open lumbar spine surgery. Validation using bootstrap resampling demonstrated excellent discrimination and calibration, indicating that the nomogram may hold potential clinical utility as a simple predictive tool for healthcare professionals.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a precise thymalfasin-regulated PRaG regimen for advanced refractory solid tumours: protocol for the open-label, prospective, multicentre study (PRaG5.0 study)

Por: Kong · Y. · Chen · R. · Xu · M. · Zhang · J. · Chen · G. · Hong · Z. · Zhang · H. · Dai · X. · Ma · Y. · Zhao · X. · Peng · Y. · Zhang · C. · Xing · P. · Zhang · L.
Introduction

The PRaG regimen, which consists of hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with a programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), has been demonstrated to have a survival benefit in patients with advanced solid tumours who have failed at least two lines of treatment. Nonetheless, lymphopenia poses an impediment to the enduring efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Adequate lymphocyte reserves are essential for the efficacy of immunotherapy. Coupling the PRaG regimen with immunomodulatory agents that augment the number and functionality of lymphocytes may yield further survival benefits in this cohort of patients.

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a meticulously thymalfasin-controlled PRaG regimen in patients with advanced and chemotherapy-resistant solid tumours.

Methods and analysis

The study has a prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicentre design and aims to recruit up to 60 patients with histologically confirmed advanced solid tumours that have relapsed or metastasised. All eligible patients will receive a minimum of two cycles of the PRaG regimen comprising thymalfasin followed by maintenance treatment with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and thymalfasin for 1 year or until disease progression. Patients will be monitored according to the predetermined protocol for a year or until disease progression after initiation of radiotherapy.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, on 25 November 2022 (JD-LK-2022-151-01) and all other participating hospitals. Findings will be disseminated through national and international conferences. We also plan to publish our findings in high-impact peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

NCT05790447.

Effects of exercise in treating patients with venous leg ulcers: An umbrella review

Abstract

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) represent a substantial challenge within the healthcare landscape, thereby necessitating efficacious therapeutic strategies. Exercise has been investigated as a prospective intervention to bolster the management of VLUs. The objective of this comprehensive review is to systematically scrutinize and appraise the extant body of evidence pertaining to the impact of exercise on the treatment of patients diagnosed with VLUs. A comprehensive literature search was executed across multiple databases, encompassing PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar. The methodological rigour was evaluated utilizing the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) instrument, while the quality of the evidence was appraised via the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) classification system. The relative efficacy of exercise interventions on outcomes related to VLUs, including rates of wound healing, total range of motion in the ankle joint, and adherence rates, was synthesized. Data were consolidated employing fixed-effects models, and the impact of exercise on these outcomes was visually represented through the use of forest plots. The methodological foundation of this investigation comprised four systematic reviews and meta-analyses, each characterized by an intermediate level of methodological rigour and evidence quality. Subsequent analyses revealed that exercise interventions exert a multifaceted and favourable impact on the therapeutic landscape of VLUs. These interventions distinctly contribute to the enhancement of wound healing rates (risk difference 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06–0.28) and the extension of ankle range of motion (mean difference [MD] 6.10, 95% CI: 4.61–7.59). Furthermore, Pooled adherence rate was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.20–2.45) with no significant heterogeneity. In conclusion, although existing evidence supports the positive impact of exercise training on VLUs, higher-quality research is still needed to deepen our understanding of its effects and provide more specific guidance for clinical practice.

Knowledge mapping and research trends of stem cell in wound healing: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Wound nonhealing is a common and difficult problem in clinic. Stem cells are pluripotent cells, and their undifferentiated and self-replicating characteristics have attracted much attention in the regenerative medicine-related researches. New treatment approaches might result from an understanding of the function of stem cells in wound healing. Using bibliometric techniques, this study proposed to analyse the research status, hotspots, and research trends in stem cell and wound healing. By using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), we conducted an in-depth review of publications on stem cells in wound healing from 1999 to 2023. We used scientometric analysis methods to examine annual trends, institutions, countries, journals, authors, keywords, co-occurrence references and their closed relationship, revealing present hotspots and potential future advancements in this field. We analysed 19 728 English studies and discovered a consistent rise in annual publications. The United States and China were the two countries with the most publications. The most three influential institutions in the field were Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sun Yat-sen University, and University of Pittsburgh. International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Biomaterials were considered the most influential journals in this field. International Journal of Molecular Sciences had the most publications, and the most quantity of citations and the highest H-index were found in Biomaterials. The dual-map overlay revealed that publications in Molecular/Biology/Genetics and Health/Nursing/Medicine co-cited journals received the majority of the citations for studies from Molecular/Biology/Immunology and Medicine/Medical/Clinical. In terms of publication production and influence, Fu X stood out among the authors, and Pittenger MF took the top spot in co-citations. According to the keywords from the analysis, future research should concentrate on the mechanisms through which stem cells promote wound healing. We conducted a thorough analysis of the general information, knowledge base and research hotspots in the field of stem cells and wound healing from 1999 to 2023 by using the VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and other bibliometric analysis tools. It not only provided valuable insights for scholars, but also served as a reliable reference that drives further development in the field and stimulates the interest of researchers.

Risk factors related to surgical wound infection after caesarean section: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the common postoperative complications after caesarean section for pregnant women. Previous studies have investigated the risk factors for SSI in pregnant women undergoing caesarean delivery. Whereas big differences in research results exist, and the correlation coefficients of different research results are quite different. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the risk factors related to SSI in pregnant women undergoing caesarean delivery. We searched English databases to collect case–control studies or cohort studies published between 1 January 2015 and 15 November 2023, including PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed via Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 tool. A total of 24 articles (n = 581, 895) were selected in this meta-analysis. The following risk factors were presented to be significantly correlated with SSI in pregnant women following caesarean delivery: smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.31, 2.04]), previous caesarean section (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.18, 1.82]), multiple vaginal examinations (OR = 2.92, 95% CI [1.91, 4.46]), membrane rupture (OR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.19, 2.38]), hypertensive disorders (OR = 1.85, 95% CI [1.33, 2.57]), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.18, 1.57]), high body mass index (OR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.35, 1.84]). Occurrence of SSI is influenced by a variety of factors. Thus, we should pay close attention to high-risk subjects and take crucial targeted interventions to lower the SSI risk after caesarean section. Owing to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more rigorous studies with adequate sample sizes are needed to verify the conclusion.

Classifying self‐management clusters of patients with mild cognitive impairment associated with diabetes: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Aims and Objectives

This study aims to propose a self-management clusters classification method to determine the self-management ability of elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) associated with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background

MCI associated with DM is a common chronic disease in old adults. Self-management affects the disease progression of patients to a large extent. However, the comorbidity and patients' self-management ability are heterogeneous.

Design

A cross-sectional study based on cluster analysis is designed in this paper.

Method

The study included 235 participants. The diabetes self-management scale is used to evaluate the self-management ability of patients. SPSS 21.0 was used to analyse the data, including descriptive statistics, agglomerative hierarchical clustering with Ward's method before k-means clustering, k-means clustering analysis, analysis of variance and chi-square test.

Results

Three clusters of self-management styles were classified as follows: Disease neglect type, life oriented type and medical dependence type. Among all participants, the percentages of the three clusters above are 9.78%, 32.77% and 57.45%, respectively. The difference between the six dimensions of each cluster is statistically significant.

Conclusion(s)

This study classified three groups of self-management styles, and each group has its own self-management characteristics. The characteristics of the three clusters may help to provide personalized self-management strategies and delay the disease progression of MCI associated with DM patients.

Relevance to clinical practice

Typological methods can be used to discover the characteristics of patient clusters and provide personalized care to improve the efficiency of patient self-management to delay the progress of the disease.

Patient or public contribution

In our study, we invited patients and members of the public to participate in the research survey and conducted data collection.

Metabolomic signature between diabetic and non-diabetic obese patients: A protocol for systematic review

by Yuxing Tai, Xiaoqian Yang, Xiaochao Gang, Zhengri Cong, Sixian Wang, Peizhe Li, Mingjun Liu

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic and progressive condition defined by hyperglycemia caused by abnormalities in insulin production, insulin receptor sensitivity, or both. Several studies have revealed that higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with increasing risk of developing diabetes. In this study, we perform a protocol for systematic review to explore metabolite biomarkers that could be used to identify T2DM in obese subjects.

Methods

The protocol of this review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023405518). Three databases, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science were selected to collect potential literature from their inceptions to July December 2023. Data for collection will include title, authors, study subjects, publication date, sample size, detection and analytical platforms, participant characteristics, biological samples, confounding factors, methods of statistical analysis, the frequency and directions of changes in potential metabolic biomarkers, and major findings. Pathway analysis of differential metabolites will be performed with MetaboAnalyst 5.0 based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the Human Metabolome Database.

Results

The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusion

This systematic review will summarize the potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways to provide a new reference for the prevention and treatment of T2DM in obese subjects.

The impact of different antibiotic injection regimens on patients with severe infections: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Severe infection is a critical health threat to humans, and antibiotic treatment is one of the main therapeutic approaches. Nevertheless, the efficacy of various antibiotic injection regimens in severe infection patients remains uncertain. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the impact of various antibiotic injection strategies on patients with severe infection through a meta-analysis. Relevant research literature was collected by searching databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The retrieved literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data, including study design, sample size, and antibiotic regimens, were extracted from the included studies. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool was employed to assess the risk of bias in each study. Statistical analysis was performed based on the results of the included studies. A total of 15 articles were included, covering various types of severe infection patients, including pulmonary and abdominal infections. The analysis provided insights into mortality rates, treatment efficacy, adverse reactions (ARs), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) scores, among other outcomes. The results indicated that combination therapy was superior to monotherapy in terms of mortality rate, treatment efficacy, and APACHE scores, while the incidence of ARs was lower in the monotherapy group compared to the combination therapy group (p < 0.05). Combination therapy showed better treatment efficacy compared to monotherapy, although it was associated with a higher incidence of ARs.

Effect of tumour necrosis factor‐a inhibitors exposure on surgical site infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

A meta-analysis investigation was executed to evaluate the effect of tumour necrosis factor-a inhibitor exposure on surgical site infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery. A comprehensive literature investigation till October 2023 was applied, and 82 470 individuals with orthopaedic surgery were in the chosen investigations' starting point. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was utilized to compute the value of the effect of tumour necrosis factor-a inhibitors exposure on surgical site infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery by the dichotomous approaches and a fixed or random model. Tumour necrosis factor uses had significantly higher surgical site infections (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.21–2.25, p = 0.001) compared with tumour necrosis factor non-use in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery. However, no significant difference was found between discontinued and continued tumour necrosis factor on surgical site infections (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.35–1.05, p = 0.07) in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.Significantly higher surgical site infections was found comparing tumour necrosis factor uses to non-use; however, no significant difference was found between discontinued and continued tumour necrosis factor on surgical site infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery. However, care must be exercised when dealing with its values because of the low sample size of some of the nominated investigations for the meta-analysis.

Effect of probiotics or prebiotics on thyroid function: A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials

by Qinxi Shu, Chao Kang, Jiaxin Li, Zhenzhu Hou, Minfen Xiong, Xingang Wang, Hongyan Peng

Background

Microbiome-directed therapies are increasingly utilized to optimize thyroid function in both healthy individuals and those with thyroid disorders. However, recent doubts have been raised regarding the efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in improving thyroid function. This systematic review aimed to investigate the potential relationship between probiotics/prebiotics and thyroid function by analyzing the impact on thyroid hormone levels.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) levels. We searched for articles from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up until April 1st, 2023, without any language restriction. Quantitative data analysis was performed using a random-effects model, with standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval as summary statistics. The methods and results were reported according to the PRISMA2020 statement.

Results

A total of eight articles were included in this review. The meta-analysis showed no significant alterations in TSH (SMD: -0.01, 95% CI: −0.21, 0.20, P = 0.93; I2: 0.00%), fT4 (SMD: 0.04, 95% CI: −0.29, 0.21, P = 0.73; I2: 0.00%) or fT3 (SMD: 0.45, 95% CI: −0.14, 1.03, P = 0.43; I2: 78.00%), while a significant reduction in TRAb levels was observed (SMD: -0.85, 95% CI: -1.54, -0.15, P = 0.02; I2: 18.00%) following probiotics/prebiotics supplementation. No indication of publication bias was found.

Conclusions

Probiotics/prebiotics supplementation does not influence thyroid hormone levels, but may modestly reduce TRAb levels in patients with Graves’ disease.

Impact of spinal Anaesthesia versus general Anaesthesia on the incidence of surgical site infections after knee or hip arthroplasty: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Postoperative Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) pose significant challenges to recovery after joint arthroplasty. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to compare the incidence of SSIs after knee or hip arthroplasty under Spinal Anaesthesia (SA) versus general anaesthesia (GA). We conducted the systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines, analysing data from 15 studies selected from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to May 16, 2023. The analysis included studies comparing SSIs incidence in patients aged 18 years and above who underwent knee or hip arthroplasty under SA or GA. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. The effect size was calculated using random or fixed-effects models based on the observed heterogeneity. We assessed the heterogeneity between studies and conducted a sensitivity analysis. Of 1651 initially identified studies, 15 articles encompassing 353 169 patients were included in the final analysis. A total of 156 405 patients were under SA, while 196 764 received GA. The studies demonstrated substantial heterogeneity (p = 0.007, I 2 = 53.7%), resulting in a random-effects model being employed. Patients receiving SA showed a 23% lower likelihood of developing SSIs postoperatively compared to GA patients (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70–0.86, p < 0.001). Sub-group analysis further confirmed these findings regardless of the type of joint arthroplasty. This meta-analysis indicated a significantly lower incidence of SSIs following knee or hip arthroplasty under SA compared to GA. Despite observed heterogeneity, the results underscore the potential benefit of SA over GA in orthopaedic surgeries to reduce the risk of SSIs.

Sternal wound infections following internal mammary artery grafts for a coronary bypass: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

The meta-analysis aims to evaluate and compare the sternal wound infections following internal mammary artery grafts for a coronary bypass. Examinations comparing bilateral internal mammary artery to single internal mammary artery for coronary artery bypass grafting were among the meta-analyses from various languages that met the inclusion criteria. Using dichotomous random- or fixed-effect models, the results of these investigations were examined, and the Odd Ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was computed. A total of 31 examinations from 2001 to 2023 were recruited for the current analysis including 181 503 personals with coronary artery bypass grafting. Bilateral internal mammary artery had significantly higher sternal wound infection (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.37–1.68, p < 0.001), superficial sternal wound infection (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.16–2.56, p = 0.007), deep sternal wound infection (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.41–1.86, p < 0.001), sternal wound infection in diabetics (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.16–1.90, p = 0.002), sternal wound infection in elderly (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.22–1.57, p < 0.001), sternal wound infection in pedicled preparation (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.30–2.23, p < 0.001) and sternal wound infection in skeletonized preparation (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.09–1.81, p = 0.009) compared to single internal mammary artery in personals with coronary artery bypass grafting. Bilateral internal mammary artery grafting is linked to a higher risk of impaired wound healing, particularly in diabetic individuals, elderly, pedicled preparation, and skeletonized preparation. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised while interacting with its values since examinations were performed by different surgeons with different skills on different types of personals.

Effectiveness of continuous home wound care on patients with diabetic foot ulcers

Abstract

Aims

To explore the effectiveness of continuous home wound care on patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

Design

A non-randomized parallel controlled non-inferiority trial.

Methods

Patients with Wagner grade I–III DFUs hospitalized in two distant campuses of the same hospital were included. All patients received infection treatment and wound bed preparation during hospitalization; after discharge, patients in one of the campuses received routine outpatient wound care, and those treated in the other received continuous home wound care. The per-protocol analysis was performed to compare ulcer healing indicators, knowledge, health belief, self-management behaviour and medical expenses of the two groups.

Results

Between October 2021 and December 2022, 116 patients were enrolled in the study; 107 completed. The home care was not inferior in terms of ulcer healing rate and demonstrated significant enhancements in the understanding of warning signs, health belief and self-management behaviour. Additionally, the home care saved 220.38 yuan (24.32 UK pounds) in direct medical expenses for each additional one square centimetre of ulcer healing.

Conclusion

The continuous home wound care enhanced self-management behaviour of the patients and saved their medical expenses while not compromising ulcer healing.

Impact

This is to date the first study to conduct continuous home wound care practice for patients with DFUs and confirmed its safety and non-inferiority in ulcer healing, and supported its superiority in improving self-management behaviour and saving medical expenses.

Reporting Method

We have adhered to the transparent reporting of evaluations with nonrandomized designs statements and the corresponding checklist was followed.

Patient or Public Contribution

The patients and their primary caregivers were involved in intervention design, we received input from them about the factors that facilitate and hinder patient self-management behaviours to develop intervention strategies.

Comparative efficacy of silver alginate dressings versus standard gauze in enhancing wound healing post‐mastectomy for triple‐negative breast cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of silver alginate dressings (SAD) compared to standard gauze (SG) in enhancing wound healing and reducing scar formation post-mastectomy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. From an initial pool of 1245 articles, five studies met the inclusion criteria. The analysis revealed that SAD significantly improve early wound healing 1 week post-mastectomy, as indicated by lower Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA) scales (I 2 = 85%; Random: SMD: −7.08, 95% CI: −8.26 to −5.98, p < 0.01), compared to SG. Additionally, long-term scar outcomes measured by the Manchester Scar Scale (MSS) 5 months post-mastectomy showed a notable reduction in scar formation (I 2 = 95%; Random: SMD: −12.97, 95% CI: −16.20 to −9.75, p < 0.01)) in the silver alginate group. The findings support the use of SAD in post-mastectomy care for triple-negative breast cancer patients but highlight the need for further research on long-term safety and cost-effectiveness.

A meta‐analysis examining the impact of intrawound treatment on reducing deep surgical site infections during instrumented spine surgery

Abstract

The purpose of the meta-analysis was to evaluate and compare the effect of intrawound management on decreasing deep surgical site infections (SSIs) in instrumented spinal surgery (SS). The results of this meta-analysis were analysed, and the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using dichotomous or contentious random or fixed effect models. For the current meta-analysis, 29 examinations spanning from 2006 to 2022 were included, encompassing 11 181 people who had instrumented SS. Intrawound management had a significantly lower deep SSI when using vancomycin (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.25–0.44, p < 0.001) and povidone-iodine as intrawound management (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13–0.42, p < 0.001) compared to control in instrumented SS subjects. The data that was looked at showed that using vancomycin and povidone-iodine as intrawound management had a much lower deep SSI than using a control group of instrumented SS subjects. However, given that some studies included a small number of subjects, attention should be given to their values.

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