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Efficacy of auricular acupressure on lung function among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials

Abstract

Objectives

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of auricular acupressure on lung function, sleep quality and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Background

Auricular acupressure has been increasingly used in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, such as lung function and sleep quality, but the efficacy has not yet been unified.

Design

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Methods

Randomised controlled trials comparing auricular acupressure intervention with non-auricular acupressure intervention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients were included. We searched English databases and Chinese databases from the inception to 26 December 2022. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The PRISMA statement was used to report a meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 12 randomised controlled trials with 987 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that auricular acupressure had significant differences in improving lung function, including FEV1 (MD = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.37, p < .0001), FVC (MD = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.34, p < .0001) and FEV1/FVC (MD = 4.70, 95% CI: 3.63 to 5.78, p < .0001). There was also a positive effect on sleep quality (MD = −0.71, 95% CI: −0.89 to −0.53, p < .0001) and quality of life (MD = −3.20, 95% CI: −3.92 to −2.49, p < .0001).

Conclusions

The results indicated auricular acupressure had a positive efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to improve lung function, sleep quality and quality of life, but these results should be treated with caution due to the low quality of included studies. Future researchers need to conduct more high-quality randomised controlled trials to provide a solid basis to demonstrate the efficacy of auricular acupressure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Relevant to Clinical Practice

Auricular acupressure has the advantages of being non-invasive, convenient and without significant side effects. This review suggested auricular acupressure could be considered a non-pharmacological intervention for patients. Clinical nurses can teach chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to perform auricular acupressure to help self-manage complications.

Patient or Public Contribution

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Effectiveness of family centred interventions for family caregivers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Aims and objectives

To examine the effectiveness of family-centred interventions among family caregivers.

Background

Family-centred interventions are an emerging form of intervention that can be effective at improving physical and mental health outcomes for patients and family caregivers. To date, no reviews have examined the effectiveness of family-centred interventions for family caregivers.

Design

A systematic review, including a meta-analysis, was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) checklist.

Methods

Seven English and two Chinese electronic databases were compressively searched from the outset to March 2023. Two researchers independently reviewed the abstracts and full texts, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias independently by using the Cochrane ‘Risk of bias assessment tool’.

Results

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 20 articles. The results of the meta-analysis showed that family-centred interventions could significantly improve caregiver burden (p=0.003), quality of life (p = 0.007), depression (p = 0.0002), and stress (p < 0.0001) but not anxiety or family functioning. According to our subgroup analysis, the family-centred empowerment model (p = 0.009) was superior to the other family intervention (p=0.004) in reducing caregiver burden. Family-centred interventions are more effective at reducing the burden of caregiving on family caregivers of adolescent patients (SMD=−0.79, 95% CI[−1.22,−0.36], p = 0.0003) than on adult patients (SMD=−0.37, 95% CI [−0.61,−0.12], p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Family-centred interventions could enhance family caregivers’ burden, quality of life, stress and depression but had no significant impact on anxiety or family functioning.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Family-centred interventions have the potential to improve the health status and caregiving burden of family caregivers. Rigorous and high-quality evidence is needed to confirm the long-term effects of these interventions on family caregivers.

Trial Registration Details

The protocol has been registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (Protocol registration ID: CRD42023453607).

Development of a nomogram for predicting acute pain among patients after abdominal surgery: A prospective observational study

Abstract

Aims

To develop a nomogram to provide a screening tool for recognising patients at risk of post-operative pain undergoing abdominal operations.

Background

Risk prediction models for acute post-operative pain can allow initiating prevention strategies, which are valuable for post-operative pain management and recovery. Despite the increasing number of studies on risk factors, there were inconsistent findings across different studies. In addition, few studies have comprehensively explored predictors of post-operative acute pain and built prediction models.

Design

A prospective observational study.

Methods

A total of 352 patients undergoing abdominal operations from June 2022 to December 2022 participated in this investigation. A nomogram was developed for predicting the probability of acute pain after abdominal surgery according to the results of binary logistic regression. The nomogram's predictive performance was assessed by discrimination and calibration. Internal validation was performed via Bootstrap with 1000 re-samplings.

Results

A total of 139 patients experienced acute post-operative pain following abdominal surgery, with an incidence of 39.49%. Age <60, marital status (unmarried, divorced, or widowed), consumption of intraoperative remifentanil >2 mg, indwelling of drainage tubes, poor quality sleep, high pain catastrophizing, low pain self-efficacy, and PCIA not used were predictors of inadequate pain control in patients after abdominal surgery. Using these variables, we developed a nomogram model. All tested indicators showed that the model has reliable discrimination and calibration.

Conclusions

This study established an online dynamic predictive model that can offer an individualised risk assessment of acute pain after abdominal surgery. Our model had good differentiation and calibration and was verified internally as a useful tool for risk assessment.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

The constructed nomogram model could be a practical tool for predicting the risk of experiencing acute post-operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal operations, which would be helpful to realise personalised management and prevention strategies for post-operative pain.

Reporting Method

The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study.

Patient or Public Contribution

Before the surgery, research group members visited the patients who met the inclusion criteria and explained the purpose and scope of the study to them. After informed consent, they completed the questionnaire. The patients' pain scores (VAS) were regularly assessed and documented by the bedside nurse for the first 3 days following surgery. Other information was obtained from medical records.

Nursing management of cognitive dysfunction in adults with brain injury: Summary of best evidence‐practiced strategies

Abstract

Objective

To summarize the best evidence-based strategies for the management of cognitive dysfunction in patients with brain injury and to provide a reference for clinical nursing practice.

Design

Review.

Methods

The review was presented using PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search of evidence on the management of cognitive dysfunction in patients with brain injury was conducted in computerized decision systems, guideline websites, professional association websites and comprehensive databases from the date of creation to 21 June 2023. The types of evidence included were clinical decision making, guidelines, evidence summaries, best practices, recommended practices, expert consensus, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Two researchers trained in evidence-based methodological systems independently evaluated the quality of the literature and extracted, integrated and graded the evidence for inclusion.

Results

A total of 20 articles were selected, including nine guidelines, three expert consensus articles, one clinical practice article and seven systematic reviews, and the overall quality of the literature was high. Thirty pieces of evidence were summarized in seven areas: assessment, multidisciplinary team, rehabilitation program, cognitive intervention, exercise intervention, music intervention and medication management.

Conclusions

This study summarizes the latest evidence on the management of cognitive dysfunction in the care of adults with brain injury and provides a reference for clinical nursing practice. The best evidence should be selected for localized and individualized application in clinical work, and the best evidence should be continuously updated to standardize nursing practice.

Implications for the profession and/or patient care

Patients with cognitive impairment after brain injury often suffer from memory loss, attention deficit and disorientation and are unable to have a normal life and experience much enjoyment, which seriously affects their physical and mental health and creates a great burden of care for their families and society. Best evidence-based strategies for the nursing management of cognitive impairment in brain injury are essential for standardizing clinical nursing practice and providing timely, professional, systematic and comprehensive nursing interventions for patients.

Reporting method

This review is reported following the PRISMA 2020 statement guidelines, as applicable, to enhance transparency in reporting the evidence synthesis.

Trial and protocol registration

This study has been registered with the Fudan University Centre for Evidence-based Nursing, a JBI Centre of Excellence under registration number ES20232566, http://ebn.nursing.fudan.edu.cn/myRegisterList.

Patient or public contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Wound infection and healing in minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis compared with intramedullary nail for distal tibial fractures: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

To systematically explore the effects of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) versus intramedullary nail (IMN) on wound infection and wound healing in patients with distal tibia fractures. A computerised search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was performed, from their inception to October 2023, to identify relevant studies on the application of MIPO and IMN in patients with distal tibial fractures. The quality of the included literature was evaluated by two researchers based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and basic information of the literature was collected, with wound infection, postoperative complications and wound healing time as the main indicators for analysis. Stata 17.0 software was applied for analysis. Overall, 23 papers and 2099 patients were included, including 1026 patients in the MIPO group and 1073 patients in the IMN group. The results revealed, when compared with IMN treatment, patients with distal tibia fractures who underwent MIPO treatment had a lower incidence of postoperative complications (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.25–0.42, p < 0.001) and a shorter wound healing time (SMD = −1.00, 95% CI: −1.51 to −0.49, p < 0.001), but the incidence of postoperative wound infection was higher (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.35–3.01, p = 0.001). Both MIPO and IMN are excellent treatments for distal tibia fractures. MIPO is effective in reducing the incidence of complications as well as shortening the time of wound healing time but increases the risk of wound infection. In clinical practice, surgeons can make individual choices based on the patient's wishes and proficiency in both techniques.

Effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty versus percutaneous kyphoplasty on post‐operative wound pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

Abstract

This research is intended to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) versus percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF), which is associated with post-operative pain. Eligible studies were screened by searching multiple databases and sources such as PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE for search terms updated to October 2023, and relevant literature sources were searched. Randomized, controlled, prospective or retrospective, and cohort studies were eligible. For the analysis of the primary results, an analysis of the data was carried out, such as mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI). In the present research, 1933 research was screened in 4 databases, and 30 articles were chosen to be examined under strict exclusion criteria. No statistical significance was found in the use of bone cement in the PVP group and PKP (MD, −0.60; 95% CI, −1.40, 0.21, p = 0.15); PKP was associated with a reduced risk of cement leak compared with PVP group (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.38, 3.46, p = 0.0009); no statistical significance was found in the wound VAS score in PVP operation compared with that of PKP (MD, 0.16; 95% CI, −0.07, 0.40, p = 0.17); no statistical significance was found between the time of PVP operation and the time of PKP operation (MD, −2.65; 95% CI, −8.91, 3.60, p = 0.41). Compared with PVP technology, the PKP treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures reduces post-operative cement leakage, but there is no significant difference in the number of operative cement and wound VAS after operation. Nor did there appear to be a statistically significant difference in time between the two operations.

Analysis of treatment‐related adverse events and wound complications of surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for non‐small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy is becoming an increasingly important part of the management of lung cancer to facilitate surgical resection. This study aimed to summarize the treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and wound complications of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Eligible studies of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for NSCLC were identified from PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. The endpoints mainly included TRAEs and wound complications. Stata18 software was used for statistical analysis with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Twenty studies including a total of 1072 patients were eligible for this study. Among the patients who received neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, the pooled prevalence of any grade TRAEs was 77% (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.64–0.86]), grade 1–2 TRAEs was 77% (95% CI [0.58–0.89]) and grade ≥3 TRAEs was 26% (95% CI [0.16–0.38]). Surgery-related complications rate was 22% (95% CI [0.14–0.33]). Among the wound complications, the pooled rate of air leakage was 10% (95% CI [0.04–0.23]), pulmonary/wound infection was 8% (95% CI [0.05–0.13]), bronchopleural fistula was 8% (95% CI [0.02–0.27]), bronchopulmonary haemorrhage was 3% (95% CI [0.01–0.05]), pneumonia was 5% (95% CI [0.02–0.10]), pulmonary embolism was 1% (95% CI [0.01–0.03]), pleural effusion was 7% (95% CI [0.03–0.14]) and chylothorax was 4% (95% CI [0.02–0.09]). Overall, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC results a high incidence of grade 1–2 TRAEs but a low risk of increasing the incidence of ≥3 grade TRAEs and wound complications. These results need to be confirmed by more large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials and studies.

Impact of stapler versus manual closure techniques on pharyngocutaneous fistula development post‐total laryngectomy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) is a major complication after total laryngectomy, with significant morbidity and mortality. Whether mechanical stapler closure of the pharynx reduces fistula rates compared to hand-sewn techniques remains unclear. We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify this question. Five databases were systematically searched from inception through November 2023 for studies comparing stapler versus suture closure for fistula outcomes after laryngectomy. Odds ratios (OR) were pooled using random-effects models and fixed-effects models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Risk of bias was appraised using NHLBI tools. Nine studies with 803 patients were included. Mechanical closure significantly reduced fistula incidence versus suture closure (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.34–0.95, p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis found that stapling's protective effect varied by patient age, country/region, linear stapler size and female percentage. Stapling reduced fistula odds by 80% in the Turkey subgroup (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.09–0.50) but showed no benefit in other regions. Patients <60 years showed an 84% fistula reduction with stapling (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.06–0.45), whereas older subgroups did not. Linear stapler size of 60 mm significantly reduced fistula occurrence while 75 mm did not. There was no evidence that low female percentage mitigated stapling benefits. Mechanical stapler closure after total laryngectomy meaningfully reduces the likelihood of postoperative PCF formation compared to hand-sewn closure, especially for patients younger than 60 years old. The absolute risk reduction supports its utility to prevent this complication.

HMOX1 as a therapeutic target associated with diabetic foot ulcers based on single‐cell analysis and machine learning

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious chronic complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of disability and death in diabetic patients. However, current treatments remain unsatisfactory. Although macrophages are associated with DFU, their exact role in this disease remains uncertain. This study sought to detect macrophage-related genes in DFU and identify possible therapeutic targets. Single-cell datasets (GSE223964) and RNA-seq datasets (GSM68183, GSE80178, GSE134431 and GSE147890) associated with DFU were retrieved from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database for this study. Analysis of the provided single-cell data revealed the distribution of macrophage subpopulations in the DFU. Four independent RNA-seq datasets were merged into a single DFU cohort and further analysed using bioinformatics. This included differential expression (DEG) analysis, multiple machine learning algorithms to identify biomarkers and enrichment analysis. Finally, key results were validated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western bolt. Finally, the findings were validated using RT-qPCR and western blot. We obtained 802 macrophage-related genes in single-cell analysis. Differential expression analysis yielded 743 DEGs. Thirty-seven macrophage-associated DEGs were identified by cross-analysis of marker genes with macrophage-associated DEGs. Thirty-seven intersections were screened and cross-analysed using four machine learning algorithms. Finally, HMOX1 was identified as a potentially valuable biomarker. HMOX1 was significantly associated with biological pathways such as the insulin signalling pathway. The results showed that HMOX1 was significantly overexpressed in DFU samples. In conclusion, the analytical results of this study identified HMOX1 as a potentially valuable biomarker associated with macrophages in DFU. The results of our analysis improve our understanding of the mechanism of macrophage action in this disease and may be useful in developing targeted therapies for DFU.

Shame in patients undergoing ureterostomy: A cross‐sectional survey

Por: Qin Li · Lin Zhuo · Ting Zhang

Abstract

Shame has an important impact on the mental health and quality of life of patients. The shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy remains unclear. This survey aimed to evaluate the status quo and influencing factors of shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy, to provide support for the clinical care. Patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy treated in the wound stomy clinic of a third-class hospital from 1 June 2022 to 31 July 2023 were included. General data questionnaire and social impact scale (SIS) were used for data collection. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the influencing factors of shame in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy. One hundred and sixty four patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy were included. The total score of shame in patients with ureterostomy was (60.75 ± 6.31), which was in the high level. Age (r = 0.442), home place (r = 0.427), per capita monthly household income (r = 0.605), self-care ability (r = 0.597) and complications of stoma (r = 0.542) were correlated with the SIS score in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that age, home place, per capita monthly household income, self-care ability and complications of stoma were the influencing factors of SIS score in patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy (all p < 0.05). The five variables explained 64.5% of the patients' sense of shame variation. Patients with ureterostomy after cystectomy have a serious sense of shame in the early stage after operation and there are many influencing factors. Health care providers should take early nursing interventions targeted on those influencing factors to reduce the patients' sense of shame.

Effect of passive versus active abdominal drainage on wound infection after pancreatectomy: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Following pancreatic resection, there may be a variety of complications, including wound infection, haemorrhage, and abdominal infection. The placement of drainage channels during operation may decrease the chances of postoperative complications. However, what kind of drainage can decrease the rate of postoperative complications is still a matter of debate. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of both active and passive drainage for post-operation wound complications. From the beginning of the database until November 2023, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and the Pubmed database have been searched. The two authors collected 2524 related studies from 3 data bases for importation into Endnote software, and 8 finished trials were screened against the exclusion criteria. Passive drainage can decrease the incidence of superficial wound infection in postoperative patients with pancreas operation (Odds Ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06–1.60 p = 0.01); No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of deep infections among the two groups (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.68–3.36 p = 0.31); No statistical significance was found for the rate of haemorrhage after active drainage on the pancreas compared with that of passive drainage (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.29–1.77 p = 0.47); No statistically significant difference was found in the rate of death after operation for patients who had received a pancreas operation in active or passive drainage (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.57–1.42 p = 0.65); On the basis of existing evidence, the use of passive abdominal drainage reduces postoperative surface wound infections in patients. But there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of severe complications, haemorrhage after surgery, or mortality. However, because of the limited sample size of this meta-analysis, it is necessary to have more high-quality research with a large sample size to confirm the findings.

The application of topical antibiotics for the prevention of infections in primary joint arthroplasty. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta‐analysis

Abstract

This umbrella review aim to explore the effect of topical antibiotics in infection prevention after primary joint arthroplasty, and provide a specific theoretical basis for clinical treatment. The review process was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and the Cochrane Library on infection prevention by topical antibiotics from inception to 10 April 2023. The two researchers individually and strictly screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed the literature quality evaluation and data extraction, and used Stata 17 for data analysis. This study included six studies with one systematic review and five meta-analyses. The pooled analysis showed that topical antibiotic administration effectively reduced the incidence of overall infection and periprosthetic joint infection. However, it does not reduce the risk of superficial infection. Besides, the topic of antibiotics significantly increases the incidence of other sterile complications of the incision. According to the current evidence, topical application of antibiotics can reduce the incidence of overall infection and periprosthetic joint infection after primary joint arthroplasty. Although it increases the incidence of complications such as delayed healing of incisions, the pros and cons should be weighed in clinical decision making. However, they should not be discarded due to side effects.

Effects of photodynamic therapy in patients with infected skin ulcers: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

The purpose of the meta-analysis was to evaluate and compare the photodynamic therapy's effectiveness in treating infected skin wounds. 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, 6 examinations spanning from 2013 to 2021 were included, encompassing 154 patients with infected skin wounds were the used studies' starting point. Photodynamic therapy had a significantly lower wound ulcer size (MD, −4.42; 95% CI, −7.56–−1.28, p = 0.006), better tissue repair (MD, −8.62; 95% CI, −16.76–−0.48, p = 0.04) and lower microbial cell viability (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04–0.42, p < 0.001) compared with red light exposure in subjects with infected skin wounds. The examined data revealed that photodynamic therapy had a significantly lower wound ulcer size, better tissue repair and lower microbial cell viability compared with red light exposure in subjects with infected skin wounds. However, given that all examinations had a small sample size, consideration should be given to their values.

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.

The impact of glucocorticoids therapy on cutaneous wounds in Kawasaki disease: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the most challenging diseases that is defined as an acute vasculitis that affects the coronary arteries primarily in children. It causes complications if left untreated at early stages, ultimately leading to death. Corticosteroids have been recognized to treat and cause great impact on the patients with KD. Glucocorticoid is one of the main corticosteroids that are being used to treat KD and cutaneous wounds. However, ineffectiveness of a few glucocorticoids can limit the efficacy of this treatment. This study particularly aimed to elucidate the impact of glucocorticoids on cutaneous wounds in KD. To perform the meta-analysis, a comprehensive literature survey was conducted to unveil the studies and research conducted on Kawasaki patients that revealed different glucocorticoids in the form of specific interventions influencing KD. The literature was searched using numerous keywords, screened and data was extracted to perform the meta-analysis and then it was conducted using the metabin function of R package meta. A total of 2000 patients from both intervention and control groups were employed to carry out the meta-analysis to analyse and evaluate the impact of glucocorticoids on curing KD and cutaneous wounds in patients. The results disclosed that glucocorticoids along with other steroids, mainly IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin), was an effective intervention to patients suffering from Kawasaki. The results depicted significant outcomes with the values (risk ratio [RR]: 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58–2.00, p < 0.01) and enlightened the fact that adopting different glucocorticoids may significantly improve the efficacy of skin lesions along with KD. Hence, interventions of glucocorticoids must be utilized in the clinical practice to reduce the incidence of skin wounds and adverse effects caused due to KD.

Effect of Chinese herbal compound dressings in treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

This meta-analysis aims to systematically investigate the clinical efficacy of Chinese herbal compound dressings in treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). A comprehensive computerised search was conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases, from database inception to November 2023, to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) concerning the use of Chinese herbal compound dressings in patients with DFU. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data analysis was performed using Stata 17.0 software. Overall, 18 RCTs involving 1405 DFU patients were included. The analysis indicated that compared to the control group, the group treated with Chinese herbal compound dressings had significantly shorter ulcer healing time (standardised mean difference [SMD] = −2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −3.53 to −1.46, p < 0.001), reduced ulcer surface area (SMD = −3.38, 95% CI: −4.67 to −2.09, p < 0.001), and higher healing rates (odds ratio [OR] = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.72–2.92, p < 0.001) as well as overall effectiveness rates (OR = 4.56, 95% CI: 3.10–6.71, p < 0.001). This study demonstrates that the external application of Chinese herbal compound dressings in patients with DFU can significantly shorten the ulcer healing time and improve wound healing rates.

Traditional Chinese medicine Qingre Huoxue decoction enhances wound healing in through modulation of angiogenic and inflammatory pathways

Abstract

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Qingre Huoxue Decoction (QHD), a traditional Chinese herbal formulation, in promoting wound healing in an imiquimod-induced murine model of psoriasis. The research was driven by the need for effective wound healing strategies in psoriatic conditions, where conventional treatments often fall short. Employing a combination of in vivo and in vitro methodologies, we assessed the effects of QHD on key factors associated with wound healing. Our results showed that QHD treatment significantly reduced the expression of angiogenic proteins HIF-1α, FLT-1, and VEGF, and mitigated inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of IL-10. Furthermore, QHD enhanced the expression of genes essential for wound repair. In vitro assays with HUVECs corroborated the anti-angiogenic effects of QHD. Conclusively, the study highlights QHD's efficacy in enhancing wound healing in psoriatic conditions by modulating angiogenic and inflammatory pathways, presenting a novel therapeutic avenue in psoriasis wound management.

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