Medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Symptom Management in Cancer Palliative Care: Systematic Review And Meta-analysis.
Use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) in symptom management for cancer palliative care is very common in Chinese populations but clinical evidence on their effectiveness is yet to be synthesized. To conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to summarize results from CHM randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on symptoms that are undertreated in conventional cancer palliative care. Five international and 3 Chinese databases were searched. ⋯ CHM may be considered as an add-on to conventional care in the management of pain in cancer patients. CHM could also be considered as an alternative to conventional care for reducing constipation. Evidence on the use of CHM for treating anorexia and fatigue in cancer patients is uncertain, warranting further research.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Low-Dose Ketamine Pretreatment Reduces the Incidence and Severity of Myoclonus Induced by Etomidate: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Clinical Trial.
Myoclonic movement induced by etomidate is a common but undesirable problem during general anesthesia induction. To investigate the influence of pretreatment with low-dose ketamine on the incidence and severity of myoclonus induced by etomidate, 104 patients were randomized allocated to 1 of 2 equally sized groups (n = 52) to receive either intravenous low-dose ketamine 0.5 mg/kg (group K) or an equal volume of normal saline (group S) 1 minute before induction of anesthesia with 0.3-mg/kg etomidate. ⋯ The incidence of adverse effects was low and similar between groups. These results demonstrate that intravenous infusion of low-dose ketamine 0.5 mg/kg 1 minute prior to etomidate administration is effective in relieving etomidate-induced myoclonic movements during general anesthesia induction.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Myocardial Function Assessed by Tissue Doppler Echocardiography During General Anesthesia in Patients With Diastolic Dysfunction: A CONSORT-Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial.
Dexmedetomidine is a commonly used sedative and adjuvant agent to general anesthesia. The present was designed to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine on myocardial function by using tissue Doppler echocardiography during general anesthesia in patients with diastolic dysfunction. Forty patients undergoing orthostatic surgery with ejection fraction preserved diastolic dysfunction grade 2 or 3 were randomly allocated to the Control and Dex group (n = 20, each). ⋯ Also, the Dex group showed significant increase of RV E/e' (P < 0.001) and RV MPI (P = 0.028) compared to those of the Control group. Intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration during general anesthesia was appeared to deteriorate biventricular function in patients with diastolic dysfunction. We suggest careful consideration and a need for reducing dosage when administrating dexmedetomidine in patients with diastolic dysfunction.
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Observational Study
Differential Postoperative Effects of Volatile Anesthesia and Intraoperative Remifentanil Infusion in 7511 Thyroidectomy Patients: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.
Although remifentanil is used widely by many clinicians during general anesthesia, there are recent evidences of opioid-induced hyperalgesia as an adverse effect. This study aimed to determine if intraoperative remifentanil infusion caused increased pain during the postoperative period in patients who underwent a thyroidectomy. A total of 7511 patients aged ≥ 20 years, who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2009 and December 2013 at the Asan Medical Center were retrospectively analyzed. ⋯ However, the incidence of itching was higher in group R (4.3%) than in group N (0.7%) (P < 0.001). Continuous infusion of remifentanil during general anesthesia can cause higher intensity of postoperative pain and more frequent itching than general anesthesia without remifentanil infusion immediately after thyroidectomy. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of continuous remifentanil infusion, volatile anesthesia without opioid may be a good choice for minor surgeries, such as thyroidectomy.
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Review Meta Analysis
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Pancreatic Amylase Value on Postoperative Day 1 After Pancreatic Resection to Predict Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula.
Early detection of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) may help to improve the outcome following pancreatic surgery, and exclusion of POPF may allow early drain removal which can accelerate recovery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of drain/plasma pancreatic amylase values on postoperative day 1 (DPA1/PPA1) in POPF by means of a systemic review and meta-analysis. Online journal databases and a manual search up to March 2015 were used. ⋯ Negative LR were 0.06 (0.03-0.14) and 0.18 (0.07-0.47) respectively. DPA1 is a useful predictive test for overall POPF and clinically relevant POPF which has good sensitivity and specificity based on the current studies. Meanwhile, it should be cautiously applied to clinical practice because cutoffs had a wide range between studies.