Medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Are spiritual interventions beneficial to patients with cancer?: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials following PRISMA.
In addition to the physical burden, the quality of life and survival in patients with cancer may also be reduced because of psychological distress, such as spiritual crisis, anxiety, and depression. Many studies have verified that spirituality could reduce anxiety and depression and improve quality of life and adjustment to cancer. However, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of spiritual interventions in patients with cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to use randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effects of spiritual interventions on spiritual and psychological outcomes and quality of life in patients with cancer. ⋯ Spiritual interventions may improve spiritual well-being and quality of life, and reduce depression, anxiety, and hopelessness for patients with cancer. However, due to the mixed study design and substantial heterogeneity, some evidence remains weak. More rigorously designed research is needed.
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Review Meta Analysis
The effects of statin therapy on mortality in patients with sepsis: A meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Much controversy persists regarding the role of statins therapy in patients with sepsis. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of statin therapy on mortality from sepsis. ⋯ This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials indicates that statin therapy has no effect on mortality outcomes in patients with sepsis compared with placebo.
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Review Meta Analysis
COX-2 rs5275 and rs689466 polymorphism and risk of lung cancer: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis.
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme that mediates the synthesis of prostaglandin, which plays an important role in the inflammation response. The overexpression of COX-2 in lung cancer has been found in several studies, suggesting that COX-2 contributes to carcinogenesis. There are many previous case-control studies focused on the association between COX-2 polymorphism and lung cancer risk, however, the conclusion remained controversial. ⋯ Our meta-analysis demonstrated that COX-2 rs5275 and rs689466 polymorphism significantly decrease the risk of lung cancer in Asians but not in Caucasians, indicating COX-2 could serve as a potential diagnostic marker for lung cancer.
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Several pharmacological treatments are recommended by guidelines with moderate to high evidence for the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), but the comparative effectiveness and safety among these treatments are unknown. The review is to assess the comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological treatments for IBS-D using network meta-analysis. ⋯ PROSPERO CDR42018099294.
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Review Meta Analysis
18F-FDG PET with or without CT in the diagnosis of extrahepatic metastases or local residual/recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
The aim of the present study was to meta-analyze the literature on the diagnostic value of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) with or without computed tomography (CT) in detecting extrahepatic metastases or local residual/recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Systematic review of literature in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted in March 2017, and relevant studies analyzing the diagnostic performance of F-FDG PET with or without CT were meta-analyzed. Meta-analysis was carried out on data from 11 studies involving 572 patients. ⋯ Similarly, pooled specificity was comparable with CT (93%) or without 95% (P = .481). F-FDG PET, with or without CT, shows relatively low sensitivity but high specificity for diagnosing extrahepatic metastases or local residual/recurrent HCC. Adding CT to F-FDG PET may improve diagnostic performance, but the available evidence suggests that the improvement is not statistically significant.