British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Gabapentin prophylaxis for postoperative nausea and vomiting in abdominal surgeries: a quantitative analysis of evidence from randomized controlled clinical trials.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is frequently encountered in the surgical recovery room. Abdominal surgery is one important risk factor for increased incidence of PONV. Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant with known postoperative analgesic properties, has shown some activity against PONV. Results from clinical trials evaluating the anti-emetic efficacy of gabapentin are conflicting. The present meta-analysis was performed to examine this issue. ⋯ The present analysis provides evidence supporting preoperative gabapentin as a pharmacotherapy for prevention of PONV in patients undergoing abdominal surgeries. Future studies comparing preoperative gabapentin with 5HT3 antagonists are needed to precisely define its role in PONV.
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Review Meta Analysis
Predictors of persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Several studies have identified clinical, psychosocial, patient characteristic, and perioperative variables that are associated with persistent postsurgical pain; however, the relative effect of these variables has yet to be quantified. The aim of the study was to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of predictor variables associated with persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). ⋯ Catastrophizing, mental health, preoperative knee pain, and pain at other sites are the strongest independent predictors of persistent pain after TKA.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effect of early tracheostomy on resource utilization and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Early tracheostomy may decrease the duration of mechanical ventilation, sedation exposure, and intensive care stay, possibly resulting in improved clinical outcomes, but the evidence is conflicting. ⋯ We found no evidence that early (within 10 days) tracheostomy reduced mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care stay, or VAP. Early tracheostomy leads to more procedures and a shorter duration of sedation.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effect of combining tramadol and morphine in adult surgical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
The role for tramadol in multimodal postsurgical analgesic strategies remains unclear. We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the utility of combining tramadol with morphine after surgery. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILAC, Cochrane, and Clinical Trial Register databases for randomized, controlled studies comparing tramadol with placebo or active control in patients undergoing surgery. ⋯ No difference in the incidence of nausea, vomiting, sedation, or shivering was observed. There was no decrease in pain intensity at 24 h; the WMD was -0.9 (-7.2; 5.2) on a 100 mm visual analogue scale at 24 h. We found no significant clinical benefit from the combination of i.v. tramadol and morphine after surgery.
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Review Meta Analysis
Usefulness of standard plasma coagulation tests in the management of perioperative coagulopathic bleeding: is there any evidence?
Standard laboratory coagulation tests (SLTs) such as prothrombin time/international normalized ratio or partial thromboplastin time are frequently used to assess coagulopathy and to guide haemostatic interventions. However, this has been challenged by numerous reports, including the current European guidelines for perioperative bleeding management, which question the utility and reliability of SLTs in this setting. Furthermore, the arbitrary definition of coagulopathy (i.e. ⋯ Furthermore, no data from randomized controlled trials support the use of SLTs. In contrast, numerous investigations have challenged the reliability of SLTs to assess coagulopathy or guide bleeding management. There is actually no sound evidence from well-designed studies that confirm the usefulness of SLTs for diagnosis of coagulopathy or to guide haemostatic therapy.