British journal of haematology
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Review Meta Analysis
Does acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) have a role in the prevention of venous thromboembolism?
Guidelines differ on whether acetyl salicylic acid (ASA, aspirin) should be used for prophylaxis in patients at high-risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), principally because of differences in perceptions of its efficacy. ASA is an attractive therapeutic option because it is inexpensive, easy to administer and does not require monitoring. ⋯ There is little data for ASA in comparison with unfractionated heparin and warfarin. A large randomized controlled trial is required to clarify the role of ASA compared to contemporary anticoagulant strategies for the prevention of VTE.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Fluconazole versus itraconazole for antifungal prophylaxis in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies: a meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials.
Fluconazole and itraconazole are used as antifungal prophylaxis in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies. A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in order to compare their safety and effectiveness in this population. Data were obtained from PubMed, Current Contents, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials and references from relevant articles. ⋯ On the contrary, prophylactic use of fluconazole resulted in significantly more fungal infections (documented and suspected infections combined, OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.06-2.48). There were no statistically significant differences regarding documented fungal infections (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 0.97-2.35), invasive fungal infections (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 0.96-2.17), overall mortality (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.63-1.24) and mortality attributed by the authors to fungal infections (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 0.75-2.25) between the two medications. These data suggest that, even though itraconazole is more effective than fluconazole in the prevention of fungal infections in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies, the development of more adverse effects may limit its use.