Exp Ther Med
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The liver is the second most commonly injured organ following blunt abdominal trauma. The stable patient with minimal physical findings with a history of blunt abdominal trauma presents a challenge for diagnosis of liver injury. This study was conducted to determine the usefulness of hepatic transaminases in predicting the presence of liver injury and its severity following blunt abdominal trauma. ⋯ None of the laboratory tests were related to the severity of the liver injuries. In patients with blunt abdominal trauma, abnormal hepatic transaminase levels are associated with liver injuries. Patients with ALT >57 U/l and AST >113 U/l are strongly associated with liver injury and require further imaging studies and close management.
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In order to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone in moderate-severe cancer-related pain, we conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Publications addressing the efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone in moderate-severe cancer-related pain were selected from the Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase and CBM databases. Data were extracted from the studies by two independent reviewers. ⋯ In addition, there were statistically significant differences between oxycodone and other strong opioids in cancer-related pain on the obvious effective rate and the overall effective rate (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.40-2.95; P=0.0002; OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.09-3.44; P=0.02, respectively). Compared with other strong opioids, nausea and constipation occurred significantly less frequently with the use of oxycodone for cancer-related pain (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.32-0.85, P=0.009; OR= 0.55, 95% CI= 0.35-0.87, P= 0.01; respectively). In conclusion, this meta-analysis confirms that the efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone are superior to those of other strong opioids, including morphine sulfate, codeine and tramadol, supporting its use as an opioid for cancer-related pain.