OBJECTIVE: Potentially harmful polypharmacy is a growing public health concern. This article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction (AusTAPER) framework.
METHODS: We recruited patients at metropolitan hospitals for a randomised controlled trial with 12 months of follow-up. The intervention included a comprehensive medicines history, multidisciplinary meeting and medicines review prior to discharge, with engagement with the participants\' general practitioner extending after discharge. The primary outcome was the change in the number of regular medicines used at 12 months from baseline. A cost consequence was performed to estimate costs per participant during the study period.
RESULTS: There were 98 participants enrolled in the study. The number of regular medicines was significantly reduced from baseline in both groups (-1.7 ± 4.3, t = 2.38, P = 0.02 in the control group vs -2.7 ± 3.6, t = 4.48, P = 0.0001 in the intervention group), although there was no statistical difference detected between the two groups (1.0 (SE 0.9), t = 1.03, P = 0.31). The intervention was estimated to cost AU$644.17 and was associated with cost savings of AU$552.53 per participant in sustained reduced medicines cost. Health outcomes and healthcare costs were similar in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Medicines were significantly reduced in both groups, with a trend to a larger reduction in medicines at 12 months in the intervention group. The intervention cost was approximately offset by sustained reduced medicines cost, although these results should be regarded cautiously because of the absence of significance in the differences in outcomes between groups.

BACKGROUND: The Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors may be used in cancer progression and mortality along with standard therapy to improve therapeutic efficacy of Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC).
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta- analysis were conducted to understand the therapeutic and toxicity profile of PI3K inhibitors in ABC.
METHODS: The electronic databases were searched for suitable trials as per the criteria. The outcomes assessed were Progression- Free Survival, Objective Response Rate and Disease Control Rate. The data were systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed by Mantele- Haenszel method.
RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the systematic review and meta- analysis. The co- administration of PI3K inhibitors with standard therapy improved the Progression- Free Survival significantly, while a marginal improvement was observed in Objective Response Rate, no difference in Disease Control Rate and toxicity significantly increased.
CONCLUSIONS: The addition of PI3K inhibitors decreased the risk of progression but increased the risk of toxicity.

暂无摘要。

UNASSIGNED: The significance of vascular access devices for patients in the emergency department (ED) is undeniable. When it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) stand out as the most reliable sources of evidence compared with other study designs.
UNASSIGNED: To explore and synthesise the findings from RCTs related to vascular access devices in the ED setting.
UNASSIGNED: A systematic search will be conducted in electronic medical databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Pubmed, CINAHL and Embase databases. All RCTs focusing on peripheral intravenous catheters, central venous catheters and intraosseous catheters, published in English and Chinese in peer-reviewed journals within the past decade, will be included.
UNASSIGNED: This scoping review will summarise the current state of evidence for vascular access devices in the ED setting. This will identify gaps in the literature and, in turn, assist clinicians and researchers in pinpointing areas for future exploration and provide a valuable guide for future research.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist-led medication reviews are an established intervention to support patients prescribed multiple medicines or with complex medication regimes. For this systematic review, a medication review was defined as \'a consultation between a pharmacist and a patient to review the patient\'s total medicines use with a view to improve patient health outcomes and minimise medicines-related problems\'. It is not known how varying approaches to medication reviews lead to different outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the common themes associated with positive outcomes from pharmacist-led medication reviews.
METHODS: Randomised controlled trials of pharmacist-led medication reviews in adults aged 18 years and over were included. The search terms used in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were \"medication review\", \"pharmacist\", \"randomised controlled trial\" and their synonyms, time filter 2015 to September 2023. Studies published before 2015 were identified from a previous systematic review. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool. Descriptions of medication reviews\' components, implementation and outcomes were narratively synthesised to draw out common themes. Results are presented in tables.
RESULTS: Sixty-eight papers describing 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. Common themes that emerged from synthesis include collaborative working which may help reduce medicines-related problems and the number of medicines prescribed; patient involvement in goal setting and action planning which may improve patients\' ability to take medicines as prescribed and help them achieve their treatment goals; additional support and follow-up, which may lead to improved blood pressure, diabetes control, quality of life and a reduction of medicines-related problems.
CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review identified common themes and components, for example, goal setting, action planning, additional support and follow-up, that may influence outcomes of pharmacist-led medication reviews. Researchers, health professionals and commissioners could use these for a comprehensive evaluation of medication review implementation.
UNASSIGNED: CRD42020173907.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium remains prevalent despite extensive research through randomised trials aimed at reducing its incidence. Understanding trial characteristics associated with interventions\' effectiveness facilitates data interpretation.
METHODS: Trial characteristics were extracted from eligible trials identified through two systematic literature searches. Multivariable meta-regression was used to investigate trial characteristics associated with effectiveness estimated using odds ratios. Meta-analysis was used to investigate pooled effectiveness.
RESULTS: We identified 201 eligible trials. Compared with China, trials from the USA/Canada (ratio of odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.45) and Europe/Australia/New Zealand (1.67; 1.29-2.18) had an 89% and 67% higher odds ratio, respectively, suggesting reduced effectiveness. The effectiveness was enhanced when the incidence of postoperative delirium increased (0.85; 0.79-0.92, per 10% increase). Trials with concerns related to deviations from intended interventions reported increased effectiveness compared with those at low risk (0.69; 0.53-0.90). Compared with usual care, certain interventions appeared to have reduced the incidence of postoperative delirium in low-risk trials with low-to-moderate certainty of evidence. However, these findings should be considered inconclusive because of challenges in grouping heterogeneous interventions, the limited number of eligible trials, the prevalence of small-scale studies, and potential publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of postoperative delirium trials varied based on the region of trial origin, the incidence of delirium, and the risk of bias. The limitations caution against drawing definitive conclusions from different bodies of evidence. These findings highlight the imperative need to improve the quality of research on a global scale.
UNASSIGNED: PROSPERO (CRD42023413984).

UNASSIGNED: This systematic review aims to examine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for improving mental health outcomes among female carers of people living with a neurological condition.
UNASSIGNED: A narrative synthesis of English-language randomized controlled trials was undertaken.
UNASSIGNED: 18 unique studies were included. Intervention components that were found to have improved mental health outcomes were: delivered in person, to groups, on an intermittent schedule with ≥10 sessions; had a duration between 3-6 months; and were facilitated by research staff or allied health professionals. As the review had few robust studies, results of mental health outcomes reported in studies assessed as low risk of bias were highlighted in the review. Psychoeducation interventions, cognitive behavioural interventions, and support group interventions were found to improve depression. Psychoeducation interventions were also found to improve burden.
UNASSIGNED: There is a clear need for adequately powered, high-quality randomised controlled trials to determine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for female carers of people living with a neurological condition.
Female carers experience worse mental health and well-being outcomes and are at a higher risk of developing chronic health issues compared to their male counterparts.This review identified only very few, generally small, randomised controlled trials of non-pharmacological interventions in female carers of patients with neurological conditions.Interventions that provide psychoeducation, are group-based, face-to-face, and have an intervention duration between >3 months and <6 months, may be successful in improving some mental health outcomes, such as depression and coping.

UNASSIGNED: Tracheal extubation often causes cardiovascular and airway responses, potentially resulting in hazardous consequences. It remains unknown whether dexmedetomidine or lidocaine is more effective for cough suppression. Hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to compare the effectiveness and safety of dexmedetomidine and lidocaine in reducing cough response after tracheal extubation in adult patients.
UNASSIGNED: A thorough search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, was conducted to identify relevant studies (from inception to 31 January 2023). Randomised controlled trials comparing intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine versus IV lidocaine administration during emergence from anaesthesia to prevent tracheal extubation response in adult patients under general anaesthesia were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of post-extubation cough. Secondary outcomes included emergence time, extubation time, residual sedation, and incidences of bradycardia. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan software. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the potential risk for bias.
UNASSIGNED: In total, seven studies with 450 participants were included. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of cough between dexmedetomidine and lidocaine groups [Risk Ratio = 0.76; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.46, 1.24]. Emergence and extubation times were not significantly different between the two groups. Meta-analysis revealed a higher incidence of bradycardia and residual sedation in dexmedetomidine compared to the lidocaine group.
UNASSIGNED: This meta-analysis found no difference in cough, emergence, and extubation time between dexmedetomidine and lidocaine after tracheal extubation. However, residual sedation and bradycardia were more significant in dexmedetomidine than in lidocaine.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic-dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease. This review assessed the efficacy of a Low-Calorie Diet (LCD) on liver health and body weight in people living with MASLD and obesity.
METHODS: The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021296501), and a literature search was conducted using multiple databases. The key inclusion criteria were randomised controlled trials or cohort studies, obesity/overweight and MASLD. Two authors screened abstracts, reviewed full texts and performed data extraction and quality assessment. The primary outcome was the change in the serum ALT, and secondary outcomes included the changes in the serum AST, intrahepatic lipid content (IHL), quantified non-invasively via MRI/MRS, and body weight.
RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included. The LCD reduced body weight by 9.1 kg versus the control (95%CI: -12.4, -5.8) but not serum ALT (-5.9 IU/L, -13.9, 2.0). Total Dietary Replacement (TDR) reduced IHL by -9.1% vs. the control (-15.6%, -2.6%). The Mediterranean-LCD for ≥12 months reduced ALT (-4.1 IU/L, -7.6, -0.5) and for 24 months reduced liver stiffness versus other LCDs. The Green-Mediterranean-LCD reduced IHL, independent of body weight. Limited studies assessed those of Black or Asian ethnicity, and there was heterogeneity in the methods assessing the liver fat content and fibrosis.
CONCLUSIONS: In people with MASLD and obesity, an LCD intervention reduces IHL and body weight. Trials should focus on the recruitment of Black and Asian ethnicity participants.

UNASSIGNED: Benefits of Intermittent fasting (IF) on health-related outcomes have been found in a range of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Our umbrella review aimed to systematically analyze and synthesize the available causal evidence on IF and its impact on specific health-related outcomes while evaluating its evidence quality.
UNASSIGNED: We comprehensively searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases (from inception up to 8 January 2024) to identify related systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs investigating the association between IF and human health outcomes. We recalculated the effect sizes for each meta-analysis as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were performed for populations based on three specific status: diabetes, overweight or obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The quality of systematic reviews was evaluated using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) system. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023382004).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 351 associations from 23 meta-analyses with 34 health outcomes were included in the study. A wide range of outcomes were investigated, including anthropometric measures (n = 155), lipid profiles (n = 83), glycemic profiles (n = 57), circulatory system index (n = 41), appetite (n = 9), and others (n = 6). Twenty-one (91%) meta-analyses with 346 associations were rated as high confidence according to the AMSTAR criteria. The summary effects estimates were significant at p < 0.05 in 103 associations, of which 10 (10%) were supported by high certainty of evidence according to GRADE. Specifically, compared with non-intervention diet in adults with overweight or obesity, IF reduced waist circumference (WC) (MD = -1.02 cm; 95% CI: -1.99 to -0.06; p = 0.038), fat mass (MD = -0.72 kg; 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.12; p = 0.019), fasting insulin (SMD = -0.21; 95% CI: -0.40 to -0.02; p = 0.030), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (SMD = -0.20; 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.02; p = 0.027), total cholesterol (TC) (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.48 to -0.10; p = 0.003), and triacylglycerols (TG) (SMD = -0.23; 95% CI: -0.39 to -0.06; p = 0.007), but increased fat free mass (FFM) (MD = 0.98 kg; 95% CI: 0.18-1.78; p = 0.016). Of note, compared with the non-intervention diet, modified alternate-day fasting (MADF) reduced fat mass (MD = -0.70 kg; 95% CI: -1.38 to -0.02; p = 0.044). In people with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes, IF increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to continuous energy restriction (CER) (MD = 0.03 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.01-0.05; p = 0.010). However, IF was less effective at reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) than a CER diet in adults with overweight or obesity (SMD = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05-0.36; p = 0.008).
UNASSIGNED: Our findings suggest that IF may have beneficial effects on a range of health outcomes for adults with overweight or obesity, compared to CER or non-intervention diet. Specifically, IF may decreased WC, fat mass, LDL-C, TG, TC, fasting insulin, and SBP, while increasing HDL-C and FFM. Notably, it is worth noting that the SBP lowering effect of IF appears to be weaker than that of CER.
UNASSIGNED: This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Q-JW), the Natural Science Foundation of China (Q-JW and T-TG), Outstanding Scientific Fund of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (Q-JW), and 345 Talent Project of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (T-TG).