Antibiotic-Impregnated Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts Decrease Bacterial Shunt Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Objectives: Antibiotic-impregnated shunts seem to be beneficial in preventing bacterial infections and decreasing mortality by effectively inhibiting microbial growth in the shunt system and reducing the risk of shunt-associated infections. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheters (AISC) in reducing the incidence of bacterial shunt infection in patients with hydrocephalus.

Methods: The protocol was registered on PROSPERO.

Opposing Roles of S1P Receptors in Myocardial Function.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lysophospholipid mediator with diverse biological function mediated by S1P receptors. Whereas S1P was shown to protect the heart against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, other studies highlighted its vasoconstrictor effects. We aimed to separate the beneficial and potentially deleterious cardiac effects of S1P during I/R and identify the signaling pathways involved.