Methodological Quality of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment Evidence-Based Guidelines: A Systematic Review Using the AGREE II and AGREE REX Tools.

Purpose: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease with a poor prognosis, and its management should be grounded in well-developed clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Thus, we critically assess the methodological quality of the available CPG for pharmacological treatments for PAH.

Methods: A systematic review (CRD42023387168) was performed in PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Tripdatabase (Jan-2023).

Application of trigger tools for detecting adverse drug events in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To identify trigger tools applied to detect adverse drug events (ADEs) in older people and describe their utility and performance.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in the PubMed, Lilacs, and Scopus databases (January 2024). Studies that developed, applied, or validated trigger tools and evaluated their utility and/or performance for detecting ADEs in older people were considered.

Mapping the characteristics, concepts and methodologies of matching-adjusted indirect comparison studies assessing pharmacological therapies in oncology: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) studies are a subtype of indirect comparison, which uses propensity score weighting to enhance comparability. This method adjusts aggregated data based on covariables from individual patient data from studies to produce population-adjusted indirect comparisons. Some national Health Technology Assessment agencies have recently received submissions containing MAIC models.

Economic burden of respiratory syncytial and parainfluenza viruses in children of upper-middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Objective: To identify and assess the current evidence available about the costs of managing hospitalized pediatric patients diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (PIV3) in upper-middle-income countries.

Methods: The authors conducted a systematic review across seven key databases from database inception to July 2022. Costs extracted were converted into 2022 International Dollars using the Purchasing Power Parity-adjusted.

Cost of Illness in Patients With COVID-19 Admitted in Three Brazilian Public Hospitals.

Objectives: The severity and transmissibility of COVID-19 justifies the need to identify the factors associated with its cost of illness (CoI). This study aimed to identify CoI, cost predictors, and cost drivers in the management of patients with COVID-19 from hospital and Brazil's Public Health System (SUS) perspectives.

Methods: This is a multicenter study that evaluated the CoI in patients diagnosed of COVID-19 who reached hospital discharge or died before being discharged between March and September 2020.

Hospitalization costs of coronaviruses diseases in upper-middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Background: COVID-19, SARS and MERS are diseases that present an important health burden worldwide. This situation demands resource allocation to the healthcare system, affecting especially middle- and low-income countries. Thus, identifying the main cost drivers is relevant to optimize patient care and resource allocation.

A comprehensive look at explicit screening tools for potentially inappropriate medication: A systematic scoping review.

Objective: To map explicit screening tools to identify potentially inappropriate medication (PIMs), and the characteristics and limitations of these tools. Including PIMs-interactions, therapeutic alternatives and the clinical management of PIMs.

Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus (until May 2021).

Deficiency and Insufficiency of Vitamin D in Women of Childbearing Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective:  To estimate the prevalence of inadequate vitamin D level and its associated factors for women of childbearing age in Brazil.

Methods:  A systematic review was conducted (last updated May 2020). Meta-analyses were performed using the inverse-variance for fixed models with summary proportion calculation by Freeman-Tukey double arcsine.

Deficiency of vitamins C and E in women of childbearing age in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite the several options available for supplements containing vitamins C and E, evidence regarding the prevalence of deficiency or insufficiency of these vitamins is weak.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of deficiency or insufficiency of vitamins C and E and associated factors among women of childbearing age, in Brazil.

Design And Setting: Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted at a Brazilian public university.

Drug interactions for elderly people with mental and behavioral disorders: a systematic scoping review.

Objectives: To identify drug interactions of potentially inappropriate medications and mental and behavioral disorders, according to explicit potentially inappropriate medications criteria-based tools.

Methodology: A systematic scoping review was conducted in February 2020. Study characteristics, potentially inappropriate medications, drug interactions, rationale, and therapeutic management proposed were extracted.

Genetic polymorphisms associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a systematic review.

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (non-variceal UGIB) is a frequent and severe adverse drug reaction. Idiosyncratic responses due to genetic susceptibility to non-variceal UGIB has been suggested. A systematic review was conducted to assess the association between genetic polymorphisms and non-variceal UGIB.

Efficacy outcomes reported in trials of multiple sclerosis: A systematic scoping review.

Background: This study aimed to map the outcome measures of clinical efficacy reported in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) to evaluate disease-modifying therapies (DMT) in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS).

Methods: A systematic scoping review was performed to identify RCT that assessed the efficacy of DMT in adult patients with RMS. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and The Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials and complemented by manual search.

Brazilian Analytical Decision Model for Cardiovascular Disease: An Adaptation of the Scottish Cardiovascular Disease Policy Model.

Introduction: Despite the significant impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD), there is not yet an analytical decision tool for assessing efficiency of interventions to prevent primary CVD events in Brazil. Therefore, we sought to adapt a Scottish CVD Policy Model to be used in the proposed population.

Methods: Calibration consisted of identifying multiplicative factors for linear predictors of existing survival analysis models to produce predictions that closely match observed data (Life-table and Brazilian cohort study).

Association between Development of Dementia and Use of Benzodiazepines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Objective: The use of benzodiazepines and the development of dementia is controversial, with studies indicating that benzodiazepines could be either a protective factor or a risk factor for dementia, or no association may exist between the two. Our objective was to identify whether such an association exists.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 prospective and retrospective cohort studies and case-control studies.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of amfepramone and mazindol as a monotherapy for the treatment of obese or overweight patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of amfepramone, fenproporex and mazindol as a monotherapy for the treatment of obese or overweight patients. A systematic review of primary studies was conducted, followed by a direct meta-analysis (random effect) and mixed treatment comparison. Medline and other databases were searched.

Diethylpropion and mazindol: An end to the discussion?

Antiobesity pharmacotherapy remains the main point of disagreement among both scientists and regulators. This is probably due to small sample sizes, high levels of heterogeneity, and low methodological quality. For many years, Brazil was one of the largest consumers of appetite suppressants worldwide, with evidence of irrational use of this drug class.

Self-perception of knowledge and adherence reflecting the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy.

Objectives: To evaluate which indirect method for assessing adherence best reflects highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) effectiveness and the factors related to adherence.

Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in 2012 at a reference center of the state of São Paulo. Self-report (simplified medication adherence questionnaire [SMAQ]) and drug refill parameters were compared to the viral load (clinical parameter of the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy [EP]) to evaluate the EP.

Analysis of the discrepancies identified during medication reconciliation on patient admission in cardiology units: a descriptive study.

Objectives: this observational study aimed to describe the discrepancies identified during medication reconciliation on patient admission to cardiology units in a large hospital.

Methods: the medication history of patients was collected within 48 hours after admission, and intentional and unintentional discrepancies were classified as omission, duplication, dose, frequency, timing, and route of drug administration.

Results: most of the patients evaluated were women (58.

[Household storage and use of medications in a population served by the family health strategy in Brazil].

Objective: To identify families served by the family health strategy (FHS) storing medicines at home, to evaluate storage conditions, and to investigate medicine use practices.

Methods: The study was conducted in a municipality in the state of São Paulo with two FHS units serving 1 867 households. The sample was selected by means of stratified random sampling.