Publications by authors named "Wichor Bramer"
Objective: Management of Differences of Sex Development (DSD) is complex and in resource limited settings the psychosexual and psychosocial aspects of DSD care have received limited attention. This review aims to explore recent literature on psychosocial care of DSD in low and upper middle-income countries (L/UMIC).
Materials And Methods: Scientific databases were searched and papers on management of DSD were reviewed according to predefined inclusion criteria.
Article Synopsis
- This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with unrecognised myocardial infarction (MI), which is a heart attack that goes undetected in the acute phase, leading to worse health outcomes.
- The analysis included 14 cohort studies with over 200,000 participants, finding that those with unrecognised MI had higher body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and prevalence of conditions like hypertension and diabetes compared to individuals without MI.
- The study concluded that people with unrecognised MI face significant metabolic risk factors, highlighting the need for better recognition and management of these risks in this population.
Article Synopsis
- Artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) have been linked to increased risks of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality based on a comprehensive review of 11 studies involving over 2 million participants.
- The analysis showed that higher ASB intake correlated with 13% and 26% higher risks for all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively; however, there was no significant link found with cancer mortality.
- Replacing one sugary drink with ASB may reduce the risk of mortality by 4-6%, but the overall quality of evidence concerning ASB’s health effects was rated as moderate.
Article Synopsis
- This study builds on previous research to explore the effectiveness of strategies aimed at reducing house dust mite allergens for treating allergic asthma.
- It involved analyzing data from 35 trials with 2,419 patients, focusing on various outcomes such as asthma symptom scores and patient improvement rates.
- Results indicated that total bedroom control and nocturnal air purification could improve symptoms for some patients, while partial bedroom control showed no significant benefits.
Article Synopsis
- * Out of these, 20 tools were gamified, while 14 were serious games, with serious games showing a higher diversity of game mechanics—55 unique mechanics were identified in total.
- * Although 85% of the tools justified the use of gamification to enhance user engagement, only 45% provided reasons for specific game mechanics; moreover, there is a lack of experimental research assessing gamification's effectiveness in this context.
Article Synopsis
- - This systematic review examines midwives' educational needs and training programs related to perinatal mental health (PMH), focusing on their roles in improving perinatal mental healthcare (PMHC) through understanding mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
- - Out of 4,969 articles, 66 studies met the criteria for inclusion, primarily highlighting midwives' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and the effectiveness of training programs, although the overall quality of the studies was mostly low to moderate.
- - The findings suggest that midwives' perception of their role in PMHC significantly influences their practice, indicating a need for enhanced education curricula that emphasize their responsibilities and person-centered care approaches.
Article Synopsis
- A Delphi study has established core outcome domains (CODs) for treating adult vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS), focusing on physical findings and quality of life (QoL).
- A systematic search identified 26 standardized measurement tools across six outcome areas, including general health, VLS-specific QoL, symptoms, clinical signs, emotional impact, and sexual functioning.
- The research highlights inconsistencies in using these measurement tools, indicating a need for a comprehensive study to create a consensus regarding evaluation methods that consider predetermined CODs and factors like age.
Article Synopsis
- There is currently no evidence-based guideline for managing anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) in children, leading to a review that evaluates existing treatment options.
- The literature review included 22 relevant articles, but most did not consider psychological or social factors, and only a few addressed long-term outcomes, indicating low-quality evidence overall.
- The study emphasizes the need for more research to create a comprehensive treatment approach based on the biopsychosocial model, in line with World Health Organization recommendations.
A Narrative Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Their Application in Recent Pediatric Surgical Research: Advancing Knowledge and Offering New Perspectives to the Field.
Olivia K C Spivack Michaela Dellenmark-Blom Jens Dingemann Chantal A Ten Kate Vuokko Wallace Wichor M Bramer
Eur J Pediatr Surg
April 2024
Article Synopsis
- Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable tools in pediatric surgery research, providing insights into outcomes important to patients.
- A review of literature from 2021 to 2023 identified 49 studies using PROMs for various pediatric conditions, revealing that while 29 different PROMs exist, only 12 were considered psychometrically robust.
- The findings highlight gaps in the effective use of PROMs and suggest a need for further development, impact assessments, and research on implementation strategies.
With the new policy recommendation in 2022 to explore the possibilities of screening for prostate cancer by the European Commission, the landscape for prostate cancer early detection is evolving. In line with this recommendation, the PRAISE-U project aims to evaluate the early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer through customised and risk-based screening programmes, with the goal to align protocols across European Union member states. This systematic review is part of the PRAISE-U project, with the goal to review the policy, medical guideline recommendations, and the current level of opportunistic screening presented in the scientific literature on prostate cancer early detection from 2016 to 2023 in European Union member states.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and distressing endocrine disorder associated with lower quality of life, subfertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. PCOS characteristics, its comorbidities, and its treatment can potentially influence sexual function. However, studies on sexual function in women with PCOS are limited and contradictory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Triiodothyronine (T3) is important for understanding pregnancy outcomes, but its relationship with adverse obstetric events is not well explored.
- A study examined the effects of gestational free and total T3 levels on issues like preeclampsia and preterm birth using data from over 33,000 mother-child pairs.
- The results revealed complex associations between T3 levels and various risks, indicating that while TT3 may relate to certain outcomes, routine measurements during pregnancy might not significantly improve risk assessment for adverse outcomes.
Objectives: Adjunctive rifampicin for implant-associated infections is controversial. This study investigated the clinical outcomes of rifampicin combination therapy compared with monotherapy in treating prosthetic joint infection (PJI) or prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) due to staphylococci and streptococci.
Methods: A systematic search was performed from inception to 13 June 2022 in Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane and Web of Science to investigate the clinical outcomes of rifampicin combination therapy compared with monotherapy in treating staphylococcal and streptococcal PJI or PVE.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines the uncertainty surrounding the ideal duration of anticoagulation therapy in cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), noting current guidelines typically suggest 3-6 months.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, analyzing studies on VTE recurrence after stopping anticoagulation in cancer patients who had completed at least 3 months of treatment.
- Out of 3856 studies reviewed, 14 studies with 1922 patients were included, leading to the pooled rate of recurrent VTE being estimated, although specific results were not detailed in the provided text.
Introduction: Understanding the clinical potency of latency-reversing agents (LRAs) on the HIV-1 reservoir is useful to deploy future strategies. This systematic review evaluated the effects of LRAs in human intervention studies.
Methods: A literature search was performed using medical databases focusing on studies with adults living with HIV-1 receiving LRAs.
Article Synopsis
- Physical activity may help reduce psychiatric symptoms, but research is sparse on how this happens compared to the broader effect sizes reported in studies.* -
- The review analyzed 22 articles up to March 2022, finding that self-esteem, self-concept, and self-efficacy consistently linked physical activity to lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms across different age groups.* -
- Future mental health interventions focusing on physical activity should target these psychological mechanisms to enhance effectiveness.*
Article Synopsis
- Acetabular dysplasia is a leading cause of hip osteoarthritis and surgery, and can develop in childhood, not just infancy.
- This systematic review examines the prevalence of acetabular dysplasia in healthy children aged 2-18 by analyzing various studies and assessing their quality.
- Findings show that the prevalence of mild dysplasia ranges from 13.4% to 25.6% and severe dysplasia from 2.2% to 10.9%, highlighting the condition's commonality beyond infancy.
Article Synopsis
- Postpartum depression (PPD) significantly affects both mothers and their children, and there’s debate on how thyroid function and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) are linked to PPD.
- A study measured levels of thyroid hormones and TPOAb in pregnant women and assessed their mental health postpartum, but found no strong association between these thyroid factors and PPD.
- The systematic review and meta-analysis included several studies and also showed high variability in results, concluding that while women with positive TPOAb should be monitored, there’s no clear evidence connecting it with PPD.
Article Synopsis
- * A systematic review was undertaken, examining multiple studies to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of POC devices against conventional laboratory-based bilirubin quantification specifically in infants aged 0 to 28 days.
- * The findings of the review indicate that the POC devices showed varying degrees of agreement with laboratory results, analyzing factors like turnaround time, blood volume needed, and instances of failed quantifications across ten included studies involving over 3,000 infants.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how different levels of trauma care (Level I vs. Level II) affect patient outcomes for those with severe injuries, focusing on survival rates and recovery.
- A systematic review included data from 35 studies involving over a million patients, revealing that individuals treated at Level I trauma centers had a higher chance of survival compared to those at Level II, especially in cases of traumatic brain injuries and hemodynamic instability.
- The findings suggest that patients at Level I centers tend to experience longer hospital stays and more intensive care, which correlates with better survival rates when facing severe injuries.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how circulating lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels relate to the risk of all-cause and specific mortality, particularly in people with chronic diseases.
- A comprehensive literature search identified 75 studies involving over 957,000 participants, finding that higher Lp(a) levels correlate with increased mortality risk, especially from cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
- The findings support health guidelines recommending that adults should have their Lp(a) levels checked at least once, as elevated levels may indicate a higher risk of death.
Article Synopsis
- * A significant reduction in mean IOP and IOP-lowering medications was observed, with the average IOP dropping from 21.72 mmHg to 15.92 mmHg after one year, and medications decreasing by about 73%.
- * Though generally safe, secondary surgeries were needed in about 19.4% of cases, with hypotony being the most common complication reported (2−39%).
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to conduct an umbrella review of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) to evaluate the impact of complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) on reducing depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth.
- It will focus on studies that used randomized controlled designs, identified depression through established clinical criteria, and initiated CAT interventions during pregnancy or in the early postpartum period.
- The review will assess the quality of included studies, analyze overlapping data, examine potential publication bias, and report on both the primary outcome of depressive symptom reduction and secondary outcomes like remission and intervention acceptability.
Article Synopsis
- Multiple studies indicate that compulsory community treatment (CCT) does not significantly improve clinical outcomes or reduce hospital admissions compared to voluntary care, yet many countries still implement it due to stakeholder support.
- An integrative review examined the perceptions of various stakeholders—patients, significant others, mental health workers, and policymakers—about CCT, identifying a lack of input from policymakers in the existing literature.
- Most stakeholders, especially relatives and mental health workers, tend to support CCT for its benefits in accessibility and ongoing patient contact, although there's widespread concern about the autonomy restrictions it imposes, with patients showing more hesitation towards CCT.
Article Synopsis
- This review analyzed sedation techniques for children aged 0-8 during MRI procedures, focusing specifically on needle-free methods.
- A total of 67 studies with over 22,000 participants were reviewed, revealing varying success rates for different sedation methods.
- Success rates ranged from 36% for rectal, oral, or intranasal midazolam to 99% for oral pentobarbital, highlighting significant differences in effectiveness among the sedation techniques used.