Efficacy and safety of Chinese tonic medicines for treating sepsis or septic shock: a protocol for a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction with high morbidity and mortality. Various studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Chinese tonic medicines (CTMs) in treating sepsis or septic shock. However, trials directly comparing the efficacy and safety of different CTMs for sepsis or septic shock are still lacking.

Surgical interventions for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Surgical interventions for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) include conventional craniotomy (CC), decompressive craniectomy (DC), and minimally invasive surgery (MIS), with the latter encompassing endoscopic surgery (ES) and minimally invasive puncture surgery (MIPS). However, the superiority of surgery over conservative medical treatment (CMT) and the comparative benefits of different surgical procedures remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various surgical interventions for treating ICH.

Approaches to Reach Trustworthy Patient Education: A Narrative Review.

Background: Patient education is a cornerstone of modern healthcare. Health literacy improves health-related quality of life and health outcomes of patients, enhanced by effective patient education. Inadequate competency of patient education in healthcare providers triggered this review to summarize common approaches and recent advancements.

Fostering Shared Decision-Making Between Patients and Health Care Professionals in Clinical Practice Guidelines: Protocol for a Project to Develop and Test a Tool for Guideline Developers.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are designed to assist health care professionals in medical decision-making, but they often lack effective integration of shared decision-making (SDM) principles to reflect patient values and preferences, particularly in the context of preference-sensitive CPG recommendations. To address this shortcoming and foster SDM through CPGs, the integration of patient decision aids (PDAs) into CPGs has been proposed as an important strategy. However, methods for systematically identifying and prioritizing CPG recommendations relevant to SDM and related decision support tools are currently lacking.

Cross-country inequalities in disease burden and care quality of chronic kidney disease due to type 2 diabetes mellitus, 1990-2021: Findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.

Aim: To explore the trend of burden and care quality of chronic kidney disease due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (CKD-T2DM) and their cross-country inequalities from 1990 to 2021.

Materials And Methods: Data were from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study. Disease burden and care quality were quantified using the disability-adjusted life years rate and the quality-of-care index (QCI).

The reporting quality of meta-epidemiological studies needs substantial improvement: a research on research study.

Background: Meta-epidemiological research plays a vital role in providing empirical evidence needed to develop methodological manuals and tools, but the reporting quality has not been comprehensively assessed, and the influence of reporting guidelines remains unclear. The current study aims to evaluate the reporting quality of meta-epidemiological studies, assess the impact of reporting guidelines, and identify factors influencing reporting quality.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase for meta-epidemiological studies.

Chaiqin chengqi decoction treatment mitigates hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis by modulating liver-mediated glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Background: The incidence of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) is increasing globally and more so in China. The characteristics of liver-mediated metabolites and related key enzymes are rarely reported in HTG-AP. Chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD) has been shown to protect against AP including HTG-AP in both patients and rodent models, but the underlying mechanisms in HTG-AP remain unexplored.

Moxibustion of Zusanli (ST36) and Shenshu (BL23) alleviates the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis in rats through regulating macrophage migration inhibitory factor/glucocorticoids signaling.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that moxibustion may inhibit rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial inflammation by regulating the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)/glucocorticoids (GCs).

Methods: Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups ( 10 each): blank Control (CON) group, RA Model (RA) group, Moxibustion (MOX) group, MIF inhibitor (S,R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester (ISO-1) group, and Moxibustion + MIF inhibitor ISO-1 (MOX + ISO-1) group. Rats in the ISO-1 group and ISO-1 + MOX group were intraperitoneally injected with the inhibitor ISO-1.

The impact of blinding on estimated treatment effects in randomized clinical trials on acupuncture: A meta-epidemiological study.

Objective: To evaluate the sole impact of blinding patients and outcome assessors in acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on treatment effects while considering the type of outcome measures.

Methods: We searched databases for the meta-analyses on acupuncture with both blinded and non-blinded RCTs. Mixed-effects meta-regression models estimated the average ratio of odds ratios (ROR) and differences in standardized mean differences (dSMD) for non-blinded RCTs versus blinded mixed-effects meta-regression model.

Estimates of the global burden of non-Hodgkin lymphoma attributable to HIV: a population attributable modeling study.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development, yet the population-level impact on NHL burden is unquantified. We aim to quantify this association and estimate the global burden of HIV-associated NHL.

Methods: In this meta-analysis, we searched five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus) from database inception up to September 13, 2023, identifying cohort, case-control, or cross-sectional studies with an effective control group to assess NHL risk among individuals with HIV infection, with two authors extracting summary data from reports.

What should be measured and reported in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis? A study protocol for establishing a core outcome set.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterised by inflammation of the exocrine pancreas, which potentially leads to local complications and organ failure resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. A long-term follow-up by an experienced team is needed. Currently, a variety of outcome measures are used in clinical trials for patients with AP.

Is antibiotic prophylaxis generally safe and effective in surgical and nonsurgical scenarios? Evidence from an umbrella review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The authors aimed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of antibiotic prophylaxis through surgical and nonsurgical scenarios and assess the strength of evidence.

Materials And Methods: The authors performed an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). An evidence map was created to summarize the absolute benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis in each scenario and certainty of evidence.

Effectiveness and safety of knotless barbed sutures in cosmetic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The barbed suture, which can eliminate knot tying and accelerate the placement of sutures, is an innovative type of suture, whereas the benefits of cosmetic surgeries (CS) are controversial. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of barbed sutures in CS.

Method: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.

Efficacy and safety of community-based moxibustion for primary hypertension: A randomized controlled trial with patient preference arms.

Moxibustion has been shown to have a potential antihypertensive effect, but its applicability for the primary care of hypertension is unclear. The authors conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) with patient preference arms to investigate the effect, safety, cost-effectiveness, and compliance of moxibustion in community patients with hypertension. Patients with primary hypertension were enrolled from seven communities randomly or nonrandomly assigned to receive self-administered moxibustion + the original hypertensive regimen or the original hypertensive regimen alone for 6 months.

Use of real world data to improve drug coverage decisions in China.

discuss the rationale and propose a framework for using real world evidence to support coverage decisions in Chinese setting

Risk factors for bloodstream infection in paediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a standard treatment for paediatric haematological diseases, is highly associated with bloodstream infection (BSI), which may increase mortality.

Aim: To explore the risk factors for BSI in paediatric HSCT recipients.

Methods: Three English databases and four Chinese databases were searched from inception to March 17, 2022.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: A cross-sectional analysis of characteristics, early discontinuation, and reporting results.

Unlabelled: Objective Contrast-enhanced ultrasound offers numerous potential applications in diagnostic and interventional radiology. However, systematic studies on the status of clinical studies are limited. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of registered contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies on ClinicalTrials.

Safety of ezetimibe in lipid-lowering treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies.

Objective: To determine the harms of ezetimibe in people who need lipid-lowering treatment.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Randomised controlled trials and cohort studies.

Partial Identification of Personalized Treatment Response with Trial-reported Analyses of Binary Subgroups.

Medical journals have adhered to a reporting practice that seriously limits the usefulness of published trial findings. Medical decision makers commonly observe many patient covariates and seek to use this information to personalize treatment choices. Yet standard summaries of trial findings only partition subjects into broad subgroups, typically binary categories.

DNA Methylation Architecture Provides Insight into the Pathogenesis of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Numerous studies suggested methylation modifications play an important role in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), but few have depicted DNA methylation architecture on the pathological process of UTUC. We aimed to better understand the pathogenesis of UTUC and provide precision medicine references when managing UTUC patients.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for UTUC until December 31, 2020.

AGI grade-guided chaiqin chengqi decoction treatment for predicted moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis (CAP trial): study protocol of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, pragmatic clinical trial.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common digestive disease with increased incidence globally but without internationally licenced pharmacological therapy. Moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP/SAP) contributes predominately for its morbidities and mortality and has been managed in West China Hospital for decades using the traditional Chinese medicinal formula chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD). The current study tests whether the early administration of CQCQD will result in improved clinical outcomes in predicted MSAP/SAP patients.