44,707 papers found

PURPOSE: Benzodiazepines are effective medicines for insomnia and anxiety but are commonly used beyond recommended treatment time frames, which may lead to adverse drug events. The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the success of interventions used to reduce benzodiazepines and 'Z-drug' use, and…

OBJECTIVES: As an essential skill in daily clinical nursing practice, critical thinking ability has been an important objective in nursing education. Concept mapping enables nursing students connect new information to existing knowledge and integrates interdisciplinary knowledge. However, there is a lack of evidence re…

PURPOSE: Breast cancer detections for women with suspicious lesions mainly depend on two non-operative pathological tests-fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and core needle biopsy (CNB). The aim of this systematic review was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of CNB and FNAC in this setting. METHODS: The d…

Previous studies have evaluated the effectiveness of interventions aimed at screen time reduction, but the results have been inconsistent. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to summarize the accumulating evidence of the impact of interventions targeting s…

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement is a fundamental evaluation in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), as both low and high values of CO2 might have detrimental effects on neonatal morbidity and mortality. Though measurement of CO2 in the arterial blood gas is the most accurate way to assess the amount of C…

BACKGROUND: Gastrostomy has been established as the standard procedure for administering long-term enteral nutrition in individuals with swallowing disturbances. Percutaneous gastrostomy is a less-invasive approach than open surgical gastrostomy, and can be accomplished via endoscopy (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostom…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in the prevention of graft versus host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) were identified from PubMed (1950.1-2014.3), EMbase (1970.1-2014.3), Cochrane Central Register of C…

OBJECTIVE: Acrometastases are a rare observation, and account for approximately 0.1% of metastases. Every age can be affected, with a male predominance. The most common primary cancer site is the lung, followed by the colo-rectal, breast and genito-urinary tract. They are most commonly seen in pre-terminal patients wit…

The small-particle inhaled corticosteroid might be a new available way to treat uncontrolled asthma. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of extrafine hydrofluoroalkane-beclomethasone dipropionate (HFA-BDP) versus budesonide (BUD) in patients with asthma, a meta-analysis was performed. A systematic search was made of Pu…

BACKGROUND: Meta-analyses in the literature show that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is associated with lower morbidity rate and shorter hospital stay after elective colorectal surgery. However, a recent Cochrane review did not indicate the ERAS pathway as being the new standard of care due to the limited numbe…

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is widely used to treat diabetic patients with dyspeptic symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis in China. We conducted this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for diabetic gastroparesis (DGP). METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochr…

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the neonate is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Effective treatment options are limited and therefore alternative therapies such as acupuncture are increasingly used. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on mortality…

BACKGROUND: Atrophic rhinitis is a chronic nasal pathology characterised by the formation of thick dry crusts in a roomy nasal cavity, which has resulted from progressive atrophy of the nasal mucosa and underlying bone. The common symptoms may include foetor, ozaena, crusting/nasal obstruction, epistaxis, anosmia/cacos…

OBJECTIVE: Structural neuroimaging studies in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been relatively inconsistent and have mainly been conducted with pediatric samples. Furthermore, there is evidence that stimulant medication may have an effect on brain structure. The authors conducted a meta-analysis of…

BACKGROUND: Ménière's disease is a disorder characterised by hearing loss, tinnitus and disabling vertigo. The use of intratympanic steroids to reduce the severity of these symptoms has been gaining popularity. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of intratympanic steroids on the frequency and severi…

BACKGROUND: The duration of use of azathioprine (Aza) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) for maintaining remission for Crohn's disease is debatable. AIM: To examine whether Aza/6-MP can be safely withdrawn in patients with Crohn's disease who have been in remission. METHODS: The following databases were searched: MEDLINE (1…

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to describe and evaluate both conventional and molecular diagnostic testing utilized in dogs and cats with acute neurologic diseases. Various types of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are explored along with novel molecular diagnostic testing that ultimately may prove useful in the c…

Oxidative stress contributes to aging-related muscle decline, but antioxidant interventions may affect functional and structural outcomes differently. This systematic review synthesized clinical, animal, and cellular evidence across clinically defined sarcopenia and broader models of aging-related muscle decline. PubMe…

PURPOSE: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are prevalent in neurological conditions and can significantly reduce quality of life. Although various treatments are available, many patients remain unresponsive or face side effects. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS), such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulatio…

Traditional anatomy education, anchored in cadaveric dissection and two-dimensional (2D) resources, faces mounting pressure from reduced curricular hours, educator shortages, and rising costs. Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive and repeatable alternative; however, its objective efficacy relative to established me…