43,327 papers found

OBJECTIVE: To systematically compare the fusion rate and safety of lumbar interbody fusion using one cage versus two cages for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal diseases. METHODS: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative observational studies written in English comparing the outcome of lumbar…

AIMS: Standard inotropic treatment is often necessary in end-stage heart failure but may be harmful. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to investigate the effect of repeated administration of levosimendan on survival in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four investigat…

BACKGROUND: To analyze the diagnostic value of color Doppler imaging (CDI) of blood flow in the retrobulbar vessels of eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: Pertinent publications were retrieved from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed and the ISI Web of Knowledge up to October…

BACKGROUND: The standard treatment for brain metastases is whole brain radiation, but the medium survival is about 3-10 months and hadn't be improved for years. AIM: This study was to evaluate the effect of antineoplastic therapy combined with whole brain radiation for brain metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We sear…

BACKGROUND: Typhoid and paratyphoid fever remain important causes of morbidity worldwide. Accurate disease burden estimates are needed to guide policy decisions and prevention and control strategies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of the PubMed and Scopus databases using pre-defined criteria to i…

OBJECTIVE: The long-term use of milrinone is associated with increased mortality in chronic heart failure. A recent meta-analysis suggested that it might increase mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The authors conducted an updated meta-analysis of randomized trials in patients undergoing cardiac surgery…

BACKGROUND: Many clinicians and patients believe that endometriosis-associated pain is due to the lesions. Yet causality remains an enigma, because pain symptoms attributed to endometriosis occur in women without endometriosis and because pain symptoms and severity correlate poorly with lesion characteristics. Most res…

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has started to embrace the early use of therapeutic hypothermia as standard treatment to improve neurological recovery in out-of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review to provide an overall description of the current literature…

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and characteristics of randomised controlled trials that report using the modified intention to treat approach, and how the approach is described. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, ISI Web of Knowledge, Ovid,…

OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted a review of randomized studies to determine whether there were any advantages for clinically relevant outcomes by adding epidural analgesia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery under general anesthesia. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SETTING: Hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2366 patien…

OBJECTIVE: Controversial results exist on the effects of spinal analgesia in cardiac surgery. The authors conducted a review of randomized studies to show whether there are any advantages in clinically relevant outcomes using spinal analgesia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SETTING: Mul…

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Overactive bladder (OAB) is characterised by urinary urgency, with or without incontinence, often accompanied by daytime frequency and nocturia, in the absence of urinary tract infection or other identifiable causes. Population studies estimate the prevalence of OAB at 12.8% (EPIC study), i…

BACKGROUND: The use of long-term non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to treat sleep and breathing disorders in children has increased substantially in the last decade; however, less data exist about its use in infants. Given that infants have distinct sleep and breathing patterns when compared to older children, the outcome…

BACKGROUND: In recent years, intravitreal injections have added to the treatment modalities available for macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). This article aims to provide an update regarding the management of ME secondary to RVO. METHODS: A work group met in order to analyze the literature av…

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are central to evidence-based practice (EBP). Despite their growing volume in low- and middle-income countries, especially those produced by nursing-affiliated institutions in North Africa (NA), no empirical meta-research has systematically asse…

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies, largely due to late diagnosis and limited treatment options. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a well-established environmental and occupational carcinogen, and emerging epidemiological observations have raised questions about its potential involvement in can…

INTRODUCTION: The learning environment (LE) is widely recognized as a key focus of medical education scholarship, influencing student motivation, academic performance, professional identity formation, and wellbeing. Despite its recognized importance, a global, comprehensive understanding of research trends, key contrib…

INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure (BP) in obese populations poses significant cardiovascular risks, yet the comparative effectiveness of various weight loss interventions on BP remains unclear. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aims to assess the comparative effectiveness of weight loss interventio…

Unmet healthcare needs, driven by structural and patient-level barriers, are particularly critical in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, limited research has examined how academic themes on this topic connect and evolve over time. This study analyzed the structure and temporal shifts in research tre…

Ultrastructural alterations in the central nervous system-such as synaptic dysfunction, axonal injury, and demyelination-contribute to the cognitive and sensorimotor deficits observed in neurological damage, in which TLR4-mediated neuroinflammation is a key pathological feature. This systematic review synthesizes evide…