44,621 papers found

BACKGROUND: Platinum-based therapy, including cisplatin, carboplatin or oxaliplatin, or a combination of these, is used to treat a variety of paediatric malignancies. Unfortunately, one of the most important adverse effects is the occurrence of hearing loss or ototoxicity. In an effort to prevent this ototoxicity, diff…

BACKGROUND: Childhood constipation is a common problem with substantial health, economic and emotional burdens. Existing therapeutic options, mainly pharmacological, are not consistently effective, and some are associated with adverse effects after prolonged use. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES), a non-pharm…

BACKGROUND: Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease that occurs in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. Since 2000 the infection has caused epidemics in Turkey, Iran, Russia, Uganda and Pakistan. Good-quality general supportive medical care helps reduce mortality. There is uncertainty and controver…

BACKGROUND: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (LSIL) are minor lesions of the cervical epithelium, detectable by cytological examination of cells collected from the surface of the cervix of a woman.Usually, women with ASCUS and LSIL do not have…

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with an expanding therapeutic landscape for moderate-to-severe disease. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have emerged as effective oral treatment options by modulating intracellular inflammatory signalling pathways. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and…

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Thalassemia is an inherited hemoglobin disorder characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic anemia, and progressive multisystem complications that require lifelong management. Current treatment relies on regular red blood cell transfusions, iron chelation therapy, and supportive multidisci…

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a global health crisis associated with increased morbidity and mortality, primarily due to cardiometabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. While glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have gained traction as pharmacologic interventions for…

INTRODUCTION: Child abuse is critically underreported in the Middle East, with up to 90% of cases going unidentified. Nurses play a central role in child protection systems, yet factors influencing their reporting practices in this region have not been comprehensively synthesized. This study aims to review systematical…

BACKGROUND: Childhood and adolescent obesity is increasingly understood as a heterogeneous condition in which excess adiposity may be accompanied by distinct cardiometabolic phenotypes. Metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity have become important concepts for risk stratification, but the over…

INTRODUCTION: Pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments are a growing environmental concern. Because of their widespread use and poor removal by conventional wastewater treatment, benzodiazepines are frequently detected in treated effluents. OBJECTIVE: To synthesise global evidence on the occurrence and distribution of…

Pakistan's female healthcare force faces numerous challenges compared to their male counterparts that hinder their professional development. These systemic barriers contribute to mental health struggles and high attrition rates among women in the healthcare sector. This systematic review aims to identify and analyse th…

Ageing is accompanied by physiological and lifestyle changes that may influence gut microbial metabolism. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate, are microbial metabolites derived from dietary fibre fermentation and play important roles in host metabolic and immune function. This s…

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: While traditional sports nutrition emphasizes high carbohydrate intake for endurance athletes, trained athletes may achieve metabolic adaptation to low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets with maintained or improved performance outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesize evidence o…

Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP), a chronic condition resulting from nerve damage and characterized by altered sensory signaling and central sensitization, poses significant therapeutic challenges. Botulinum toxin (BTX), known for neuromuscular blockades, also exhibits analgesic properties, prompting its investigation…

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have examined the relationship between omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids and pulmonary function and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients, their findings remain mixed and inconclusive, and additional research is warranted. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effects o…

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic lock therapy (ALT) delivers high-concentration antimicrobials into catheter lumens and has been proposed to prevent infections in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies comparing…

Family caregivers of brain tumor patients often experience severe psychological problems, with a high prevalence of mental health issues posing a growing challenge in clinical practice. However, the psychological burden borne by these caregivers remains underrecognized. This study aimed to systematically assess the psy…

Intravenous atropine is widely recommended as the first-line treatment for symptomatic bradycardia, but because the optimal initial dose remains uncertain, the aim of this scoping review was to examine the existing literature on the efficacy and safety of intravenous atropine at specific doses in adult patients with sy…

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in immunotherapies and targeted treatments for HCC, chemotherapy remains a valuable first-line treatment. However, the efficacy of immunotherapy…

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a growing public health concern with high relapse rates. Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques are emerging as potential adjunctive therapies; however, recruitment challenges persist in related clinical trials. To use systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the…