Peptic ulcer disease continues to be issue especially due to its high prevalence in the developing world.Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection associated duodenal ulcers should undergo eradication therapy.There are m...Peptic ulcer disease continues to be issue especially due to its high prevalence in the developing world.Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection associated duodenal ulcers should undergo eradication therapy.There are many regimens offered for H.pylori eradication which include triple,quadruple,or sequential therapy regimens.The central aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence for H.pylori therapy from a meta-analytical outlook.The consequence of the dose,type of proton-pump inhibitor,and the length of the treatment will be debated.The most important risk factor for eradication failure is resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole.展开更多
AIM:To determine the prevalence of recent immunisation amongst children under 7 years of age presenting for febrile convulsions.METHODS:This is a retrospective study of all children under the age of seven presenting w...AIM:To determine the prevalence of recent immunisation amongst children under 7 years of age presenting for febrile convulsions.METHODS:This is a retrospective study of all children under the age of seven presenting with febrile convulsions to a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney.A total of 78 cases occurred in the period January 2011 to July 2012 and were included in the study.Data was extracted from medical records to provide a retrospective review of the convulsions.RESULTS:Of the 78 total cases,there were five medical records which contained information on whether or not immunisation had been administered in the preceding 48 h to presentation to the emergency department.Of these five patients only one patient(1.28%of the study population) was confirmed to have received a vaccination with Infanrix,Prevnar and Rotavirus.The majority of cases reported a current infection as a likely precipitant to the febrile convulsion.CONCLUSION:This study found a very low prevalence of recent immunisation amongst children with febrile convulsions presenting to an emergency department at a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney.This finding,however,may have been distorted by underreporting of vaccination history.展开更多
Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) are the gold standard in terms of study design, however, in the surgical setting conducting RCTs can often be unethical or logistically impossible. Case-control studies should become...Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) are the gold standard in terms of study design, however, in the surgical setting conducting RCTs can often be unethical or logistically impossible. Case-control studies should become the major study design used in surgical research when RCTs are unable to be conducted and definitely replacing case series which offer little insight into surgical outcomes and disease processes.展开更多
BACKGROUND Studies to date comparing outcomes of microwave ablation(MWA)with radiofrequency ablation(RFA)on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have yielded conflicting results,with no clear superiority of one tech...BACKGROUND Studies to date comparing outcomes of microwave ablation(MWA)with radiofrequency ablation(RFA)on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have yielded conflicting results,with no clear superiority of one technique over the other.The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of MWA with RFA.AIM To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of MWA with RFA.METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using Ovid Medline,Embase,PubMed,Reference Citation Analysis,Cochrane Central and Cochrane Systematic Review databases,and Web of Science.Abstracts and full manuscripts were screened for inclusion utilising predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria comparing outcomes of MWA and RFA.A random-effects model was used for each outcome.Meta-regression analysis was performed to adjust for the difference in follow-up period between the studies.Primary outcome measures included complete ablation(CA)rate,local recurrence rate(LRR),survival[local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),overall survival(OS)]and adverse events.RESULTS A total of 42 published studies[34 cohort and 8 randomised controlled trials(RCT)]with 6719 patients fulfilled the selection criteria.There was no significant difference in tumour size between the treatment groups.CA rates between MWA and RFA groups were similar in prospective cohort studies[odds ratio(OR)0.95,95%confidence interval(CI)0.28–3.23]and RCTs(OR 1.18,95%CI 0.64–2.18).However,retrospective studies reported higher rates with MWA(OR 1.29,95%CI 1.06–1.57).Retrospective cohort studies reported higher OS(OR 1.54,95%CI 1.15–2.05 and lower LRR(OR 0.67,95%CI 0.51–0.87).No difference in terms of LRFS or 30-d mortality was observed between both arms.MWA had an increased rate of adverse respiratory events when compared to RFA(OR 1.99,95%CI 1.07–3.71,P=0.03).CONCLUSION MWA achieves similar CA rates and as good or better longer-term outcomes in relation to LRR and OS compared to RFA.Apart from an increased rate of respiratory events post procedure,MWA is as safe as RFA.展开更多
Background: The outcomes and disease associations in pregnant women with primary biliary cholangitis(PBC) have not been largely explored. This study aimed to determine the level of evidence associated with maternal an...Background: The outcomes and disease associations in pregnant women with primary biliary cholangitis(PBC) have not been largely explored. This study aimed to determine the level of evidence associated with maternal and fetal outcomes and other disease associations in female patients with PBC. Data sources:: A comprehensive literature search was conducted. Maternal and fetal outcomes were obtained from patients with a previous, current or subsequent diagnosis of PBC. A random-effects model was employed, using odds ratios(ORs) with 95% confidence intervals(CIs). Results: Eleven studies, with 2179 female PBC patients were included. Pregnant women with PBC were significantly more likely to have a miscarriage(OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-1.58;P = 0.03), and a history of abortion(OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.09-2.07;P = 0.01), with absent heterogeneity( I 2 = 0%). PBC pregnant women were significantly more likely to deliver via vaginal birth(OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.33-2.14;P < 0.001) with low level heterogeneity( I^(2) < 0.001%). Patients had a statistically significant increased likelihood of lifetime smoking(OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.17-3.23;P = 0.01). Egger’s regression revealed no evidence of publication bias. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides pooled evidence that a PBC pregnancy is associated with fetal morbidity and maternal lifestyle associations that may influence pregnancy outcomes. More studies are needed to establish disease associations that may directly affect pregnancy outcomes. These data are essential for clinicians managing these patients before, during or after pregnancy.展开更多
文摘Peptic ulcer disease continues to be issue especially due to its high prevalence in the developing world.Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection associated duodenal ulcers should undergo eradication therapy.There are many regimens offered for H.pylori eradication which include triple,quadruple,or sequential therapy regimens.The central aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence for H.pylori therapy from a meta-analytical outlook.The consequence of the dose,type of proton-pump inhibitor,and the length of the treatment will be debated.The most important risk factor for eradication failure is resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole.
文摘AIM:To determine the prevalence of recent immunisation amongst children under 7 years of age presenting for febrile convulsions.METHODS:This is a retrospective study of all children under the age of seven presenting with febrile convulsions to a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney.A total of 78 cases occurred in the period January 2011 to July 2012 and were included in the study.Data was extracted from medical records to provide a retrospective review of the convulsions.RESULTS:Of the 78 total cases,there were five medical records which contained information on whether or not immunisation had been administered in the preceding 48 h to presentation to the emergency department.Of these five patients only one patient(1.28%of the study population) was confirmed to have received a vaccination with Infanrix,Prevnar and Rotavirus.The majority of cases reported a current infection as a likely precipitant to the febrile convulsion.CONCLUSION:This study found a very low prevalence of recent immunisation amongst children with febrile convulsions presenting to an emergency department at a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney.This finding,however,may have been distorted by underreporting of vaccination history.
文摘Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) are the gold standard in terms of study design, however, in the surgical setting conducting RCTs can often be unethical or logistically impossible. Case-control studies should become the major study design used in surgical research when RCTs are unable to be conducted and definitely replacing case series which offer little insight into surgical outcomes and disease processes.
文摘BACKGROUND Studies to date comparing outcomes of microwave ablation(MWA)with radiofrequency ablation(RFA)on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have yielded conflicting results,with no clear superiority of one technique over the other.The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of MWA with RFA.AIM To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of MWA with RFA.METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using Ovid Medline,Embase,PubMed,Reference Citation Analysis,Cochrane Central and Cochrane Systematic Review databases,and Web of Science.Abstracts and full manuscripts were screened for inclusion utilising predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria comparing outcomes of MWA and RFA.A random-effects model was used for each outcome.Meta-regression analysis was performed to adjust for the difference in follow-up period between the studies.Primary outcome measures included complete ablation(CA)rate,local recurrence rate(LRR),survival[local recurrence-free survival(LRFS),overall survival(OS)]and adverse events.RESULTS A total of 42 published studies[34 cohort and 8 randomised controlled trials(RCT)]with 6719 patients fulfilled the selection criteria.There was no significant difference in tumour size between the treatment groups.CA rates between MWA and RFA groups were similar in prospective cohort studies[odds ratio(OR)0.95,95%confidence interval(CI)0.28–3.23]and RCTs(OR 1.18,95%CI 0.64–2.18).However,retrospective studies reported higher rates with MWA(OR 1.29,95%CI 1.06–1.57).Retrospective cohort studies reported higher OS(OR 1.54,95%CI 1.15–2.05 and lower LRR(OR 0.67,95%CI 0.51–0.87).No difference in terms of LRFS or 30-d mortality was observed between both arms.MWA had an increased rate of adverse respiratory events when compared to RFA(OR 1.99,95%CI 1.07–3.71,P=0.03).CONCLUSION MWA achieves similar CA rates and as good or better longer-term outcomes in relation to LRR and OS compared to RFA.Apart from an increased rate of respiratory events post procedure,MWA is as safe as RFA.
文摘Background: The outcomes and disease associations in pregnant women with primary biliary cholangitis(PBC) have not been largely explored. This study aimed to determine the level of evidence associated with maternal and fetal outcomes and other disease associations in female patients with PBC. Data sources:: A comprehensive literature search was conducted. Maternal and fetal outcomes were obtained from patients with a previous, current or subsequent diagnosis of PBC. A random-effects model was employed, using odds ratios(ORs) with 95% confidence intervals(CIs). Results: Eleven studies, with 2179 female PBC patients were included. Pregnant women with PBC were significantly more likely to have a miscarriage(OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-1.58;P = 0.03), and a history of abortion(OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.09-2.07;P = 0.01), with absent heterogeneity( I 2 = 0%). PBC pregnant women were significantly more likely to deliver via vaginal birth(OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.33-2.14;P < 0.001) with low level heterogeneity( I^(2) < 0.001%). Patients had a statistically significant increased likelihood of lifetime smoking(OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.17-3.23;P = 0.01). Egger’s regression revealed no evidence of publication bias. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides pooled evidence that a PBC pregnancy is associated with fetal morbidity and maternal lifestyle associations that may influence pregnancy outcomes. More studies are needed to establish disease associations that may directly affect pregnancy outcomes. These data are essential for clinicians managing these patients before, during or after pregnancy.
