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A systematic review of indications when and how a military walking Blood Bank could bridge blood product unavailability
Degueldre, J., Dessy, E., T'Sas, F., Deneys, V.
Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue. 2024
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood supply problems in remote areas are well known. To overcome this shortage, many countries have developed innovative Walking Blood Bank (WBB) protocols. However, no common standards have yet been set for their use and common actions. Given that these procedures involve a certain risk, it would be interesting to analyse the activating criteria that lead to using this unusual protocol. Thus, this review aimed to identify indications for a WBB and the common risk mitigation measures. MATERIAL AND METHODS This PRISMA-compliant review only included studies published from 1985 to 25(th) of January 2023 that describe adult male military casualties requiring blood transfused locally using a walking blood transfusion protocol. All relevant data (i.e., activation and contextual factors and risk mitigation measures) were tabulated to retrieve information from the selected military studies. RESULTS Our results indicated that activation criteria were homogeneous across the 12 reviewed studies. Whole blood was collected from a WBB when there was a shortage of blood products and when platelets were needed. In the literature reviewed, the main risks associated with such a protocol, namely hemolytic adverse events and transfusion transmitted diseases, are mitigated by the use of typing and screening measures if they are reported. However, there is less consistency in the implementation of those risk mitigation measures. DISCUSSION This unusual protocol needs to be integrated into the medical support plan until conventional transfusion support can take over, and should include on-site blood collection from a donor, whether a WBB or an emergency donor panel. The benefits of such a protocol outweigh the risks in a life-threatening situation, especially since these risks can be anticipated and minimised by planning to pre-screen all potential donors before their deployment. Finally, educating and training the staff who must implement this unusual procedure can also improve the safety and survival rate of future patients.
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Systematic Review of Artificial Intelligence for Abnormality Detection in High-volume Neuroimaging and Subgroup Meta-analysis for Intracranial Hemorrhage Detection
Agarwal, S., Wood, D., Grzeda, M., Suresh, C., Din, M., Cole, J., Modat, M., Booth, T. C.
Clinical neuroradiology. 2023;:1-14
Abstract
PURPOSE Most studies evaluating artificial intelligence (AI) models that detect abnormalities in neuroimaging are either tested on unrepresentative patient cohorts or are insufficiently well-validated, leading to poor generalisability to real-world tasks. The aim was to determine the diagnostic test accuracy and summarise the evidence supporting the use of AI models performing first-line, high-volume neuroimaging tasks. METHODS Medline, Embase, Cochrane library and Web of Science were searched until September 2021 for studies that temporally or externally validated AI capable of detecting abnormalities in first-line computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) neuroimaging. A bivariate random effects model was used for meta-analysis where appropriate. This study was registered on PROSPERO as CRD42021269563. RESULTS Out of 42,870 records screened, and 5734 potentially eligible full texts, only 16 studies were eligible for inclusion. Included studies were not compromised by unrepresentative datasets or inadequate validation methodology. Direct comparison with radiologists was available in 4/16 studies and 15/16 had a high risk of bias. Meta-analysis was only suitable for intracranial hemorrhage detection in CT imaging (10/16 studies), where AI systems had a pooled sensitivity and specificity 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-0.94) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.95), respectively. Other AI studies using CT and MRI detected target conditions other than hemorrhage (2/16), or multiple target conditions (4/16). Only 3/16 studies implemented AI in clinical pathways, either for pre-read triage or as post-read discrepancy identifiers. CONCLUSION The paucity of eligible studies reflects that most abnormality detection AI studies were not adequately validated in representative clinical cohorts. The few studies describing how abnormality detection AI could impact patients and clinicians did not explore the full ramifications of clinical implementation.
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Detection of Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy by Viscoelastic Haemostatic Assays Compared to Standard Laboratory Tests: A Systematic Review
Forster, E. K., Hendel, S., Mitra, B.
Transfusion medicine and hemotherapy : offizielles Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhamatologie. 2023;50(4):334-347
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether viscoelastic haemostatic assays (VHAs) offer comparative diagnostic ability of acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) compared to the standard laboratory coagulation tests (SLCT). ATC is a complication of major trauma characterized by dysfunctional blood clotting, leading to an increased bleeding risk. Additionally, we aimed to analyse the association of VHA with blood product use and health outcomes. METHODS The search protocol was pre-published and completed on December 2, 2020, assessing manuscripts from 2000 until the present. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, BIOSIS, Emcare, CINAHL, and additional online resources and referenced lists. Included were manuscripts that quantitatively reported the detection of ATC using VHAs and SLCTs. A meta-analysis was undertaken including observational studies that reported on patients with injuries to all body regions and results analysed using a random-effects model and reported using pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS There were 14 observational studies and one randomized control trial involving 2,715 participants that satisfied inclusion criteria. We observed significant heterogeneity in the definitions of ATC, study design, setting, and patient population. Among observational studies that reported on patients with injuries to all body regions, VHAs were associated with higher odds of diagnosing ATC compared to SLCT (pooled OR 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4-4.1). There was inadequate evidence to suggest VHAs were associated with reduced blood product usage or lower mortality. CONCLUSION VHAs detected more patients with ATC compared to SLCTs. However, the clinical significance and applicability of this finding remains unknown as translation to management was not adequately reported.
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Systematic review highlights high risk of bias of clinical prediction models for blood transfusion in patients undergoing elective surgery
Dhiman P, Ma J, Gibbs VN, Rampotas A, Kamal H, Arshad SS, Kirtley S, Doree C, Murphy MF, Collins GS, et al
Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2023
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Editor's Choice
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood transfusion can be a lifesaving intervention after perioperative blood loss. Many prediction models have been developed to identify patients most likely to require blood transfusion during elective surgery, but it is unclear whether any are suitable for clinical practice. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted a systematic review, searching MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Transfusion Evidence Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies reporting the development or validation of a blood transfusion prediction model in elective surgery patients between 01/01/2000 to 30/06/2021. We extracted study characteristics, discrimination performance (c-statistics) of final models and data which we used to perform risk of bias assessment using the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). RESULTS We reviewed 66 studies (72 developed and 48 externally validated models). Pooled c-statistics of externally validated models ranged from 0.67 to 0.78. Most developed and validated models were at high risk of bias due to handling of predictors, validation methods, and too small sample sizes. CONCLUSION Most blood transfusion prediction models are at high risk of bias and suffer from poor reporting and methodological quality, which must be addressed before they can be safely used in clinical practice.
PICO Summary
Population
Patients undergoing elective surgery (66 studies).
Intervention
Blood transfusion prediction models used perioperatively.
Comparison
Outcome
This systematic review appraised 120 prediction models developed or validated for predicting blood transfusion in elective surgery (72 developed and 48 externally validated models). Pooled c-statistics of externally validated models ranged from 0.67 to 0.78. Most developed and validated models were at high risk of bias due to handling of predictors, validation methods, and too small sample sizes.
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A systematic review on viscoelastic testing in subarachnoid haemorrhage patients
Tjerkstra, M. A., Wolfs, A. E., Verbaan, D., Vandertop, W. P., Horn, J., Müller, M. C. A., Juffermans, N. P.
World Neurosurgery. 2023
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bleeding and thromboembolic complications frequently occur following subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and substantially contribute to poor outcome. Viscoelastic testing could be used for detection of coagulopathies following SAH. This review summarizes literature on the utility of viscoelastic testing to detect coagulopathy in SAH patients and explores whether viscoelastic parameters are associated with SAH-related complications and clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS PUBMED, EMBASE and Google Scholar were systematically searched on August 18(th), 2022. Two authors independently selected studies which performed viscoelastic testing in SAH patients and assessed the quality of studies using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale or a previously published framework for quality assessment. Data was meta-analysed if methodologically possible. RESULTS The search yielded 19 studies (1160 SAH patients). Pooling of data including all relevant studies was not possible for any of the outcome measurements due to methodological differences. Thirteen of 19 studies evaluated the association of coagulation profiles and SAH, of which 11 studies showed a hypercoagulable profile. Rebleeding was associated with platelet dysfunction, deep venous thrombosis was associated with faster clot initiation and both delayed cerebral ischemia and poor outcome were associated with increased clot strength. CONCLUSIONS This explorative review shows that SAH patients frequently have a hypercoagulable profile. TEG- and ROTEM-parameters are associated with rebleeding, delayed cerebral ischemia, deep venous thrombosis and poor clinical outcome after SAH, however more research on the subject is needed. Future studies should focus on determining the optimal time frame and cut-off values for TEG or ROTEM to predict these complications.
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Quantification of blood loss for the diagnosis of postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Ruiz, M. T., Azevedo, N. F., Resende, C. V., Rodrigues, W. F., Meneguci, J., Contim, D., Wernet, M., Oliveira, C. J. F.
Revista brasileira de enfermagem. 2023;76(6):e20230070
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to compare the effectiveness of different diagnostic methods to estimate postpartum blood volume loss. METHODS a systematic review of effectiveness according to PRISMA and JBI Protocol. Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL, with descriptor "Postpartum Hemorrhage" associated with keyword "Quantification of Blood Loss". Tabulated extracted data, presented in metasynthesis and meta-analysis was applied to quantitative data. To assess risk of bias, JBI Appraisal Tools were applied. RESULTS fourteen studies were included, published between 2006 and 2021. Quantification of loss by any method was superior to visual estimation and is highly recommended, however the studies' high heterogeneity did not allow estimating this association. CONCLUSION the studies' high heterogeneity, with a probable margin of error given the uncontrolled factors, indicates the need for further studies, however quantification proved to be effective in relation to visual estimate. PROSPERO registration CRD 42021234486.
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The role of point of care thromboelastography (TEG) and thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in management of Primary postpartum haemorrhage: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Khanna P, Sinha C, Singh AK, Kumar A, Sarkar S
Saudi journal of anaesthesia. 2023;17(1):23-32
Abstract
BACKGROUND The utility of instantaneous evaluation of coagulation during primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is paramount in the context of empirical blood product transfusion-related risk of dilutional and consumptive coagulopathy and circulatory overload. METHODS A profound screening of electronic databases till August 15, 2022 was carried out after being enlisted in PROSPERO (CRD42021275514). Randomized control studies, comparative cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies comparing point-of-care viscoelastic test guided blood product transfusion with empirical transfusion in patients with PPH were included. RESULTS We retrieved five studies, with a total of 1914 parturient with PPH. Patients receiving transfusion based upon point of care viscoelastic tests had lesser risk of having emergency hysterectomy (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.95, I(2) = 7%), transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) (OR = 0.03, 95% CI 0.00-0.50), reduced transfusion of fresh frozen plasma (OR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.04-0.14, I(2) = 89%), platelets (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-0.91, I(2) = 89%), packed red blood cell transfusion (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.55-0.88, I(2) = 89%), and had better cost-effective treatment [Mean difference (MD) = -357.5, 95% CI - 567.75 to -147.25, I(2) = 93%] than patient received empirical transfusion. However, there was no significant difference in the requirement of ICU admissions (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.46-1.29, I(2) = 82%). No mortality was detected across the studies. CONCLUSIONS Point of care viscoelastic assessment guided transfusion in PPH confederates with reduced morbidity. Nevertheless, more studies on the triggering values for transfusion, long-term survival, and cost-benefit in patients with PPH are warranted to establish its utility.
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Cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses patients and association with peri-operative outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Vitolo M, Mei DA, Cimato P, Bonini N, Imberti JF, Cataldo P, Menozzi M, Filippini T, Vinceti M, Boriani G
Current problems in cardiology. 2023;:101789
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strategies for blood conservation, coupled with a careful preoperative assessment, may be applied to Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) patients who are candidates for cardiac surgery interventions. There is a need to assess clinical outcomes and safety of bloodless surgery in JW patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing JW patients with controls undergoing cardiac surgery. The primary endpoint was short-term mortality (in-hospital or 30-day mortality). Peri-procedural myocardial infarction, re-exploration for bleeding, pre-and post-operative Hb levels and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time were also analyzed. RESULTS A total of 10 studies including 2,302 patients were included. The pooled analysis showed no substantial differences in terms of short-term mortality among the two groups (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.74-1.73, I(2)=0%). There were no differences in peri-operative outcomes among JW patients and controls (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.39-2.41, I(2)=18% for myocardial infarction; OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.51-1.25, I(2)=0% for re-exploration for bleeding). JW patients had a higher level of pre-operative Hb (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] 0.32, 95% CI 0.06-0.57) and a trend toward a higher level of post-operative Hb (SMD 0.44, 95% CI -0.01-0.90). A slightly lower CPB time emerged in JWs compared with controls (SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.30-0.07). CONCLUSIONS JW patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with avoidance of blood transfusions, did not have substantially different peri-operative outcomes compared with controls, with specific reference to mortality, myocardial infarction, and re-exploration for bleeding. Our results support the safety and feasibility of bloodless cardiac surgery, applying patient blood management strategies.
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Can Artificial Intelligence Be Applied to Diagnose Intracerebral Hemorrhage under the Background of the Fourth Industrial Revolution? A Novel Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Zhao K, Zhao Q, Zhou P, Liu B, Zhang Q, Yang M
International journal of clinical practice. 2022;2022:9430097
Abstract
AIM: We intended to provide the clinical evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to assist doctors in the diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS Studies published in 2021 were identified after the literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to perform the quality assessment of studies. Data extraction of diagnosis effect included accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), area under curve (AUC), and Dice scores (Dices). The pooled effect with its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated by the random effects model. I-Square (I (2)) was used to test heterogeneity. To check the stability of the overall results, sensitivity analysis was conducted by recalculating the pooled effect of the remaining studies after omitting the study with the highest quality or the random effects model was switched to the fixed effects model. Funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias. To reduce heterogeneity, recalculating the pooled effect of the remaining studies after omitting the study with the lowest quality or perform subgroup analysis. RESULTS Twenty-five diagnostic tests of ICH via AI and doctors with overall high quality were included. Pooled ACC, SEN, SPE, PPV, NPV, AUC, and Dices were 0.88 (0.83∼0.93), 0.85 (0.81∼0.89), 0.90 (0.88∼0.92), 0.80 (0.75∼0.85), 0.93 (0.91∼0.95), 0.84 (0.80∼0.89), and 0.90 (0.85∼0.95), respectively. There was no publication bias. All of results were stable as revealed by sensitivity analysis and were accordant as outcomes via subgroups analysis. CONCLUSION Under the background of the fourth industrial revolution, AI might be an effective and efficient tool to assist doctors in the clinical diagnosis of ICH.
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What is the optimal management of thromboprophylaxis after liver transplantation regarding prevention of bleeding, hepatic artery or portal vein thrombosis? A systematic review of the literature and expert panel recommendations
Kirchner VA, O'Farrell B, Imber C, McCormack L, Northup PG, Song GW, Spiro M, Raptis DA, Durand F
Clinical transplantation. 2022;:e14629
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Abstract
BACKGROUND A key tenet of clinical management of patients post liver transplantation (LT) is the prevention of thrombotic and bleeding complications. This systematic review investigated the optimal management of thromboprophylaxis after LT regarding portal vein thrombosis (PVT) or hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and prevention of bleeding. METHODS Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and recommendations using the GRADE approach derived from an international expert panel. Seven databases were used to conduct extensive literature searches focusing on the use of anticoagulation in LT and its impact on the following outcomes: PVT, HAT, and bleeding. (CRD42021244288) RESULTS Of the 2,478 articles/abstracts screened, 16 studies were included in the final review. All articles were critically appraised by a panel of independent reviewers. There was wide variation regarding the anticoagulation protocols used. Thromboprophylaxis with therapeutic doses of heparin/Vitamin K antagonist combination did not decrease the risk of de novo or the recurrence of PVT but was associated with an increased risk of bleeding in some studies. Only the use of aspirin resulted in a small but significant decrease in the incidence of HAT post-LT, yet it did not increase the risk of bleeding. CONCLUSIONS Based on existing data and expert opinion, thromboprophylaxis at therapeutic or prophylactic dose is not recommended for prevention of de novo PVT following LT in patients not at high risk. Aspirin should be considered as the standard of care following LT to prevent HAT. Thromboprophylaxis should be strongly considered in recipients at risk of HAT and PVT following LT. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.