1.
Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in intracranial haemorrhage: A meta-analysis
Xiong Y, Guo X, Huang X, Kang X, Zhou J, Chen C, Pan Z, Wang L, Goldbrunner R, Stavrinou L, et al
PloS one. 2023;18(3):e0282726
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although some studies have shown that tranexamic acid is beneficial to patients with intracranial haemorrhage, the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid for intracranial haemorrhage remain controversial. METHOD The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched. The review followed PRISMA guidelines. Data were analyzed using the random-effects model. RESULTS Twenty-five randomized controlled trials were included. Tranexamic acid significantly inhibited hematoma growth in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. (ICH: mean difference -1.76, 95%CI -2.78 to -0.79, I2 = 0%, P < .001; TBI: MD -4.82, 95%CI -8.06 to -1.58, I2 = 0%, P = .004). For subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients, it significantly decreased the risk of hydrocephalus (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.50, I2 = 0%, P = .04) and rebleeding (OR, 0.52, 95%CI 0.35 to 0.79, I2 = 56% P = .002). There was no significance in modified Rankin Scale, Glasgow Outcome Scale 3-5, mortality, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or ischemic stroke/transient ischemic. CONCLUSION Tranexamic acid can significantly reduce the risk of intracranial haemorrhage growth in patients with ICH and TBI. Tranexamic acid can reduce the incidence of complications (hydrocephalus, rebleeding) in patients with SAH, which can indirectly improve the quality of life of patients with intracranial haemorrhage.
2.
Efficacy of therapies in the treatment of Guillain-Barre syndrome: A network meta-analysis
Lin J, Gao Q, Xiao K, Tian D, Hu W, Han Z
Medicine. 2021;100(41):e27351
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a disease with the features of acuteness, paralysis, inflammation, and in peripheral nerves. There are many current treatment options with varying efficacy, and to assess their effectiveness, we performed a network meta-analysis (NMA). The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD: 42019119178). Posted history: this manuscript was previously posted to medRxiv: doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.03.20121780. METHODS The literature search database includes Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library that meets the requirements. We performed the NMA using controlled trials with 2 kinds of outcomes. We used the gemtc R package to perform the NMA to evaluate different GBS treatments' relative results. The consistency of direct and indirect evidence was also assessed by R software with gemtc package. RESULTS This NMA study included a total of 2474 subjects from 28 trials with 15 kinds of therapies. No improvement was observed in methylprednisolone and prednisolone compared with placebo. Conversely, plasma exchange (PE) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) were more effective than placebo. There was no significant difference between different doses and courses of PE and IVIg. For combination treatment, such as IVIg+eculizumab, immunoadsorption followed by IVIg and PE followed by IVIg, they didn't show significant advantages than IVIg and PE in NMA. On the consistency examination between direct and indirect evidence, there was no apparent heterogeneity between them. Funnel plots indicated there was little possibility of publication bias in this study. CONCLUSION PE or IVIg has significant efficacy for GBS patients. The effects of several kinds of therapies should be further explored. Corticosteroids have no considerable impact on GBS.
3.
Tranexamic Acid in Cerebral Hemorrhage: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Hu W, Xin Y, Chen X, Song Z, He Z, Zhao Y
CNS drugs. 2019
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tranexamic acid functions as an antifibrinolytic medication and is widely used to treat or prevent excessive blood loss in menorrhagia and during the perioperative period. The efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing mortaligy and disability, and the occurrence of complications during treatment of cerebral hemorrhage remains controversial. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in patients with cerebral hemorrhage, aiming to improve the evidence-based medical knowledge of treatment options for such patients. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed in English through 31 August 2018, with two reviewers independently extracting data and assessing risk of bias. We extracted efficacy and safety outcomes and performed a meta-analysis. Statistical tests were performed to check for heterogeneity and publication bias. RESULTS In total, 14 randomized controlled trials with 4703 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Tranexamic acid did not improve mortality by day 90 (odds ratio (OR) 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-1.18; p = 0.95) or day 180 (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.51-2.01; p = 0.98) or overall death endpoints of different follow-up times (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.62-1.08; p = 0.15), which was supported by sensitivity analysis of studies published during or after 2000 (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.77-1.09; p = 0.33). A lower incidence of hematoma expansion (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.37-0.80; p = 0.002) and less change in volume from baseline (mean difference (MD) - 1.98; 95% CI - 3.00 to - 0.97; p = 0.0001) were observed, but no change was seen in poor functional outcomes (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.79-1.14; p = 0.55) in the tranexamic acid group. The risk of hydrocephalus (OR 1.21; 95% CI 0.90-1.62; p = 0.21), ischemic stroke (OR 1.43; 95% CI 0.87-2.34; p = 0.16), deep vein thrombosis (OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.75-2.08; p = 0.40), and pulmonary embolism (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.59-1.58; p = 0.89) was similar, whereas the risk of combined ischemic events increased in the tranexamic acid group (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.07-2.01; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Treatment with tranexamic acid could reduce rebleeding and hematoma expansion in cerebral hemorrhage without an increase in single ischemic adverse events, but it could increase the risk of combined ischemic events; however, the lack of improvement in mortality and the poor functional outcomes limit the value of clinical application. These findings indicate that the most pertinent issue is the risk-to-benefit ratio with tranexamic acid treatment in cerebral hemorrhage.
4.
Hemoglobin targets for the anemia in patients with dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials
Ye Y, Liu H, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Li S, Hu W, Yang R, Zhang Z, Lv L, Liu X
Renal failure. 2018;40(1):671-679
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anemia is extremely common among dialysis patients and underlies some of the symptoms associated with reduced kidney function, including fatigue, depression, reduced exercise tolerance, and dyspnea. OBJECTIVES A clearer cognition of the prognosistic impact of hemoglobin (Hb) or hematocrit (Hct) target for the outcomes of dialysis patients is urgent. This article aims to establish the suitable hemoglobin in order to provide clinical guidance. METHODS MEDLINE, EmBase, the Cochrane Library and other databases were searched with both MeSH terms and keywords to gather randomized controlled trials that assessed all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, fistula thrombosis, infectious diseases and transfusion among dialysis-dependent patients using erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. The meta-analysis was accomplished via Revman 5.3 version. FINDINGS Totally, nine eligible studies were included, with study subjects involving 3228 patients. There was a significantly higher risk of fistula thrombosis without heterogeneity (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.15-1.55; p < 0.05) in the higher Hb target group than in the lower Hb target group in the fixed effects model. However, no significant difference was found in all-cause mortality in the fixed effects model (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.93-1.27; p = 0.30), cardiovascular events (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.31-1.92; p = 0.58), infectious diseases (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.24-1.96; p = 0.49) and transfusion (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.42-1.99; p = 0.82) in the random effects model between the higher Hb target group and the lower Hb target group. DISCUSSION The results favor lower Hb target. To target lower Hb target when treating dialysis patients with anemia may decrease the risk of fistula thrombosis without increasing the risk of death, cardiovascular events, infectious diseases and transfusion.