Abstract

BACKGROUND Restrictive blood transfusion is recommended by major guidelines for perioperative management, but requires objective assessment at 7-10 g/dl haemoglobin (Hb). A scoring system that considers the physiological needs of the heart may simply the practice and reduce transfusion. METHODS Patients (14-65 years of age) undergoing non-cardiac surgery were randomised at a 1:1 ratio to a control group versus a Perioperative Transfusion Trigger Score (POTTS) group. POTTS (maximum of 10) was calculated as 6 plus the following: adrenaline infusion rate (0 for no infusion, 1 for ≤0.05 μg·kg(-1) ·min(-1) , and 2 for higher rate), FiO(2) to keep SpO(2) at ≥95% (0 for ≤35%, 1 for 36%-50%, and 2 for higher), core temperature (0 for <38°C, 1 for 38-40°C, and 2 for higher), and angina history (0 for no, 1 for exertional, and 2 for resting). Transfusion is indicated when actual Hb is lower than the calculated POTTS in individual patients. Transfusion in the control group was based on the 2012 American Association for Blood Banks (AABB) guideline. The primary outcome was the proportion of the patients requiring transfusion of allogeneic red blood cells (RBCs) during the perioperative period (until discharge from hospital), as assessed in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (all randomised subjects). RESULT A total of 864 patients (mean age 44.4 years, 244 men and 620 women) were enrolled from December 2017 to January 2021 (433 in the control and 431 in the POTTS group). Baseline Hb was 9.2 ± 1.8 and 9.2 ± 1.7 g/dl in the control and POTTS groups, respectively. In the ITT analysis, the proportion of the patients receiving allogeneic RBCs was 43.9% (190/433) in the control group versus 36.9% (159/431) in the POTTS group (p = 0.036). Lower rate of allogeneic RBCs transfusion in the POTTS group was also evident in the per-protocol analysis (42.8% vs. 35.5%, p = 0.030). Transfusion volume was 4.0 (2.0, 6.0) and 3.5 (2.0, 5.5) units (200 ml/unit) in the control and POTTS groups, respectively (p = 0.25). The rate of severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa and higher) was 3.9% in the control group versus 1.2% in the POTTS group (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION Transfusion of allogeneic RBCs based on the POTTS was safe and reduced the transfusion requirement in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Abstract

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of platelet-rich plasma vs standard management for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer wounds. A systematic literature search up to March 2022 was performed and 1435 subjects with diabetic foot ulcer wounds at the baseline of the studies; 723 of them were treated with platelet-rich plasma, and 712 used control. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated to assess the effect of platelet-rich plasma vs standard management for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer wounds using the dichotomous method with a random or fixed-effect model. The use of autologous platelet-rich plasma resulted in significantly higher complete-healed diabetic foot ulcer wounds compared with control (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.49-2.56, P < 0.001). The use of allogeneic platelet-rich plasma resulted in significantly higher complete-healed diabetic foot ulcer wounds compared with control (OR, 6.19; 95% CI, 2.32-16.56, P < 0.001). The use of autologous and allogeneic platelet-rich plasma resulted in significantly higher complete-healed diabetic foot ulcer wounds compared with control. Though, the analysis of outcomes should be with caution because of the low number of studies in certain comparisons, for example, allogeneic platelet-rich plasma compared with control.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the effect of hemocoagulase combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in total hip replacement (THR) on reducing bleeding and improving knee joint function in the patients with osteoarthritis. METHODS From February 2018 to February 2020, 80 osteoarthritis patients undergoing THR were included in the study, of which 40 cases were treated with PRP and hemocoagulase (test group) in the joint capsule in THR and the other 40 cases received saline and thrombin in the joint capsule after THR (control group). Postoperative drainage and corresponding functional exercise were performed for the two groups 12 hours after operation. The outcome measures including operation time, soft-tissue release, blood routine, drainage volume, perioperative blood loss, postoperative incision inflammation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and range of motion (ROM) of the joint were recorded. RESULTS The hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the test group on the second postoperative day were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative drainage volume and perioperative blood loss were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The test group was better than the control group in the ROM of the joint at 7 and 15 days after the operation (P < 0.05). A lower value of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time was revealed in the test group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). No significant difference in the operation time, intraoperative soft-tissue release, postoperative incision inflammation, incidence of DVT, incidence of deep infection, and ROM at day 90 after THR was found in the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The application of hemocoagulase combined with PRP in THR can reduce perioperative blood loss, increase wound healing speed and quality, and improve coagulation and immune function. It is a safe and effective method for the patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent THR.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify the clinical features of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) in children. Methods: The case-control studies of KDSS and KD children up until April 30, 2021 were searched in multiple databases. The qualified research were retrieved by manually reviewing the references. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of male and female in children with KDSS. Children with KDSS compared with non-shocked KD, there were significant difference in age, duration of fever, white blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of neutrophils (NEUT%), platelet count (PLT), c-reactive protein level (CRP), alanine transaminase concentration (ALT), aspartate transaminase concentration (AST), albumin concentration (ALB), sodium concentration (Na), ejection fraction, and length of hospitalization as well as the incidence of coronary artery dilation, coronary artery aneurysm, left ventricular dysfunction, mitral regurgitation, pericardial effusion, initial diagnosis of KD, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance and receiving second dose of IVIG, vasoactive drugs, hormones, and albumin. In contrast, there was no difference in the hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the incidence of conjunctival injection, oropharyngeal change, polymorphous rash, extremity change, and incomplete KD. Conclusion: Current evidence suggested that the children with KDSS had more severe indicators of inflammation and more cardiac abnormalities. These patients were resistant to immunoglobulin treatment and required extra anti-inflammatory treatment. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42021241207.

Abstract

Thalidomide induces γ-globin expression in erythroid progenitor cells, but its efficacy on patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) remains unclear. In this phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, we aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of thalidomide in TDT patients. A hundred patients of 14 years or older were randomly assigned to receive placebo or thalidomide for 12 weeks, followed by an extension phase of at least 36 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change of hemoglobin (Hb) level in the patients. The secondary endpoints included the red blood cell (RBC) units transfused and adverse effects. In the placebo-controlled period, Hb concentrations in patients treated with thalidomide achieved a median elevation of 14.0 (range, 2.5 to 37.5) g/L, whereas Hb in patients treated with placebo did not significantly change. Within the 12 weeks, the mean RBC transfusion volume for patients treated with thalidomide and placebo was 5.4 ± 5.0 U and 10.3 ± 6.4 U, respectively (P < 0.001). Adverse events of drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, pyrexia, sore throat, and rash were more common with thalidomide than placebo. In the extension phase, treatment with thalidomide for 24 weeks resulted in a sustainable increase in Hb concentrations which reached 104.9 ± 19.0 g/L, without blood transfusion. Significant increase in Hb concentration and reduction in RBC transfusions were associated with non β0/β0 and HBS1L-MYB (rs9399137 C/T, C/C; rs4895441 A/G, G/G) genotypes. These results demonstrated that thalidomide is effective in patients with TDT.

Abstract

Objective: Anemia is frequent in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and the optimal red blood cell transfusion strategy for AMI patients with anemia is still controversial. We aimed to compare the efficacy of restrictive and liberal red cell transfusion strategies in AMI patients with anemia. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov, from their inception until March 2021. Studies designed to compare the efficacy between restrictive and liberal red blood cell transfusion strategies in patients with AMI were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, including overall mortality, in-hospital or follow-up mortality. Risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were presented and pooled by random-effects models. Results: The search yielded a total of 6,630 participants in six studies. A total of 2,008 patients received restrictive red blood cell transfusion while 4,622 patients were given liberal red blood cell transfusion. No difference was found in overall mortality and follow-up mortality between restrictive and liberal transfusion groups (RR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.82-1.40, P = 0.62; RR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.56-1.42, P = 0.62). However, restrictive transfusion tended to have a higher risk of in-hospital mortality compared with liberal transfusion (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.00-1.50, P = 0.05). No secondary outcomes, including follow-up reinfarction, stroke, and acute heart failure, differed significantly between the two groups. In addition, subgroup analysis showed no differences in overall mortality between the two groups based on sample size and design. Conclusion: Restrictive and liberal red blood cell transfusion have a similar effect on overall mortality and follow-up mortality in AMI patients with anemia. However, restrictive transfusion tended to have a higher risk of in-hospital mortality compared with liberal transfusion. The findings suggest that transfusion strategy should be further evaluated in future studies.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of various drug interventions in improving the clinical outcome of postoperative patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and assist in determining the drugs of definite curative effect in improving clinical prognosis. METHODS Eligible Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were searched in databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (inception to Sep 2020). Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score, Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) score or modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was used as the main outcome measurements to evaluate the efficacy of various drugs in improving the clinical outcomes of postoperative patients with aSAH. The network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted based on a random-effects model, dichotomous variables were determined by using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and a surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was generated to estimate the ranking probability of comparative effectiveness among different drug therapies. RESULTS From the 493 of initial citation screening, forty-four RCTs (n = 10,626 participants) were eventually included in our analysis. Our NMA results showed that cilostazol (OR = 3.35,95%CI = 1.50,7.51) was the best intervention to improve the clinical outcome of patients (SUCRA = 87.29%, 95%CrI 0.07-0.46). Compared with the placebo group, only two drug interventions [nimodipine (OR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.01,2.57) and cilostazol (OR = 3.35, 95%CI 1.50, 7.51)] achieved significant statistical significance in improving the clinical outcome of patients. CONCLUSIONS Both nimodipine and cilostazol have exact curative effect to improve the outcome of postoperative patients with aSAH, and cilostazol may be the best drug to improve the outcome of patients after aSAH operation. Our study provides implications for future studies that, the combination of two or more drugs with relative safety and potential benefits (e.g., nimodipine and cilostazol) may improve the clinical outcome of patients more effectively.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of different operation time on the surgery effect and quality of life of patients with severe hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage. METHODS A total of 98 patients with severe hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage were selected in this prospective study. According to the random number table, 98 patients were divided into group A and group B. About 47 patients in group A received surgical treatment within 6 hours after onset of a cerebral hemorrhage and 51 patients in group B received surgical treatment within 6-24 hours after onset of a cerebral hemorrhage. The effect of the operation, quality of life (the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version, WHOQOL-BREF) score, neuro function (National Institute of Health stroke scale, NIHSS), the ability of daily living (Barthel index), athletic ability (Fugl-Meyer motor function score), complications and prognosis (GOS) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The total effective rate of operation in group A (91.49%) was higher than that in group B (76.47%), and the incidence of complications (8.70%) was lower than that in group B (27.08%; all P<0.05). NIHSS score of group A was lower than that of group B, and the WHOQOL-BREF score was higher than that of group B three months after the operation (all P<0.05). Barthel Index and Fugl-Meyer motor function scores of group A were higher than those of group B three months after the operation (all P<0.05). The prognosis of group A was better than group B three months after the operation (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Operation performed within 6 hours after the onset of cerebral hemorrhage is useful in the treatment of severe hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. It can effectively improve patients' neurological function, the ability of daily living and motor function without increasing complications and, the quality of life, as well as the prognosis of patients.

Abstract

Human serum albumin has shown remarkable efficacy in rodent models of ischemic stroke, while results from relevant clinical research on albumin therapy remain controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies to quantitatively analyze the neurofunctional outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke treated with albumin. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched in July 2020. A total of four studies and 1611 patients were included. The aggregated results indicated that there were 635 patients with good neurological outcomes, among which 321 patients were in the albumin group (39.8%) and 314 patients in the control group (39.1%), showing no statistically significant difference between the albumin and control groups (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.85-1.27). The results suggest that albumin therapy at the acute stage of ischemic stroke has no beneficial effect on the long-term neurological function of patients with ischemic stroke. Considering pulmonary edema and other complications are more likely to occur in such patients after albumin infusion, the administration of albumin therapy for acute ischemic stroke should be done with utmost caution.

Abstract

Bleeding and blood transfusion are common after scoliosis surgery. Fibrinogen is essential for blood clot formation and depletes quickly during haemorrhage. We randomly allocated 102 children 12-18 years old having surgery for idiopathic scoliosis, 51 to intra-operative fibrinogen concentrate 30 mg.kg(-1) (maximum 2 g) and 51 to saline placebo. Fibrinogen reduced peri-operative blood loss by a median (95%CI) volume of 155 (5-320) ml, from a median (IQR [range]) of 1035 (818-1420 [400-3030]) ml to 885 (755-1155 [270-2645]) ml, p = 0.04. Seven and four children received allogeneic red blood cell transfusion after fibrinogen and placebo, respectively, p = 0.34. There were no side-effects.