Abstract

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE The clinical features of terlipressin-induced ischemic skin necrosis are unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore the clinical features of terlipressin-induced skin necrosis. METHODS We searched Chinese and English databases to collect case reports of terlipressin-induced skin necrosis for retrospective analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A total of 42 patients (31 males and 11 females) from 35 studies were included, with a median age of 54 years (range 0.17-84). The onset of skin ischemia ranged from a few hours to 21 days. The most common clinical manifestations were bulla (15 cases, 35.7%), cyanosis (12 cases, 28.6%), necrosis (11 cases, 26.2%), and purpura (10 cases, 23.8%). The following were often affected: the legs (26 cases), 61.9%), abdomen (13, 31.0%), scrotum (10 cases, 23.8%), feet (10 cases, 23.8%), upper extremities (8 cases, 19.0%), and hands (7 cases, 16.7%). Skin biopsy showed fibrin thrombus (7 cases, 38.9%), nonspecific inflammation (6 cases, 33.3%), and necrosis (10 cases, 55.6%). After discontinuation of terlipressin, skin symptoms improved in most patients. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION Ischemic skin necrosis is a rare and serious adverse effect of terlipressin. Patients receiving terlipressin therapy should be monitored closely for terlipressin-related ischemic complications. Terlipressin should be discontinued immediately if ischemic complications occur.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture is still controversial. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy of PRP injections treating acute Achilles tendon rupture. METHODS A comprehensive electronic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies that were published prior to April 29, 2021. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of PRP injections in treating patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture were included. Statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan software. RESULTS Five randomized controlled trials were included in this systematic review. The results of the meta-analysis showed that PRP has positive effects on ankle dorsiflexion angle, dorsal extension strength of the ankle, and calf circumference compared with that in controls. However, the current evidence failed to show that PRP effectively improves ankle plantar flexion angle, plantar flexion strength of the ankle, and pain. CONCLUSIONS PRP injections for the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture significantly improved ankle dorsiflexion angle, dorsal extension strength of the ankle, and calf circumference compared with that in controls. Additional studies with larger sample sizes, more rigorous designs and standardized protocols are needed to draw more reliable and accurate conclusions.

Abstract

BACKGROUND To explore the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection regarding functional recovery, pain relief, and range of motion (ROM) of shoulder compared with the corticosteroid injection in patients with rotator cuff lesions treated non-operatively. METHODS An electronic literature search was performed by 2 authors in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant randomized controlled trial (RCTs) that were published up to July 20, 2020. The quality of the included RCTs was evaluated using the approach recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to calculate the pooled effect sizes. RESULTS Six RCTs were included in this systematic review. Meta-analysis revealed that corticosteroid injection yielded statistically significant superior functional recovery (SMD = -0.80; 95% CI, -1.42 to -0.18; P = .01) and pain relief (MD = 1.59; 95% CI, 0.30-2.89; P = .02) compared with PRP injection for rotator cuff lesions during the short-term follow-up period. However, at the medium-term and long-term follow-up, no statistically significant difference was identified between the 2 groups. Regarding the ROM of shoulder, no statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups during the whole follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS The current clinical evidence revealed short-term efficacy of corticosteroid injection and no significant medium- to long-term difference between corticosteroid and PRP injection in the treatment of rotator cuff lesions. Additional studies with longer follow-ups, larger sample sizes, and more rigorous designs are needed to draw more reliable and accurate conclusions.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical glucocorticoids for total hip arthroplasty by meta-analysis. METHODS A computerized search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed English databases, as well as Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, vipu Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang database, and Chinese Knowledge Net Database, was performed to include all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding topical glucocorticoid therapy for postoperative bleeding after THA according to the inclusion criteria. The quality evaluation criteria of RCTs, as stated in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 4.2.5, were adopted for evaluation, and the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS A total of 10 articles were included, including 1,112 patients: 566 in the topical glucocorticoid group and 546 in the control group. The transfusion rate was 8.43% for topical glucocorticoids and 30.05% for the control group (P < 0.001), and topical glucocorticoids reduced 317.89 ml total blood loss and 76.82 ml invisible blood loss, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The amount of intraoperative blood loss was reduced by topical glucocorticoids, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.83), and the postoperative HB value was increased by topical glucocorticoids, although the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The incidence of DVT and PE after topical glucocorticoid application (3.03%) was greater than that of the control group (2.40%), the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.54), and the incidence of infection after topical glucocorticoid application (3.03%) was greater than that of the control group (2.40%). The difference was not statistically significant (P=0.39). CONCLUSIONS Topical glucocorticoids can reduce the transfusion rate and blood loss in THA patients without increasing their risk of thrombosis.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Traditional fully cemented prosthesis for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has many disadvantages. Current studies have shown that the effects of mixed fixation TKA are the same as or even better than those of fully cemented TKA. We aimed to compare the total blood loss (TBL) in the two fixation types of TKA and the hemostatic effects of different doses of tranexamic acid (TXA) for reverse hybrid TKA. METHODS From September 2018 to November 2020, 233 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing unilateral TKA were randomly divided into four groups: groups 1 and 2: fully cemented TKA + intra-articular injection (IAI) of either 1 g TXA (n = 54) or 2 g TXA (n = 60); groups 3 and 4: reverse hybrid TKA + IAI of either 1 g TXA (n = 56) or 2 g TXA (n = 63). All patients were administered intravenous drip of TXA (20 mg/kg) as the basic drug. Perioperative and follow-up data of all patients were compared. RESULTS The TBL in groups 1, 2, and 3 was higher than that in group 4 (P < 0.0001). The TBL in group 1 was significantly less than that in group 3 (P < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in blood transfusion demand among the four groups (P > 0.05), the number of anemic patients who did not meet the standard of blood transfusion in group 4 decreased significantly (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in pain, function or thrombotic complications among all patients. CONCLUSION The TBL in reverse hybrid TKA is larger than in fully cemented TKA. For reverse hybrid TKA, the hemostatic effect of TXA with 2 g of IAI was significantly better than with 1 g. Although this method does not reduce the need for blood transfusion, it can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative anemia.

Abstract

Background: Until now, transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) has been considered to be the leading cause of blood transfusion-related diseases and death. And there is no clinically effective treatment plan for TRALI. The aim of this study was to systematically summarize the literature on risk factors for TRALI in critical patients.Methods: Electronic searches (up to March 2020) were performed in the Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge, Embase, and PubMed databases. We included studies reporting on the risk factors of TRALI for critical patients and extracted the risk factors. Finally, thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria.Results: We summarized and analyzed the potential risk factors of TRALI for critical patients in 13 existing studies. The host-related factors were age (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval] = 1.16 [1.08-1.24]), female sex (OR = 1.26 [1.16-1.38]), tobacco use status (OR = 3.82 [1.91-7.65]), chronic alcohol abuse (OR = 3.82 [2.97-26.83]), positive fluid balance (OR = 1.24 [1.08-1.42]), shock before transfusion (OR = 4.41 [2.38-8.20]), and ASA score of the recipients (OR = 2.72 [1.43-5.16]). The transfusion-related factors were the number of transfusions (OR = 1.40 [1.14-1.72]) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) units (OR = 1.21 [1.01-1.46]). The device-related factor was mechanical ventilation (OR = 4.13 [2.20-7.76]).Conclusions: The risk factors for TRALI in this study included Number of transfusions and FFP units were positively correlated with TRALI. Age, female sex, tobacco use, chronic alcohol abuse, positive fluid balance, shock before transfusion, ASA score and mechanical ventilation may be potential risk factors for TRALI. Our study suggests that host-related risk factors may play a more important role in the occurrence and development of TRALI than blood transfusion-related risk factors.

Abstract

Objective: Intraoperative bleeding during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for high-grade rhinosinusitis can be serious and can further obscure the surgical field. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) on the surgical visualization of ESS for high-grade rhinosinusitis. Methods: In total, 60 patients with high-grade chronic rhinosinusitis (Lund-Mackay score 12 or greater) treated by ESS were randomized into two groups: the control group (Group C) or the TXA group (Group T). Each group included 30 patients. Patients in Group T received intravenous TXA, and those in Group C received normal saline. The Boezaart grading scale (BS) score was assessed as the primary outcome. Total blood loss (TBL), whole blood coagulation, and fibrinolysis were assessed by Sonoclot analysis, and complications were recorded and compared between the groups. Result: A significant difference was found in the BS score between Group T and Group C [2.02 (1.88-2.05) vs. 2.27 (2.13-2.41), P = 0.011]. Increases in platelet function (PF) and fibrin degradation time (FDT) were assessed during the operation and showed significant differences between Group T and Group C (P = 0.040 for PF; P = 0.010 for FDT). No difference in complications was found between the two groups. Conclusion: A 15 mg/kg bolus of intravenous TXA before surgery can improve the surgical visualization of ESS for high-grade chronic rhinosinusitis without causing significant adverse effects. Intravenous TXA may be beneficial in ESS for high-grade chronic rhinosinusitis. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=121653&htm=4.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of individualized blood pressure (BP)-lowering treatment on the outcomes of elderly patients with severe intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS We performed an exploratory analysis of Controlling Hypertension After Severe Cerebrovascular Event (CHASE) trial, which was a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Patients with severe ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (defined as GCS ≤ 12 or NIHSS ≥ 11) were randomized into individualized versus standard BP-lowering treatment in CHASE trial. In this exploratory analysis, patients with severe ICH were included. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with 90-day functional independence defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2. RESULTS We included 242 patients with severe ICH in the present analysis, consisting of 142 patients aged <65 years and 100 patients aged ≥65 years. There were significant differences between patients aged ≥65 years and <65 years in the proportion of functional independence (47.9% vs. 15.0%, P < 0.001) and good outcome (73.9% vs. 50.0%, P < 0.001) at day 90. In patients aged ≥65 years, the adjusted individualized BP-lowering treatment had an unequivocal effect on the functional independence at day 90 (21.6% vs. 8.2%, odds ratio [OR]: 4.309, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.040-17.859, P = 0.044) and improved the neurological deficits at discharge (∆ NIHSS ≥ 4: 64.7% vs. 34.7%, OR: 4.300, 95% CI: 1.599-11.563, P = 0.004). INTERPRETATION Compared with the younger counterparts, the elderly patients (≥65 years) with acute severe ICH might benefit more from individualized BP-lowering treatment.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The role of preoperative embolization (PE) in reducing intraoperative blood loss (IBL) during surgical treatment of spinal metastases remains controversial. METHODS A systematic search was conducted for retrospective studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the IBL between an embolization group (EG) and non-embolization group (NEG) for spinal metastases. IBL data of both groups were synthesized and analyzed for all tumor types, hypervascular tumor types, and non-hypervascular tumor types. RESULTS In total, 839 patients in 11 studies (one RCT and 10 retrospective studies) were included in the analysis. For all tumor types, the average IBL did not differ significantly between the EG and NEG in the RCT (P = 0.270), and there was no significant difference between the two groups in the retrospective studies (P = 0.05, standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.03 to 0.00). For hypervascular tumors determined as such by consensus (n = 542), there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.52, SMD = -0.25, 95% CI: -1.01 to 0.52). For those determined as such using angiographic evidence, the IBL was significantly lower in the EG than in the NEG group, in the RCT (P = 0.041) and in the retrospective studies (P = 0.004, SMD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.55 to -.30). For IBL of non-hypervascular tumor types, both the retrospective study (P = 0.215) and RCT (P = 0.947) demonstrated no statistically significant differences in IBL between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Only tumors angiographically identified as hypervascular exhibited lower IBL upon PE in this study. Further exploration of non-invasive methods to identify the vascularity of tumors is warranted.

Abstract

ImportanceConvalescent plasma is a potential therapeutic option for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but further data from randomized clinical trials are needed ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of convalescent plasma therapy for patients with COVID-19 Design, Setting, and ParticipantsOpen-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial performed in 7 medical centers in Wuhan, China, from February 14, 2020, to April 1, 2020, with final follow-up April 28, 2020 The trial included 103 participants with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 that was severe (respiratory distress and/or hypoxemia) or life-threatening (shock, organ failure, or requiring mechanical ventilation) The trial was terminated early after 103 of a planned 200 patients were enrolled InterventionConvalescent plasma in addition to standard treatment (n = 52) vs standard treatment alone (control) (n = 51), stratified by disease severity Main Outcomes and MeasuresPrimary outcome was time to clinical improvement within 28 days, defined as patient discharged alive or reduction of 2 points on a 6-point disease severity scale (ranging from 1 [discharge] to 6 [death]) Secondary outcomes included 28-day mortality, time to discharge, and the rate of viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results turned from positive at baseline to negative at up to 72 hours ResultsOf 103 patients who were randomized (median age, 70 years;60 [58 3%] male), 101 (98 1%) completed the trial Clinical improvement occurred within 28 days in 51 9% (27/52) of the convalescent plasma group vs 43 1% (22/51) in the control group (difference, 8 8% [95% CI, −10 4% to 28 0%];hazard ratio [HR], 1 40 [95% CI, 0 79-2 49];P =  26) Among those with severe disease, the primary outcome occurred in 91 3% (21/23) of the convalescent plasma group vs 68 2% (15/22) of the control group (HR, 2 15 [95% CI, 1 07-4 32];P =  03);among those with life-threatening disease the primary outcome occurred in 20 7% (6/29) of the convalescent plasma group vs 24 1% (7/29) of the control group (HR, 0 88 [95% CI, 0 30-2 63];P =  83) (Pfor interaction =  17) There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality (15 7% vs 24 0%;OR, 0 65 [95% CI, 0 29-1 46];P =  30) or time from randomization to discharge (51 0% vs 36 0% discharged by day 28;HR, 1 61 [95% CI, 0 88-2 93];P =  12) Convalescent plasma treatment was associated with a negative conversion rate of viral PCR at 72 hours in 87 2% of the convalescent plasma group vs 37 5% of the control group (OR, 11 39 [95% CI, 3 91-33 18];P <  001) Two patients in the convalescent plasma group experienced adverse events within hours after transfusion that improved with supportive care Conclusion and RelevanceAmong patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19, convalescent plasma therapy added to standard treatment, compared with standard treatment alone, did not result in a statistically significant improvement in time to clinical improvement within 28 days Interpretation is limited by early termination of the trial, which may have been underpowered to detect a clinically important difference Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry:ChiCTR2000029757