中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的再评价

目的评价中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的方法学偏倚及其结论的可靠程度。方法计算机检索PubMed、EMbase、The Cochrane Library(2014年第4期)、CBM、CNKI和WanFang Data数据库,查找中医药治疗原发性高血压的系统评价,检索时限均为从建库至2014年4月30日。采用AMSTAR工具评价纳入系统评价的方法学质量,并基于GRADE方法对系统评价纳入的结局指标进行证据质量分级。结果共纳入12个系统评价,包含31个结局指标,其中11个系统评价比较了中医药联合西药对比西药治疗原发性高血压的疗效,9个采用了Jadad量表作为系统评价纳入原始研究的方法学质量评估工具。AMSTAR工具评价结果显示,11个条目中,存在问题最多的是条目1"是否提供了前期设计方案"(12个未提供),其次是条目11"是否说明相关利益冲突"(9个未说明)和条目6"是否描述纳入研究的特征"(6个未描述)。GRADE分级结果显示:29个结局指标的证据质量均为低或极低,导致降级最主要因素为局限性(31个结局指标),其次为不精确(13个结局指标)和不一致(12个结局指标)。结论当前针对中医药治疗原发性高血压系统评价的方法学质量总体较差,结论的证据水平较低,对患者终点结局的关注程度不足。因此,临床医生在使用这些证据进行临床决策时尚需谨慎。     

Effectiveness of Pilates exercise: A quality evaluation and summary of systematic reviews based on randomized controlled trials

ObjectiveThe objective of this review were to summarize evidence for the effectiveness of Pilates exercise (PE) and to assess the quality of systematic review (SRs) based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Study designA systematic review of SRs based on RCTs.MethodsStudies were eligible if they were RCTs. Studies included those with one treatment group in which PE was applied. We searched the following databases from 1995 up to August 20, 2014: MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Global Health Library, and Ichushi-Web. We also searched All Cochrane Database and Campbell Systematic Reviews up to August 20, 2014. Based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10), we identified a disease targeted for each article.ResultsNine studies met all inclusion criteria. As a whole, the quality of the articles was good. Seven studies were about “Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M5456)”. There were two studies in “Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z723)”. The traits of participants were for females and the comparatively young- and middle-aged. Five SRs for chronic low back pain (CLBP) concluded that there was pain-relief and functional improvement of the intervention in the short term, but two SRs were inconclusive about the effectiveness of PE. There were no adverse events described in any of the studies.ConclusionAlthough no SR reported any adverse effect or harm by PE, there was pain-relief and functional improvement attributed to PE in the short term in participants with CLBP. There was also evidence of improved flexibility and dynamic balance, and of enhanced muscular endurance in healthy people in the short term. In addition, there may have been an effect on body composition in the short term.     

Cognitive interventions for mild cognitive impairment and dementia: An overview of systematic reviews

PurposeConducting an overview of systematic reviews (SRs)/Meta analyses (MAs) to assess the effectiveness of cognitive interventions on participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and evaluate the methodological quality of SRs/MAs.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Databases (CBM) were systematically searched from inception to January 1, 2019 to identify SRs/MAs. Three reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to evaluate the quality of evidence.ResultsA total of 22 reviews were included. New meta-analyses (36 RCTs) showed that cognitive interventions were more effective than routine therapies for the alleviation of MCI and dementia symptoms (SMD: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.47, 0.78; I² = 53.9%). The results of AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of most included studies was critically low, and two reviews were low quality. The lowest score was item 10, none of reviews reported on the sources of funding for the included studies. Followed by the “provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions” item with only one (4.5%) reviews conforming to this item. Results of GRADE manifested that moderate quality evidence was provided in 11 reviews (39.3%), 12 (42.9%) were low quality and 5 (17.8%) were very low.ConclusionThe present SRs/MAs indicated that persons with MCI or dementia could benefit from cognitive interventions. Future trial designs should focus on measuring changes in individual specific cognitive functions. More high-quality evidence is needed to further determine the effectiveness of cognitive interventions.     

Acupuncture for treatment of anxiety,an overview of systematic reviews

PurposeTo evaluate the methodological quality and summarize evidence of important outcomes of systematic reviews (SRs)/Meta analyses (MAs) of acupuncture for anxiety.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs/MAs in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Chinese Biomedical Databases (CBM), Wanfang database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) until November 30, 2018. Three reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to rate the quality of evidence. In the pre-experiment, we used the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess reviewer agreement, the ICC value for overall score was 0.978.ResultsTen reviews were included. The assessment results of AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of all included studies was critically low. The lowest score were item “provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions” and item “report sources of funding for the included studies”, none of studies provided information about the above two items, followed by the “providing a priori design” item with only two (20%) studies conforming to this item. For GRADE, of the 7 outcomes, high quality evidence was provided in only 1 (14.3%), moderate in 2 (28.6.7%), and low in 4 (57.1%).ConclusionAlthough most of the included reviews indicated that acupuncture group was more effective than control group in the treatment of anxiety, more importantly, the methodological quality of the included reviews and the quality of evidence were low. More high-quality evidence is needed to determine whether acupuncture is more effective than other treatments.     

The Effect of Ginger on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Among Patients Undergoing Upper and Lower Limb Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PurposePostoperative nausea and vomiting is one of the most common side effects associated with anesthesia. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of ginger on severity and incidence of nausea and vomiting after lower and upper limb surgery.DesignThis was a triple-blinded clinical trial.MethodsSixty eligible patients were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received four 250 mg ginger capsules and the control group received four placebo capsules 2 hours before surgery. Incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting immediately after the surgery and 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours after the surgery were evaluated.FindingsThe results of this study showed that the use of ginger capsules significantly reduces the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting at different hours after surgery compared to placebo, P < .05, irrespective of the gender and the age of the patients.ConclusionsUse of ginger is effective in decreasing postoperative nausea and vomiting. However, further studies in comorbid patients are required to verify these outcomes.     

The efficacy of acupuncture for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological and mental developmental disorders in children. Published systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) concerning the use of acupuncture for ADHD have compared the efficacy of acupuncture treatment to that of drug therapies. However, the quality of these articles has not been evaluated and the evidence varies widely.ObjectiveTo summarize and assess the efficacy of acupuncture for ADHD based on existing SRs and MAs.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was conducted from inception until September 16 2021, using seven electronic databases. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used to evaluate the quality of SRs and MAs, and the GRADE system was used to assess the quality of evidence.ResultsThere are a total of five SRs and MAs included in this overview. Using the AMSTAR-2, three articles were rated as having ‘Low’ quality, while two were rated as having of ‘Critically Low’ quality. The GRADE system was used to measure the quality of evidence for ten outcomes (five response rate outcomes, three Conners’ Index of Hyperactivity (CIH) score outcomes, one Conners’ rating scale score outcome, and one Chinese medicine syndrome outcome) across the five included MAs. Four of the ten outcomes demonstrated ‘moderate’ quality, four demonstrated ‘low’ quality, and two demonstrated ‘very low’ quality. The risk of bias and inconsistency accounted for most downgrading factors in the included reviews.ConclusionIt is still debatable whether acupuncture is efficacious in improving the CIH score and the Response rate. Considering the heterogeneity of clinical trials and the fact that this study did not search and evaluate the relevant data of each randomized controlled trial, large-sample and high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed to draw reliable conclusions regarding acupuncture's role in treating ADHD. Due to the poor quality of existing available evidence, little inference can be drawn from the included studies.     

Complementary and alternative medicine for lowering blood lipid levels: A systematic review of systematic reviews

BackgroundThe aim of this article is to summarize and critically evaluate the evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for lowering blood lipid levels (BLL).MethodsEight electronic databases were searched until March 2016. Additionally, all the retrieved references were inspected manually for further relevant papers. Systematic reviews were considered eligible, if they included patients of any age and/or gender with elevated blood lipid levels using any type of CAM. We used the Oxman and AMSTAR criteria to critically appraise the methodological quality of the included SRs.ResultsTwenty-seven SRs were included in the analyses. The majority of the SRs were of high methodological quality (mean Oxman score = 4.81, SD = 4.88; and the mean AMSTAR score = 7.22, SD = 3.38). The majority of SRs (56%) arrived at equivocal conclusions (of these 8 were of high quality); 7 SRs (37%) arrived at positive conclusions (of these 6 were of high quality), and 2 (7%) arrived at negative conclusions (both were of high quality). There was conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of garlic; and promising evidence for yoga.ConclusionsTo conclude, the evidence from SRs evaluating the effectiveness of CAM in lowering BLL is predominantly equivocal and confusing. Several limitations exist, such as variety of doses and preparations, confounding effects of diets and lifestyle factors, or heterogeneity of the primary trials among others.     

The Effectiveness of Tai Chi in Patients With Breast Cancer: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

BackgroundAs a mind-body exercise, Tai Chi (TC) may have a positive impact on physical function and psychological well-being in patients with breast cancer (BC). The aim of this current overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) was to identify and summarize the existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of TC in patients with BC.MethodsA computerized search of electronic databases was performed to identify relevant SRs/MAs of TC related to BC from inception to June 2020. The Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklists were used to assess the methodological quality and reporting quality of SRs and MAs, respectively. The Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the evidence quality of outcome measures.ResultsSix SRs/MAs in which quantitative synthesis was used to assess various outcomes of TC related to BC were included in this overview. The quality of the SRs/MAs and the evidence quality of the outcome measures were generally unsatisfactory. The limitations of the past SRs/MAs were the lack of a protocol and registration, a list of excluded studies, or inadequately reported computational details of meta-analyses. The critical problems were that the qualitative data synthesis relied on the trials with small sample sizes and of critical low quality.ConclusionsTC is possibly beneficial to BC treatment. However, further rigorous and comprehensive studies are required to provide robust evidence for definitive conclusions.     

E MERGENCY P REPAREDNESS FOR C HILDREN WITH S PECIAL H EALTH C ARE N EEDS

Objective. To evaluate the change in nausea scales andincidence of vomiting with the use of ondansetron in the treatment of nausea andvomiting in the prehospital setting. Methods. Data were prospectively collected on all emergency medical service patients who received ondansetron for undifferentiated nausea andvomiting during a 6-month study period. Added outcome measures for this study were verbal quantitative (scale of 1–10) andqualitative “nausea scales,” incidence of vomiting prior to andafter administration of ondansetron, andadverse events. Patients who had this additional data collected andones who did not were compared. Changes in the “nausea scales” andincidence of vomiting before andafter administration andcorrelation among these measures were also compared. There was no control or placebo group. Results. Ondansetron was administered to 952 patients of 20,054 patients transported during this time period (5%); of these 472 had at least some of the outcome measures documented. There were minimal differences in the two cohorts; 198 patients had paired before andafter quantitative “nausea scales” documented: 7.6 ± 2.4 and4.6 ± 3.1, respectively (Δ = 2.9, 95% CI: 2.5–3.4); 447 patients had a qualitative change in nausea level documented: 0.4% “a lot worse,” 1.3% “a little worse,” 34% “unchanged,” 40% “a little better,” and25% “a lot better”; 187 patients had all three measures documented with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.63 between the change in the quantitative scale andthe qualitative scale (95% CI: 0.14–0.20, R 0.39). In 462 patients, vomiting decreased from 60% to 30% (Wilcoxon signed ranks test p < 0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficients for the change in vomiting incidence with the qualitative andquantitative “nausea scales” were poor: 0.012 (95% CI: ?0.015 to 0.039, R 0.00014) and0.051 (95% CI: ?0.032 to 0.118, R 0.00026), respectively. There were no reported adverse events. Conclusions. Ondansetron appears to be moderately effective in decreasing nausea andvomiting in undifferentiated prehospital patients. Additional controlled trials may be needed to compare it with other antiemetics.     

Effect of acupuncture in eczema: An overview of systematic reviews

BackgroundEczema is a common chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease, which is characterized by intense itching. Acupuncture can be effective for eczema, and it is thus regarded as a common complementary treatment.ObjectiveThe intention of this overview is to methodically appraise and synthesize evidence about systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on acupuncture in eczema.MethodsWe searched for SRs/MAs of acupuncture with eczema in eight databases. We evaluated the methodological quality by Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the reporting quality with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020 Checkist), and the evidence quality according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system.ResultsA total of 7 SRs/MAs were included. According to AMSTAR-2, all the SRs/MAs included were categorized as critically low-quality. According to the PRISMA 2020 checklist, none of the reviews completed all the 27 items, thus their compliance was relatively weak. On the base of GRADE system, 2 of the 12 outcomes were rated as moderate, and 5 outcomes were rated as low-quality, while the others were regarded as very low-quality.ConclusionCompared with the control group, the included reviews of the acupuncture group were more effective and safer; however, the conclusion should be treated cautiously because the quality of evidence was not high enough to support it. In order to improve the quality, more rigorous, standardized, and comprehensive SRs/MAs need designing in the future.     

The efficacy of ginger for the treatment of migraine: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

IntroductionThe efficacy of ginger for migraine remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of ginger versus placebo on treatment in migraine patients.MethodsWe have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through September 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of ginger versus placebo on treatment efficacy in migraine patients. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model.ResultsThree RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group in migraine patients, ginger treatment is associated with substantially improved pain free at 2 h (RR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.04–3.09; P = 0.04) and reduced pain scores at 2 h (MD = −1.27; 95% CI = −1.46 to −1.07; P < 0.00001), but reveals no obvious impact on treatment response (RR = 2.04; 95% CI = 0.35–11.94; P = 0.43) or total adverse events (RR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.46–1.41; P = 0.44). The incidence of nausea and vomiting is obviously lower in ginger group than that in control group.ConclusionsGinger is safe and effective in treating migraine patients with pain outcomes assessed at 2 h.     

A randomized placebo-controlled study of aromatherapy for the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the aromatherapy treatment effects on PONV patients using ginger, lavender and rose oils and a placebo.DesignA randomized 4-armed placebo controlled study.SettingGaziosmanpasa University, School of Medicine, Health Research and Application Center.InterventionThe total of 184 patients were randomized into 4 groups: Aromatherapy with lavender essential oil (Lavender group), with rose essential oil (Rose group), with ginger essential oil (Ginger group) or with pure water (Placebo group).Main outcome measuresPostoperative nausea (0–3 Likert type; 0=no nausea, 1=some, 2=a lot, 3=severe) and vomiting scores (0–3 Likert type; 0=no vomiting, 1 = 1 time, 2 = 2 or 3 time, 3 = 4 times and up) and antiemetic medication requirement.ResultsThe nausea scores at 15 min were statistically significantly different between the groups (p = 0.00). The postoperative nausea scores improved in 20 (43.5%) subjects in the placebo group, 38 (82.6%) subjects in the lavender group, 22 (47.8%) subjects in the rose group and 30 (65.2%) subjects in the ginger group (p = 0.00). There were statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to the vomiting and antiemetic drug requirements (p = 0.00).ConclusionThe aromatherapy can be used as an alternative or complementary method for managing PONV. Specifically, the ginger and lavender essential oils were superior to the rose oil and pure water for the aromatherapy treatments. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm these results.     

Should Antiemetics be Given Prophylactically with Intravenous Opioids While Treating Acute Pain in the Emergency Department?: Clinical Practice Paper Approved by American Academy of Emergency Medicine Clinical Guidelines Committee

BackgroundIt is common practice for emergency physicians to give parenteral opioids for acute pain, however, some treating physicians have concerns that using parenteral opioids can lead to nausea and vomiting when used alone. Therefore, antiemetics are often given prophylactically with opioids for nausea and vomiting in the emergency department (ED). This systematic review evaluates the use of prophylactic antiemetics with parenteral opioids for the treatment of acute pain in the ED.MethodsA 10-year literature search using keywords was performed in PubMed for English-language human studies. Abstracts were screened to identify high-quality studies, which then underwent a more rigorous structured review. The recommendations are made based on the literature review.ResultsEight articles met criteria for structured review and citation in this article. These include one review article, two randomized controlled trials, three prospective observational trials, one retrospective study, and one pre- and post-intervention trial.ConclusionsBased on the literature review, routine use of prophylactic antiemetics are not indicated with administration of parenteral opioids for treatment of acute pain in the ED, as nausea and vomiting are infrequent side effects. The recent literature clearly demonstrates that there are potential undesirable side effects from the use of antiemetics when using opioids. However, one subgroup of patients, those with a known history of nausea and vomiting after opioid use or a history of travel sickness, may benefit from the use of prophylactic antiemetic when being treated with parenteral opioids.     

Acupuncture for treatment of insomnia: An overview of systematic reviews

PurposeTo evaluate the reliability of the methodological quality and outcome measures of systematic review (SR) /meta-analysis (MA) of acupuncture for insomnia.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs with MAs in seven international and Chinese databases. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to rate the quality of evidence.ResultsThirty-four reviews were included. The AMSTAR-2 score showed that most of the included studies were of low methodological quality and included only two high-quality literatures. The lowest score were the item 10 (all the studies didn't report on the sources of funding for the studies included in the review), item 7(32 studies didn't provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions) and item 3 (27 studies didn't explain their selection of the study designs for inclusion in the review).ConclusionMost of the reviews included suggested that the acupuncture group was more effective than the control group in the treatment of insomnia, but the methodological quality of most of the studies and the quality of evidence were low.     

Perioperative Dexamethasone for Patients With Diabetes and Its Effect on Blood Glucose After Surgery

PurposeP Perioperative administration of single-dose dexamethasone helps reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting, inflammation, and pain. However, it is unclear which dose achieves these effects while minimizing the hyperglycemic impact in patients with diabetes. The purpose of this review was to elucidate the most appropriate perioperative dose of dexamethasone for diabetic patients, and whether it is necessary to withhold it in patients with poor glycemic control.DesignA systematic review.MethodsA literature search using PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews revealed 17 potential evidence sources. Eight sources met the inclusion criteria. Sources included one systematic review with meta-analysis, one randomized control trial, and six observational studies.FindingsEvidence suggests diabetic patients who receive dexamethasone perioperatively are more likely to develop postoperative hyperglycemia, with a maximum blood glucose increase of 30 to 45 mg/dL in the first 24 hours following a single dose. One study described increased blood glucose levels with escalating doses, but no other sources have supported that finding. The available studies were markedly heterogeneous in both design and proportion of diabetic subjects included, and most were of low quality.ConclusionsThere is not enough evidence to quantify the hyperglycemic effect of commonly used dexamethasone doses, and rigorous studies are needed to inform practice.     

Utilization of Ketamine in Total Knee and Hip Joint Arthroplasty: An Evidence-Based Review

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of ketamine in total knee and hip arthroplasty.DesignEvidence-based review.MethodsFollowing the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement, a comprehensive search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Collaboration, and other grey literature. Only randomized controlled studies and pre-appraised evidence such as systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effects of ketamine in total knee and hip arthroplasty were included. The quality appraisal of the literature was conducted using the proposed algorithm described in the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Evidence Level and Quality Guide.FindingsThree systematic reviews and meta-analyses and 2 randomized controlled trials involving 1284 patients were included in this review. The use of ketamine reduced pain scores within the 24 hours after surgery. In addition, evidence suggests that patients who were treated with ketamine consumed fewer opioids 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Furthermore, ketamine reduced the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting with no effects on the incidence of hallucinations and central nervous system side effects. All studies included in the review were categorized as Level I and rated Grade A implying strong confidence in the true effects of ketamine in all outcome measures in the review.ConclusionsThe current evidence demonstrates the viability of ketamine as a safe and effective alternative to opioids in the perioperative setting with major total joint arthroplasty surgery. Decreased pain scores and opioid consumption up to 48 hours into the postoperative period were observed in a number of the appraised articles.     

The Effect of Parental Presence on Pain Levels of Children During Invasive Procedures: A Systematic Review

AimThis systematic review was conducted to determine the effect of parental presence on the child's pain intensity during invasive procedures.DesignA systematic review.MethodThe systematic review was conducted in July 2019 and updated in December 2020 to include the latest research published during the publication process by scanning the articles in English. Scopus, Pubmed, Cochrane, Science Direct, MedLine databases were used for scanning. The keywords “parental presence”, “family presence”, “parent involvement”, “invasive procedures”, “venipuncture”, “painful procedures”, “child”, “children”, “pediatric” were used in the scanning. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol was followed to prepare the study and the report, and the systematic review was created according to the patient, intervention, comparison, outcomes (PICOS) strategy.ResultsA total of 248 articles were reached, and the full texts of 18 articles were evaluated for eligibility. After the articles excluded by the full-text search were eliminated, six studies, involving 730 children with a sample aged between 0-12 years, were included in the analysis. In 4 studies, it was determined that having a parent with the child during the invasive procedure significantly decreased the pain level, and in 2 studies, there was no statistically significant decrease in the pain level of the children.ConclusionsParental presence and parental involvement during invasive procedures effectively reduced the children's pain levels. Since the number of studies with a high level of evidence regarding the effect of family participation on pain level is limited, it is recommended to conduct more randomized controlled studies.     

Chiropractic Care for Adults With Pregnancy-Related Low Back,Pelvic Girdle Pain,or Combination Pain: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review (SR) of the literature to assess the effectiveness of chiropractic care options commonly used for pregnancy-related low back pain (LBP), pelvic girdle pain (PGP), or combination pain for both experienced practitioners and students of chiropractic.MethodsWe included procedures that were commonly used by chiropractors and not requiring additional certifications. Outcomes were self-reported changes in pain or disability. We used the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network checklists to assess outcomes. For strength of evidence, we used the adapted version of the US Preventive Services Task Force criteria as described in the UK report.ResultsFifty articles were included from 18 SRs, 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 2 cohort studies. Pregnancy LBP (7 SRs and 12 RCTs): moderate, favorable evidence for electrotherapy and osteopathic manipulative therapy; inconclusive, favorable strength for chiropractic care, exercise, and support devices; and inconclusive, unclear strength for spinal manipulative therapy. Pregnancy PGP (4 SRs and 4 RCTs): inconclusive, favorable strength for exercise; and inconclusive, unclear evidence for patient education, information, and support devices. Pregnancy LBP or PGP (13 SRs and 12 RCTs): moderate, unclear evidence for complementary and alternative medicine; moderate, unclear evidence for exercise; inconclusive, favorable evidence for multimodal care, patient education, and physiotherapy; and inconclusive, unclear strength for spinal manipulative therapy, osteopathic manipulative therapy, and support devices.ConclusionAlthough there is a lack of conclusive evidence, many of the interventions have moderate or unclear but favorable evidence.     

Effectiveness of Music Intervention on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PurposeTo evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of music intervention on postoperative nausea and vomiting in the first 24 hours after surgery.DesignA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.MethodsThe study was conducted according to recommendations from Cochrane Handbook. The studies were selected based on PICOS inclusion and exclusion criteria. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was used for bias assessment and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was used for reporting the study. Data was analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis version 3 software. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted using both fixed and random-effect models.FindingsThere were 576 patients in the seven studies who met the inclusion criteria. The number of participants ranged from 58 to 163. Music was implemented in postoperative, intraoperative, and perioperative periods. Meta-analyses revealed that music interventions significantly reduced postoperative vomiting (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.63, Z = 2.07, P < 0.05, Hedge's g = 0.32), and had no statistical significant effect on postoperative nausea (95% CI: ?0.13 to 0.70, Z = 1.34, P > 0.05, Hedge's g = 0.28).ConclusionMusic intervention is effective in decreasing postoperative vomiting. Music intervention can be applied by healthcare professionals and the patients. However, more studies are still necessary to estimate the effects of postoperative nausea and vomiting and to increase the amount of available evidence.Study registration numberCRD42020209691