Method’s corner: Allergist’s guide to network meta-analysis

Network meta-analyses (NMAs) simultaneously estimate the effects of multiple possible treatment options for a given clinical presentation. For allergists to benefit optimally from NMAs, they must understand the process and be able to interpret the results. Through a worked example published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, we summarize how to identify credible NMAs and interpret them with a focus on recent innovations in the GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). NMAs build on traditional systematic reviews and meta-analyses that consider only direct paired comparisons by including indirect evidence, thus allowing the simultaneous assessment of the relative effect of all pairs of competing alternatives. Our framework informs clinicians of how to identify credible NMAs and address the certainty of the evidence. Trustworthy NMAs fill a critical gap in providing key inferences using direct and indirect evidence to inform clinical decision making when faced with more than two competing courses of treatment options. This document will help allergists to identify trustworthy NMAs to enhance patient care.     

Adherence to a Mediterranean Lifestyle and Changes in Frequency,Severity, and Localization of Pain in Older Adults

ObjectiveTo assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle and changes in pain, and its characteristics over time in older adults.Patients and MethodsWe analyzed data from 864 and 862 community-dwelling individuals aged 65+ years from the Study on Cardiovascular Health, Nutrition and Frailty in Older Adults in Spain (Seniors-ENRICA) Seniors-ENRICA-1 (2008–2010 to 2012) and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (2015–2017 to 2019) cohorts, with a median follow-up of 2.8 and 2.4 years, respectively. Adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed at baseline with the 27-item Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index. Pain changes over time were calculated with a pain scale that assessed the frequency, severity, and the number of pain locations both at baseline and follow-up. Multivariable-adjusted relative risk ratios (RRRs) were obtained using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsIn the pooled cohorts, after a median follow-up of 2.6 years, pain worsened for 697 participants, improved for 734, and did not change for 295. Compared with the lowest category of MEDLIFE adherence, those in the highest category showed an RRR of improvement vs worsening of overall pain of 1.85 (95% CI, 1.28 to 2.67; P-trend<.001). MEDLIFE adherence was also linked to improvement in pain frequency (RRR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.31 to 3.01; P-trend=.001), pain severity (RRR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.33 to 3.00; P-trend=.001), and a reduction in the number of pain locations (RRR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.50; P-trend=.004). Limitations of this study are the use of self-reported lifestyle data.ConclusionA Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with improvement of pain characteristics in older adults. Experimental studies should assess the efficacy of an integral lifestyle approach for the management of pain in older adults.     

新时代检验医学发展定位与思考

检验医学作为医学科学的重要支撑学科,在疾病早期诊断、病情监测、预后判断与风险评估等方面发挥着重要作用。21世纪是数字信息时代,高新检测技术、计算机科学及互联网大数据等,为检验医学的发展带来巨大的机遇与挑战,新时代下如何借助信息科技革命实现检验医学新发展是检验工作者面临的重要课题。该文回顾检验医学的发展历程,重点关注检验医学在新时代的发展定位及未来发展方向,以求开创检验医学发展新局面。     

医疗领域人工智能应用的研究进展＊

人工智能引发了医疗领域的数字革命，在推动行业发展方面具有极大潜力。本研究围绕临床诊疗、医学研究和公共卫生三个基本场景，聚焦人工智能与传统中医药的交叉与融合，并着重介绍人工智能在疾病诊断、决策支持、医学研究以及重大公共卫生事件中的应用。虽然人工智能在诸多方面显示出独特优势，但仍存在透明度不高、缺乏安全性评估和相关法律法规监管等问题需要谨慎解决，以促进人工智能技术在医疗领域的推广。     

Evidence-based strategies to reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium: a narrative review

Delirium is one of the most commonly occurring postoperative complications in older adults. It occurs due to the vulnerability of cerebral functioning to pathophysiological stressors. Identification of those at increased risk of developing delirium early in the surgical pathway provides an opportunity for modification of predisposing and precipitating risk factors and effective shared decision-making. No single delirium prediction tool is used widely in surgical settings. Multi-component interventions to prevent delirium involve structured risk factor modification supported by geriatrician input; these are clinically efficacious and cost effective. Barriers to the widespread implementation of such complex interventions exist, resulting in an ‘implementation gap’. There is a lack of evidence for pharmacological prophylaxis for the prevention of delirium. Current evidence suggests that avoidance of peri-operative benzodiazepines, careful titration of anaesthetic depth guided by processed electroencephalogram monitoring and treatment of pain are the most effective strategies to minimise the risk of delirium. Addressing postoperative delirium requires a collaborative, whole pathway approach, beginning with the early identification of those patients who are at risk. The research agenda should continue to examine the potential for pharmacological prophylaxis to prevent delirium while also addressing how successful models of delirium prevention can be translated from one setting to another, underpinned by implementation science methodology.     

中药复方治疗肥胖作用机制的研究进展＊

肥胖是世界上较为普遍的慢性病，不仅是糖尿病、心血管疾病和非酒精性脂肪肝等多种疾病的危险因素，还是感染性疾病的易感因素。西药在治疗肥胖上疗效明显，但是不良反应也显而易见。中药复方在肥胖等慢性代谢性疾病的临床疗效上具有突出的优势。然而，中药复方的减肥机制仍不清楚。因此，本文对近年来有关中药复方减肥的文献进行了综述和分析，重点对中药复方治疗肥胖症的机理进行了总结分析，以期为新药配伍的实验设计提供一些新的思路和方法。     

胰腺切除患者围术期血糖管理的最佳证据总结

背景血糖紊乱是胰腺切除患者围术期常见问题。然而，目前国内开展的胰腺切除患者围术期血糖管理实践多以经验为指导，缺乏循证依据。目的总结胰腺切除患者围术期血糖管理的最佳证据。方法系统检索BMJ最佳临床实践、Up to Date、国际指南协作组、国际糖尿病联盟（IDF）、世界卫生组织（WHO）、美国国立指南数据库（NGC）、美国糖尿病协会、英国国家临床优化研究所（NICE）、新西兰指南研究组、加拿大糖尿病协会、澳大利亚糖尿病协会、苏格兰校际指南网络（SIGN）、PubMed、Web of Science、EMBase、CINHAL数据库、Cochrane图书馆、乔安娜布里格斯研究所（JBI）循证卫生保健中心、医脉通、万方数据知识服务平台、中国知网（CNKI）、生物医学数据库（CBM），筛选关于胰腺切除患者围术期血糖管理的文献。检索时间为建库至2020年12月。指南的质量评价采用国际AGREE协作组织2009年更新的AGREE Ⅱ量表。专家共识的质量评价采用澳大利亚JBI循证卫生保健中心专家共识评价标准2017版。随机对照试验的评价采用Jadad评分量表。结果通过初步检索筛选出文献6 637篇，最终纳入文献13篇，其中7篇为临床实践指南，4篇为专家共识，2篇为随机对照试验。评价结果显示，7篇临床实践指南中3篇总体质量评价为A级，剩下4篇为B级；4篇专家共识的质量评价在"观点与其他文献不一致的地方是否有合理解释？"条目的评价结果为"不清楚"，其余条目的评价结果均为"是"。2篇随机对照试验均为高质量文献。共汇总了62条最佳证据，主要涉及围术期组织管理、入院评估及处理、血糖控制目标、血糖监测、术前血糖管理策略、术中血糖管理策略、术后血糖管理策略、危急状况处理以及出院指导9个方面。结论临床医务人员应根据总结的9个方面最佳证据（包括围术期组织管理、入院评估及处理、血糖控制目标、血糖监测、术前血糖管理策略、术中血糖管理策略、术后血糖管理策略、危急状况处理以及出院指导）为胰腺切除患者制定个体化、全程化的围术期血糖管理方案。     

中药药浴治疗痉挛型脑性瘫痪患儿的临床效果

目的研究中药药浴治疗痉挛型脑性瘫痪患儿的临床效果。方法选取2021年1月至12月于粤北人民医院儿童康复科确诊的80例痉挛型脑性瘫痪患儿,按随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组,每组各40例。对照组实施常规康复疗法,涉及运动疗法、作业疗法、物理因子治疗等,观察组进行常规康复治疗并结合中药药浴疗法,分别评估两组的肌张力及大运动功能并进行比较。结果治疗后观察组的肌张力低于对照组,大运动功能评估得分高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论中药药浴治疗痉挛型脑性瘫痪患儿可获得显著的效果,可改善肌张力,促进大运动功能提升,具有临床推广价值。