The Optimal Primary Treatment for Pediatric Perianal Abscess and Anal Fistula: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundPerianal abscesses and anal fistulas are common. The principle of intention-to-treat has not been considered in previous systemic reviews. Thus, the comparison between primary and post-recurrence management was confused, and the recommendation of primary treatment is obscure. The current study aims to identify the optimal initial treatment for pediatric patients.MethodsUsing PRISMA guidelines, studies were identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar without any language or study design restriction. The inclusion criteria include original articles or articles with original data, studies of management for a perianal abscess with or without anal fistula, and patient age of <18 years. Patients with local malignancy, Crohn's disease, or other underlying predisposing conditions were excluded. Studies without analyzing recurrence, case series of <5, and irrelevant articles were excluded in the screening stage. Of the 124 screened articles, 14 articles had no full texts or detailed information. Articles written in a language other than English or Mandarin were translated by Google Translation first and confirmed with native speakers. After the eligibility process, studies that compared identified primary managements were then included in the qualitative synthesis.ResultsThirty-one studies involving 2507 pediatric patients met the inclusion criteria. The study design consisted of two prospective case series of 47 patients and retrospective cohort studies. No randomized control trials were identified. Meta-analyses for recurrence after initial management were performed with a random-effects model. Conservative treatment and drainage revealed no difference (Odds ratio [OR], 1.222; 95% Confidential interval [CI]: 0.615–2.427, p = 0.567). Conservative management had a higher risk of recurrence than surgery without statistical significance (OR 0.278, 95% CI: 0.109–0.707, p = 0.007). Compared with incision/drainage, surgery can prevent recurrence remarkably (OR 4.360, 95% CI: 1.761–10.792, p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis of different approaches within conservative treatment and operation was not performed for lacking information.ConclusionStrong recommendations cannot be made due to the lack of prospective or randomized controlled studies. However, the current study based on real primary management supports initial surgical intervention for pediatric patients with perianal abscesses and anal fistula to prevent recurrence.Level of evidenceType of study: Systemic review; Evidence level: Level II.     

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 2022 Expert Consensus Document: The use of mechanical circulatory support in lung transplantation

ObjectiveThe use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in lung transplantation has been steadily increasing over the prior decade, with evolving strategies for incorporating support in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings. There is significant practice variability in the use of these techniques, however, and relatively limited data to help establish institutional protocols. The objective of the AATS Clinical Practice Standards Committee (CPSC) expert panel was to review the existing literature and establish recommendations about the use of MCS before, during, and after lung transplantation.MethodsThe AATS CPSC assembled an expert panel of 16 lung transplantation physicians who developed a consensus document of recommendations. The panel was broken into subgroups focused on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative support, and each subgroup performed a focused literature review. These subgroups formulated recommendation statements for each subtopic, which were evaluated by the entire group. The statements were then developed via discussion among the panel and refined until consensus was achieved on each statement.ResultsThe expert panel achieved consensus on 36 recommendations for how and when to use MCS in lung transplantation. These recommendations included the use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridging strategy in the preoperative setting, a preference for central veno-arterial ECMO over traditional cardiopulmonary bypass during the transplantation procedure, and the benefit of supporting selected patients with MCS postoperatively.ConclusionsAchieving optimal results in lung transplantation requires the use of a wide range of strategies. MCS provides an important mechanism for helping these critically ill patients through the peritransplantation period. Despite the complex nature of the decision making process in the treatment of these patients, the expert panel was able to achieve consensus on 36 recommendations. These recommendations should provide guidance for professionals involved in the care of end-stage lung disease patients considered for transplantation.     

Efficacy,immunogenicity, and safety of available vaccines in children on biologics: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Vaccinations are essential for preventing infectious diseases in children with chronic diseases as they have increased risk of infection from frequent use of biologics. Response to immunizations in this group is not well known.ObjectiveA systematic review was performed to evaluate three primary outcomes: efficacy; immunogenicity; and safety of vaccines in children with chronic conditions treated with biologics.MethodsThe protocol for our systematic review and meta-analysis was registered and published with PROSPERO. We searched electronic bibliographic databases for studies published from 2009 to 2019, focusing on vaccinations in children with chronic conditions treated with biologics.ResultsWe retrieved 532 records. Thirty-one full-text articles were selected, and 14 were included in the meta-analysis. No significant publication bias was found. Efficacy: limited data are available regarding the efficacy of vaccination, as most studies have focused on immunogenicity as surrogate outcome for efficacy. Immunogenicity: patients receiving anti-TNF-alpha therapy had a statistically significant risk of poor seroconversion (p = 0.028) and seroprotection by the serotype B influenza vaccine [inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) p = 0.013; juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) p = 0.004]. We found adequate responses with H1N1 and H3N2 serotypes. Few studies existed for pneumococcal, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, varicella-zoster virus, Measles Mumps Rubella virus, and multiple vaccine administration. Safety: vaccine administration was not associated with serious side effects, but JIA patients on anti-TNF alpha therapy had a statistically significant risk of presenting with myalgia or arthralgia postinfluenza vaccine (p = 0.014).ConclusionsMore evidence concerning efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of vaccinations is needed to guide physicians in the vaccine decision process for this pediatric population.     

艾司氯胺酮复合麻醉在小儿瘢痕非插管全身麻醉患者超脉冲点阵二氧化碳激光治疗术中的应用及效果观察

目的探讨艾司氯胺酮+七氟烷+小儿布洛芬肛栓在小儿烧伤后增生性瘢痕非插管全身麻醉患者超脉冲二氧化碳点阵激光(UFCL)治疗术中的应用及效果观察。 方法选取2020年1月至2021年4月就诊于空军军医大学第一附属医院烧伤与皮肤外科门诊89例烧伤后增生性瘢痕患儿纳入本随机对照临床试验。将患儿采用随机数字表法分为氯胺酮+丙泊酚组[共42例，其中男22例，女20例，平均年龄为(44.33±14.87)个月]和复合麻醉镇痛组(艾司氯胺酮+七氟烷+小儿布洛芬肛栓)[共47例，男24例，女23例，平均年龄(44.47±14.65)个月]；在麻醉前和术中监测患儿血流动力学指标以及警觉/镇静(OAA/S)量表评分；在麻醉清醒时(T0)、麻醉清醒后1 h(T1)、麻醉清醒后2 h(T2)应用儿童疼痛行为量表(FLACC)对患儿疼痛程度进行评估；分别于术前和术后6个月应用温哥华瘢痕量表(VSS)对瘢痕进行评分。对数据行独立样本t检验和χ²检验。 结果(1)麻醉前氯胺酮+丙泊酚组血流动力学及OAA/S量表评分[平均动脉压(63.71±3.40)mmHg、心率(107.21±9.45)次/min、呼吸(25.29±2.34)次/min、血氧饱和度(99.00±0.80)%、OAA/S量表评分(4.64±0.49)分]与复合麻醉镇痛组[平均动脉压(63.87±3.57)mmHg、心率(109.34±12.21)次/min、呼吸(26.473.53)次/min、血氧饱和度(98.77±0.91)%、OAA/S量表评分(4.57±0.50)分]比较差异均无统计学意义(t＝-0.213、0.490、-1.840、1.280、0.204，P>0.05)；麻醉后手术中氯胺酮+丙泊酚组[平均动脉压(56.29±2.43)mmHg、心率(94.48±7.01)次/min、呼吸(21.07±3.03)次/min、血氧饱和度(96.12±1.64)%、OAA/S量表评分(2.07±0.71)分]与复合麻醉镇痛组[平均动脉压(62.87±3.56)mmHg、心率(108.791±1.93)次/min、呼吸(26.52±3.48)次/min、血氧饱和度(99.23±0.67)%、OAA/S量表评分(1.45±0.50)分]比较差异有统计学意义(t＝-10.068、-6.794、-7.824、-11.960、4.820，P<0.05)。(2)氯胺酮+丙泊酚组患儿麻醉清醒时[T0：(4.40±1.17)分]麻醉清醒后1 h[T1：(2.05±0.88)分]、麻醉清醒后2 h[T2：(0.43±0.63)分]FLACC评分比复合麻醉镇痛组[(1.32±0.96)、(0.43±0.62)、(0.13±0.34)分]评分高，说明患儿疼痛度高，且数据比较差异均有统计学意义(t＝10.139、13.669、2.794，P<0.05)。(3)术前及术后6个月瘢痕评分：氯胺酮+丙泊酚组[(9.33±1.60)、(4.48±1.11)分]与复合麻醉镇痛组[(8.43±2.04)、(4.26±1.04)分]相比差异均无统计学意义(t＝2.320、0.940, P>0.05)。 结论复合麻醉镇痛措施在小儿烧伤后增生性瘢痕非插管全身麻醉患者(UFCL)治疗术中应用效果较好，可使患儿术中血流动力学平稳，术中镇静良好，术后疼痛度较低，对于激光治疗效果无影响。     

What is the impact of zinc deficiency for pancreatectomies in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma?

Backgroundand purpose: Zinc is an essential element for human health and plays an important role in metabolic, immunological and other biological processes. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between zinc deficiency (ZD) and the perioperative clinical course in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).MethodsOf 216 patients with PDAC who underwent elective pancreatectomy between 2013 and 2017 at our institution, 206 patients with sufficient clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. The perioperative variables were compared and the risk factors associated with infectious complications were identified.ResultsZD was preoperatively present in 36 (17.5%) of 206 patients with PDAC. In the patients of the ZD group, a higher proportion of males, higher preoperative modified Glasgow prognostic scores, a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and a higher occurrence of postoperative infectious complications after pancreatectomy were observed, compared to the non-ZD group. By a univariate analysis, three risk factors were significantly associated with infectious complications after pancreatectomy: ZD (vs non-ZD: p = 0.002), serum albumin <3.5 g/dl (vs ≥ 3.5 g/dl: p = 0.005), and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (vs others: p = 0.013). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the occurrence of infectious complications was significantly associated with ZD (OR 3.430, 95%CI 1.570 to 7.490, p = 0.002) and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (OR 2.030, 95%CI 1.090 to 3.770, p = 0.025).ConclusionsThe current study newly demonstrated that ZD could serve as a preoperative predictor of infectious complications after pancreatectomies in the patients with PDAC.     

Efficacy and safety of cold snare polypectomy for sessile serrated polyps ≥ 10 mm: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundCold snare polypectomy (CSP) is a promising technique for the removal of sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) ≥ 10 mm. However, the efficacy and safety of this technique remain undetermined.AimsWe aimed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of CSP for SSPs ≥ 10 mm.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched up to January 2021.ResultsA total of 10 studies consisting of 1727 SSPs (range, 10–40 mm) from 1021 patients were included. The overall rates of technical success, adverse events (AEs) and residual SSPs were 100%, 0.7% and 2.9%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the rates of technical success and AEs were comparable between CSP and cold endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) (99.9% vs. 100% and 1.3% vs. 0.5%, respectively), between the proximal and distal colon (100% vs. 99.9% and 0.3% vs. 0, respectively), and between polyps of 10–19 mm and ≥20 mm (99.8% vs. 100% and 0.9% vs. 0, respectively). However, subgroup analysis showed that the rate of residual SSPs was slightly lower in CSP compared with cold EMR (1.3% vs. 3.9%), as well as in polyps of 10–19 mm compared with those ≥20 mm (3.1% vs. 4.7%).ConclusionCSP was an effective and safe technique for removing SSPs ≥ 10 mm.     

“中国科技期刊卓越行动计划”领军期刊与对标期刊的指标特征分析与发展建议

【目的】 通过比较2019年获得“中国科技期刊卓越行动计划”领军期刊项目资助的期刊(以下简称“领军期刊”)与其对标期刊,探索我国科技期刊缩小与世界顶级期刊差距的对策,为我国一流科技期刊建设提供参考和借鉴。【方法】 利用Web of Science (WoS) 数据库和期刊官网,检索并总结领军期刊与其对标期刊的各项指标数据,分析领军期刊最近5年来的发展情况。【结果】 22种领军期刊的主要指标数据明显上升。2020年领军期刊共发表Article 和Review文章4025篇,比2019年的2630篇增长53.0%,2020年刊均载文量为183篇,比2019年的120篇增长53.0%;领军期刊总被引频次由2019年的99767 次大幅增长至2020年的153610次,增幅达54.0%;2020年领军期刊的平均被引半衰期为3.73年,而对标期刊的平均被引半衰期为9.35年。2020年,16种领军期刊跻身JCR学科排名前10%,10种领军期刊跻身JCR学科排名前5%。【结论】 领军期刊应构建良性的期刊发展生态、动态调整期刊的发展目标、紧扣国家战略和重大需求布局期刊发展方向、重视人才发展与储备、构建自主可控的国际传播平台与渠道,以完成引领行业发展的使命任务,实现可持续发展,从而带动我国期刊行业的整体发展与进步。     

NICE’s recent guidelines on “the size of your waist” unfairly penalizes shorter people

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has just released its latest guidelines to assess and predict health risk, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Their latest advice is “Keep the size of your waist to less than half of your height”. We believe this advice is flawed and will seriously and unfairly penalize shorter people and lull taller people into a false sense of security. In this short communication, we provide this evidence. We consider this a serious oversight by NICE and feel strongly that this evidence needs to be made available in the public domain.