Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reveals an improved clinical outcome of using genotype plus clinical algorithm for warfarin dosing.

Previous studies have raised interest in using the genotyping of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 to guide warfarin dosing. However, there is lack of solid evidence to prove that genotype plus clinical algorithm provides improved clinical outcomes than the single clinical algorithm. The results of recent reported clinical trials are paradoxical and needs to be systematically evaluated. In this study, we aim to assess whether genotype plus clinical algorithm of warfarin is superior to the single clinical algorithm through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). All relevant studies from PubMed and reference lists from Jan 1, 1995 to Jan 13, 2014 were extracted and screened. Eligible studies included randomized trials that compared clinical plus pharmacogenetic algorithms group to single clinical algorithm group using adult (≥ 18 years) patients with disease conditions that require warfarin use. We further used fix-effect models to calculate the mean difference or the risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs to analyze the extracted data. The statistical heterogeneity was calculated using I(2). The percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range was considered to be the primary clinical outcome. The initial search strategy identified 50 citations and 7 trials were eligible. These seven trials included 1,910 participants, including 960 patients who received genotype plus clinical algorithm of warfarin dosing and 950 patients who received clinical algorithm only. We discovered that the percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range of the genotype-guided group was improved compared with the standard group in the RCTs when the initial standard dose was fixed (95% CI 0.09-0.40; I(2) = 47.8%). However, for the studies using non-fixed initial doses, the genotype-guided group failed to exhibit statistically significant outcome compared to the standard group. No significant difference was observed in the incidences of adverse events (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.84-1.04; I(2) = 0%, p = 0.647) and death rates (RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.46-4.05; I(2) = 10.4%, p = 0.328) between the two groups. Allocation to genotype plus clinical algorithm may be associated with a significant improvement of the percentage of time within the therapeutic INR range for patients adopting fixed dose of warfarin. The incidence of total adverse events and death rates did not differ between these two groups. Further experiments need to be conducted to confirm these findings.

Single-incision versus conventional laparoscopic appendicectomy in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA) has been considered as an alternative to conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare clinical outcomes between single-incision laparoscopic appendicectomy and conventional laparoscopic appendicectomy in children. METHODS: An electronic search of EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE was performed. Operative time, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications including wound infection, intra-abdominal infection, ileus in SILA and CLA were pooled and compared by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twelve studies (4 randomized controlled trials, 1 prospective study and 7 retrospective studies) that included 2,109 pediatric patients were studied. Of these patients, 933 and 1,176 patients had undergone SILA and CLA, respectively. There was significant shorter length of hospital stay for SILA compared with CLA in children; however, pooling the results for SILA and CLA revealed no significant difference in operative time and postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Compared with CLA, SILA has the advantage of shorter hospital stay. However, SILA failed to show any obvious advantages over CLA in operative time and postoperative complications including wound infection, intra-abdominal infection, and ileus.

Effect of carotid corrected flow time combined with perioperative fluid therapy on preventing hypotension after general anesthesia induction in elderly patients: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hypotension often occurs following the induction of general anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing surgery and can lead to severe complications. This study assessed the effect of carotid corrected flow time (FTc) combined with perioperative fluid therapy on preventing hypotension after general anesthesia induction in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective cohort study was divided into two parts. The first part (Part I) consisted of 112 elderly patients. Carotid FTc was measured using Color Doppler Ultrasound 5 min before anesthesia induction. Hypotension was defined as a decrease of greater than 30% in systolic blood pressure (SBP) or a decrease of greater than 20% in mean arterial pressure (MAP) from baseline, or an absolute SBP below 90 mmHg and MAP below 60 mmHg within 3 min after induction of general anesthesia. The predictive value of carotid FTc was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The second part (Part II) consisted of 65 elderly patients. Based on the results in Part I, elderly patients with carotid FTc below the optimal cut-off value received perioperative fluid therapy at a volume of 8 ml/kg of balanced crystalloids (lactated Ringer's solution) in 30 min before induction. The effect of carotid FTc combined with perioperative fluid therapy was assessed by comparing observed incidence of hypotension after induction. RESULTS: The area under the ROC for carotid FTc to predict hypotension after induction was 0.876 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.800-0.952, P <0.001]. The optimal cut-off value was 334.95 ms (sensitivity of 87.20%; specificity of 82.20%). The logistic regression analysis revealed that carotid FTc is an independent predictor for post-induction hypotension in elderly patients. The incidence of post-induction hypotension was significantly lower ( P <0.001) in patients with carotid FTc less than 334.95 ms who received perioperative fluid therapy (35.71%) compared to those who did not (92.31%). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid FTc combined with the perioperative fluid therapy could significantly reduce the incidence of hypotension after the induction of general anesthesia in elderly patients.

Open Versus Laparoscopic Inguinal Herniotomy in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Focusing on Postoperative Complications.

PURPOSE: There is an ongoing debate about whether laparoscopic or open herniorrhaphy (LH or OH) is the best choice for inguinal hernia in children. The aim of this study was to compare both of the surgical strategies as regards operative time, recurrence rate, postoperative complications by means of a systematic review, and meta-analysis of the available literatures. METHODS: A systematic search for randomized clinical trials comparing OH and LH was conducted. Studies were reviewed for quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, operative time for bilateral and unilateral hernias, recurrence, and complications. RESULTS: Five randomized clinical trials with a total of 553 children (OH 278, LH 275) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in this review. Compared with OH, shorter operative time for unilateral hernias was noted in extraperitoneal approaches' group [95% confidence interval (CI), -6.71 to -3.71; I2=0%] as well as for bilateral hernias (95% CI, -12.18 to -3.79; I2=82%). Besides, less total postoperative complications was found in LH group, especially for major postoperative complications in male children (95% CI, 0.01-0.78; I2=0%). However, no significant difference was observed between LH and OH in patients' recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis favors LH in the repair of bilateral hernias and for unilateral hernias in extraperitoneal approaches' group. Total postoperative complications were significantly reduced in LH, especially for major postoperative complications in male children.