A systematic review and meta-analysis on mortality rate following total pelvic exenteration in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Total pelvic exenteration (TPE), an en bloc resection is an ultraradical operation for malignancies, and refers to the removal of organs inside the pelvis, including female reproductive organs, lower urological organs and involved parts of the digestive system. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the intra-operative mortality, in-hospital mortality, 30- and 90-day mortality rate and overall mortality rate (MR) following TPE in colorectal, gynecological, urological, and miscellaneous cancers. METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which three international databases including Medline through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2023 were searched. To screen and select relevant studies, retrieved articles were entered into Endnote software. The required information was extracted from the full text of the retrieved articles by the authors. Effect measures in this study was the intra-operative, in-hospital, and 90-day and overall MR following TPE. All analyzes are performed using Stata software version 16 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). RESULTS: In this systematic review, 1751 primary studies retrieved, of which 98 articles (5343 cases) entered into this systematic review. The overall mortality rate was 30.57% in colorectal cancers, 25.5% in gynecological cancers and 12.42% in Miscellaneous. The highest rate of mortality is related to the overall mortality rate of colorectal cancers. The MR in open surgeries was higher than in minimally invasive surgeries, and also in primary advanced cancers, it was higher than in recurrent cancers. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it can be said that performing TPE in a specialized surgical center with careful patient eligibility evaluation is a viable option for advanced malignancies of the pelvic organs.

COVID-19, An early investigation from exposure to treatment outcomes in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing need for information regarding the recent coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). We present a comprehensive report of COVID-19 patients in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were studied. Data on potential source of exposure, demographic, clinical, and paraclinical features, therapy outcome, and postdischarge follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 58 years, and the majority of the patients (72.7%) were above 50 years of age. Fever was present in 45.2% of the patients on admission. The most common clinical symptoms were shortness of breath (74%) and cough (68%). Most patients had elevated C-reactive protein (92.3%), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (82.9%), and lymphocytopenia (74.2%) on admission. Lower lobes of the lung were most commonly involved, and ground-glass opacity (81.8%) was the most frequent finding in computed tomography scans. The administration of hydroxychloroquine improved the clinical outcome of the patients. Lopinavir/ritonavir was efficacious at younger ages. Of the 70 discharged patients, 40% had symptom aggravation, 8.6% were readmitted to the hospital, and three patients (4.3%) died. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates a heterogeneous nature of clinical manifestations in patients affected with COVID19. The most common presenting symptoms are nonspecific, so attention should be made on broader testing, especially in age groups with the greatest risk and younger individuals who can serve as carriers of the disease. Hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir (in younger age group) can be potential treatment options. Finally, patients discharged from the hospital should be followed up because of potential symptom aggravation.

Sleep disorders and other medical and socio-demographic factors in systemic scleroderma.

We aimed to investigate sleep disorders in patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc) and its relationship with socio-demographic and medical factors and to provide a suitable solution to better control the disease and improve the quality of life in these patients. This cross-sectional study evaluated SSc patients seen at a rheumatology clinic from September 1, 2022, through April 1, 2023.The patients were examined by the main investigator of the project and entered the study after taking the medical history and meeting the criteria of ACR 2013 Classification Criteria. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and STOP-Bang Questionnaire were employed to investigate sleep disorders. A total of 103 patients were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 48.42 ± 12.4 years. PSQI showed lower quality of sleep scores among SSc (68% of patients), which was significantly related to the degree of skin stiffness in patients, telangiectasia, interstitial lung disease (ILD) in computed tomography (CT) scan, patient age, duration of the disease, and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). STOP-Bang Questionnaire revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was significantly associated with telangiectasia, ILD, patient age, disease onset age, disease duration, body mass index and PAP. Insomnia had a statistically significant relationship with telangiectasia, ILD and patient age. Drowsiness during daily activities was not significantly related to any of the individual variables and disease-related variables. Sleep disorders are common in patients with systemic scleroderma. Telangiectasia, ILD and patient age were related to all sleep quality disorders and respiratory apnea and insomnia. Furthermore, the amount of skin involvement significantly causes disturbances in the quality of sleep of patients, where in the group with diffuse skin stiffness, 80% of patients exhibited disturbances in the quality of sleep. Therefore, paying attention to sleep health can be an effective factor in improving the quality of life of patients with SSc.

Association of oxytocin augmentation with postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aims to evaluate the correlation between oxytocin augmentation and postpartum hemorrhage. METHOD: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus has been searched for studies assessing the correlation between oxytocin augmentation and postpartum hemorrhage up to January 24, 2024. The search strategy included relevant keywords related to PPH and oxytocin augmentation. The risk of bias assessment was conducted by two reviewers using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). To pool the effects sized of included studies odds ratios (OR) of interest outcome with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were used. RESULTS: Eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis of the included studies showed a statistically significant association between oxytocin augmentation and increased odds of PPH (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.53; I2 = 84.94%; p = 0.01). Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, which appeared relatively asymmetrical, indicating significant publication bias. Galbraith plot and trim and fill plot were used for publication bias. Sensitivity analyses were performed by leave one out method. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that using oxytocin for labor augmentation is linked to a significant increase in the risk of PPH. It highlights the need for careful monitoring and consideration when using oxytocin, especially in low and middle-income countries where guidelines and supervision are crucial.

Prediction of post-delivery hemoglobin levels with machine learning algorithms.

Predicting postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) before delivery is crucial for enhancing patient outcomes, enabling timely transfer and implementation of prophylactic therapies. We attempted to utilize machine learning (ML) using basic pre-labor clinical data and laboratory measurements to predict postpartum Hemoglobin (Hb) in non-complicated singleton pregnancies. The local databases of two academic care centers on patient delivery were incorporated into the current study. Patients with preexisting coagulopathy, traumatic cases, and allogenic blood transfusion were excluded from all analyses. The association of pre-delivery variables with 24-h post-delivery hemoglobin level was evaluated using feature selection with Elastic Net regression and Random Forest algorithms. A suite of ML algorithms was employed to predict post-delivery Hb levels. Out of 2051 pregnant women, 1974 were included in the final analysis. After data pre-processing and redundant variable removal, the top predictors selected via feature selection for predicting post-delivery Hb were parity (B: 0.09 [0.05-0.12]), gestational age, pre-delivery hemoglobin (B:0.83 [0.80-0.85]) and fibrinogen levels (B:0.01 [0.01-0.01]), and pre-labor platelet count (B*1000: 0.77 [0.30-1.23]). Among the trained algorithms, artificial neural network provided the most accurate model (Root mean squared error: 0.62), which was subsequently deployed as a web-based calculator: https://predictivecalculators.shinyapps.io/ANN-HB . The current study shows that ML models could be utilized as accurate predictors of indirect measures of PPH and can be readily incorporated into healthcare systems. Further studies with heterogenous population-based samples may further improve the generalizability of these models.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with the injection of pethidine and promethazine in the labor pain reduction: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to relieve labor pain remains controversial and existing evidence is neither strong nor consistent. This research was designed to compare TENS' effect with the injection of pethidine and promethazine in labor pain reduction. Methods: In this trial, for 45 pregnant women in the active phase of labor, TENS electrodes were placed (two on both arms, and two over the participants' low back) continuously for 120 minutes; and for another group 45 pregnant women, 100 milligrams of pethidine and 250 micrograms of promethazine were injected intramuscularly which could be repeated once at least one hour later. Labor pain and duration, need for labor induction/augmentation/other pain control methods/ instrumental delivery, delivery type, and maternal and newborn complications were measured in both groups. Results: The baseline mean visual analog scale (VAS) score, in the TENS group was 8.51±0.62 and in the pethidine and promethazine groups was 8.37±0.61 (P=0.31). While in a 120min post-intervention, it was 6.29±1.50 and 5.73±1.46 in the TENS group and the pethidine and promethazine group, respectively with no statistically significant difference (P=0.07). The labor duration in the TENS group was 6.61±1.71 hours and in the pethidine and promethazine group was 6.17±2.07 hours, with no statistically significant difference (P=0.33). In addition, no complication was recorded neither in the mothers nor newborns. Conclusion: This study showed that applying TENS in the active labor phase can reduce at least two scores in patient labor pain with no significant complications.

A novel radiofrequency modulation therapy versus routine physiotherapy modalities in treatment of myofascial pelvic pain syndrome: a pilot randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of novel radiofrequency modulation (RM) therapy with a tailored physiotherapy course for patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) of myofascial origin, also known as myofascial pelvic pain syndrome (MPPS). METHODS: We enrolled 46 patients with myofascial CPP to compare the effectiveness of a 10-session routine physiotherapy course versus a 6-session RM with an integrated device (HIGGS) in alleviating MPPS morbidity and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) rehabilitation. The primary outcome was reduction in pelvic pain after the final session and in the follow-up period 3 months after the final intervention session. RESULTS: The 6-session therapy in the RM group and the manual, biofeedback, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapies in the physiotherapy group were similarly effective in reducing pain and improving PFM endurance after the final intervention session in each group, whereas perineometer readings and PFM strength were associated with greater improvements in the physiotherapy group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated comparable effectiveness of RM in the management of MPPS and improvement of PFM function compared to routine physiotherapy programs with fewer sessions of therapy.

Development of a new version of the Bristol Stool Form Scale: translation, content validity, face validity, and reliability of the Persian version.

OBJECTIVES: The Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) is the most widely used scale for stool form assessment. This study aimed to translate the BSFS into the Persian version and determine its content validity, face validity, and reliability. DESIGN: Following permission, a forward-backward translation procedure was applied to translate the scale from English into Persian. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 210 participants from the general and gastrointestinal clinics of a teaching hospital affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from January 2020 to August 2020. The samples were selected using convenience sampling. A group of 10 experts and 10 adults assessed content and face validity, respectively. The kappa index evaluated the reliability of the instruments. RESULTS: Participants' mean (±SD) age was 37.62 (±8.87) years. Most of the participants (65.7%) were women. The highest percentage of concordance was 100% for stool type 7, and stool type 5 had the lowest concordance percentage (78.1%). The overall kappa index was 0.79. CONCLUSION: The Persian version of the BSFS is a valid and reliable measure for assessing stool form, and now it can be used in research and clinical practice.

Importance of pre-operative COVID-19 screening test in elective surgeries.

Background and Objectives: Since the COVID-19 pandemic initiation, more than 28 million elective surgeries were postponed with a cancellation rate of 72.3%. However, studies suggested that the patient treatment should be conducted within 12 weeks of diagnosis because delay in treatment might have had adverse impacts on patients' health status, prognosis, and pathologic stage. Hence, the current study aimed to assess the importance of a pre-operative COVID-19 screening test for the patients were candidates for elective surgery. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 141 patients who were candidates for any type of elective surgeries or cesarean section at a tertiary university-based hospital, between June 2020, and September 2020. Results: The mean age of participants was 41.38 ± 11.66 years. Of them, 91.5% were women and 8.5% were men. The COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening tests were positive in 12 (8.5%) patients. From whose PCR tests were positive, only five people (less than half) had symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever (three patients), a distinctive smell (two patients), and cough (one patient). Suspected exposure to COVID-19 was reported in four of them. Conclusion: In this study, we found that more than half of PCR positive COVID-19 patients were asymptomatic. Therefore, to have a safe hospital environment, and improve patient health outcomes, the COVID-19 screening test should be applied before any interventions.

Effect of one session of tDCS on the severity of pain in women with chronic pelvic pain.

AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of tDCS on pain score in women with Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP). MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 16 women with CPP participated in the present double-blind sham-controlled cross-over study. Each participant received a 20-min 0.3 MA of trans Cranial Direct Stimulation (tDCS) with a current density of 0.1 mA/cm2. In addition to the pain intensity, the Quality of Life (QOL), disability, and depression statuses were assessed prior to and one week after the treatment. Shapiro-Wilks goodness-of-fit test for normality, dependent t-Test, and Wilcoxon Signed- Rank Test were used for data analysis. Values of p < .05 were considered statistically significant. FINDINGS: Active tDCS treatment was effective in the reduction of pain (p = .0001), improving QOL (208.938 > 193.313, P = .025), and the disability (22.375 < 30.375, P = .025). The results showed no effect of active or sham treatment on the depression (p ≥ .05). CONCLUSION: The positive effects of active tDCS on CPP suggest the need to study the effect of this method on other types of chronic pain.

Pelvic musculoskeletal dysfunctions in women with and without chronic pelvic pain.

AIM: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of pelvic musculoskeletal dysfunctions in women with and without Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP). MATERIALS &METHODS: A total of 84 women with and without CPP (42 in each group), participated in this cross-sectional analytical study. After collecting demographic information, clinical examinations were carried out to compare pelvic musculoskeletal dysfunctions between two groups. Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) goodness-of-fit, Independent t, X2 and Pearson correlation tests were used for data analysis. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. FINDINGS: Significant differences were found in the asymmetric iliac crest and pubic symphysis height (45.2% vs 9.5%), positive sacroiliac provocation and positive Carnett's tests (50% vs 4.8%), (p < 0.05). CPP Patients exhibited more tenderness at Levator ani, Piriformis, and Obturator Internus muscles, also higher degrees of pelvic inclination (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Higher frequency of pelvic musculoskeletal dysfunctions in women with CPP suggests the value of routine musculoskeletal examinations for earlier diagnosis of musculoskeletal originated CPP and effective management of these patients.