Prevalence of aggressive care among patients with cancer near the end of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Aggressive care near patients' end-of-life (EOL) entails limited therapeutic values, high costs, and compromised quality of life (QoL). In this study, we aimed to estimate the global prevalence of aggressive care in patients with cancer and explore potential subgroup differences. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to Feb 16, 2024. Eligible studies reported the prevalence of aggressive EOL care using at least one quantifiable measure. Random-effects models were used to derive the pooled prevalence and subgroup analyses were performed to investigate differences in the prevalence of aggressive care across regions, the country's level of economic development, tumor types, ages, and sample sizes. This review is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42023467839. Findings: A total of 129 studies were included in this systematic review, of which 118 (91.5%) were from high-income countries. Studies were mostly conducted in the Americas (60, 46.5%), Europe (34, 26.4%), and Western Pacific (31, 24.0%). Measures of aggressive care were inconsistent across studies, with the most commonly used measure being the use of chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life (DOLs) (n = 87, 67.4%) and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in the last 30 DOLs (n = 87, 67.4%). The prevalence of the five claims-based measures of aggressive care, i.e., chemotherapy in the last 14 DOLs, ICU stay in the last 30 DOLs, repeated hospital admission in the last 30 DOLs, repeated emergency room (ER) visit in the last 30 DOLs, and hospice care <3 days before death were 11.6% (95% CI, 9.8%-13.4%), 14.4% (95% CI, 11.8%-17.0%), 17.9% (95% CI, 14.4%-21.4%), 14.8% (95% CI, 12.0%-17.6%), and 14.4% (95% CI, 11.2%-17.6%), respectively. Regional differences were statistically significant in the prevalence of ICU stay and repeated hospital admission in the last 30 DOLs (p < 0.01; p = 0.03). Patients with hematologic malignancies were more likely to receive aggressive care than those with solid tumors, as seen in their higher rates of chemotherapy in the last 14 DOLs (21.7% versus 11.6%; p = 0.03), ICU stay in the last 30 DOLs (25.5% versus 10.8%; p < 0.01), and hospice care <3 days before death (26.7% versus 14.2%; p < 0.01). In addition, the prevalence of chemotherapy in the last 14 DOLs (26.2%; p < 0.01) and repeated hospital admission in the last 30 DOLs (31.4%; p < 0.01) were highest among pediatric patients with cancer. Interpretation: This meta-analysis found that aggressive EOL care was common in patients with cancer, regardless of the definition used, and varied by regions and populations. It is necessary to be aware of the global burden of aggressive care for patients with cancer near their EOL and take prompt action to address it. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72274004).

Cost-effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy with alteplase versus endovascular thrombectomy alone for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Recent randomized trials have suggested that endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) alone may provide similar functional outcomes as the current standard of care, EVT combined with intravenous alteplase treatment, for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion. We conducted an economic evaluation of these 2 therapeutic options. METHODS: We constructed a decision analytic model with a hypothetical cohort of 1000 patients to assess the cost-effectiveness of EVT with intravenous alteplase treatment versus EVT alone for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion from both the societal and public health care payer perspectives. We used studies and data published in 2009-2021 for model inputs, and acquired cost data for Canada and China, representing high- and middle-income countries, respectively. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) using a lifetime horizon and accounted for uncertainty using 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. All costs are reported in 2021 Canadian dollars. RESULTS: In Canada, the difference in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained between EVT with alteplase and EVT alone was 0.10 from both the societal and health care payer perspectives. The difference in cost was $2847 from a societal perspective and $2767 from the payer perspective. In China, the difference in QALYs gained was 0.07 from both perspectives, and the difference in cost was $1550 from the societal perspective and $1607 from the payer perspective. One-way sensitivity analyses showed that the distributions of modified Rankin Scale scores at 90 days after stroke were the most influential factor on ICERs. For Canada, compared to EVT alone, the probability that EVT with alteplase would be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 per QALY gained was 58.7% from a societal perspective and 58.4% from a payer perspective. The corresponding values for at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $47 185 (3 times the Chinese gross domestic product per capita in 2021) were 65.2% and 67.4%. INTERPRETATION: For patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion eligible for immediate treatment with both EVT alone and EVT with intravenous alteplase treatment, it is uncertain whether EVT with alteplase is cost-effective compared to EVT alone in Canada and China.

Impact of pharmacist-led medication therapy management in ambulatory elderly patients with chronic diseases.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the impact of pharmacist-led medication therapy management (MTM) performed on ambulatory elderly patients with chronic diseases. METHODS: Patients who came to a pharmacist-led outpatient clinic between January 2016 and June 2018 were enrolled in this study. Eligible subjects received MTM services from the pharmacists at least twice a year and the clinical data of these patients were complete. Drug-related problems (DRPs) and recommendations were evaluated using The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe Classification for Drug related problems V8.03. RESULTS: A total of 525 DRPs were identified during the study period. Treatment effectiveness (53.71%) was the most common DRP. The most frequently recommended intervention was changing the drug (48.76%). There were 92.38% patients accepting the interventions and 90.48% patients completely implemented. The number of drugs taken was the significant associated factor for DRPs. Postintervention data collection showed lower levels in systolic blood pressure (BP) and diastolic BP compared to the preintervention data collection. There were statistically significant changes in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides between the pre- and postintervention data collections. The average cost of medications per patient for every month decreased from 387.72 to 355.17 renminbi (P = .009). CONCLUSION: We confirmed that pharmacists had a valuable role to perform MTM services for ambulatory elderly patients, not only in identifying and solving the DRPs, but also in improving clinical outcomes (BP and lipid level) and cost-saving effect.

"Political blue sky" in fog and haze governance: evidence from the local major international events in China.

The trade-off between economic development and environmental protection has always been a significant and tough issue for local governments. Studies found that some local governments took temporary measures to control air pollution and created "political blue sky" in certain periods. We collected daily air quality index (AQI) data and individual pollutant concentration data of four cities in China which have hosted major international events in 2019. The air quality of the cities taken temporary measures to control air pollution had an obvious improvement during the events. Furthermore, the improvement mainly occurred in pollution indicators, such as PM2.5 and PM10, which are more valued and sensitive to the public. The sustainability analysis demonstrates that the air quality deteriorated again after the event, indicating that "political blue sky" comes at the cost of retaliatory pollution.

Impact of 'Chief-Pharmacist System' on drug expenditures and rational drug use.

Background Over the last few years, pharmacists in China have been searching for effective strategies to expand their roles in pharmaceutical care. In September 2012, the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital was the first in China to establish the Chief-Pharmacist System aimed to let pharmacists be a responsible part of the multi-disciplinary care team. Objective To describe the Chief-Pharmacist System and explore its impact on drug expenditures and rational drug use. Setting A tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Method Chief-Pharmacist System oriented specific measures were implemented and evaluated. Data on medical services quantity, quality and drug expenses during the periods of pre-implementation (from September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2012) and post implementation (from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2016) were collected. Main outcome measure Healthcare quality indicators, drug expenditures, selected drug use indicators of outpatient and antibiotic use. Results With the implementation of the Chief-Pharmacist System and the participation of pharmacists in pharmaceutical care, drug expenses were reduced significantly. The total drug expenses, outpatient drug expenses per visit and inpatient drug expenses per admission decreased by an average of US $34.3 million, US $8.9 and US $ 303.9, respectively, compared to the pre-implementation period. Meanwhile, selected drug use indicators in post-implementation period were significantly improved. All results were achieved without sacrificing clinical quality and quantity. Conclusion The study illustrates that the Chief-Pharmacist System achieves substantial reductions in drug expenditures and promotion of rational drug use. It provides a model for other hospitals in China and other low- and middle-income countries.

Evaluation Outcomes Associated with Alternative Dosing Strategies for Piperacillin/Tazobactam: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

A better dosing strategy can improve clinical outcomes for patients. We systematically reviewed the literatures to determine whether any clinical benefits exist for piperacillin/tazobactam by extended or continuous infusion. Methods - A search of PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Embase and related ICAAC and ACCP conferences were conducted up to September 5, 2015. Randomized controlled and observational studies that compared extended or continuous infusion with conventional intermittent infusion of piperacillin/tazobactam were identified from the databases above and analyzed. Two reviewers independently evaluated the methodology and extracted data from primary studies. A meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.2 software. The quality of each study was assessed. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were evaluated. Results - Three randomized controlled trials and twelve observational studies were included in this study. All included studies had high quality and no publication bias was found. Compared to the conventional intermittent infusion approach, the extended or continuous infusion group had a significant cost effectiveness (OR -0.89.02, CI (-114.69,-63.35), P<0.00001). No statistical difference was observed for clinical cure rate (OR 1.64, 95% CI (0.88, 3.30), P=0.12) between the two dosing regimens. The sensitivity analysis showed the results were stable. Conclusions - Our systematic review and meta-analysis found that the outcomes associated with alternative dosing strategies of piperacillin/tazobactam have changed compared with conclusions before for several literatures with large samples published. Further data on the outcomes should be generated for a better understanding of the extended or continuous infusion strategy. On the whole, our meta-analysis suggested that the extended or continuous infusion should be recommended for clinical use only considering its economic advantage, but there was no significantly higher clinical cure rate and lower mortality rate compared with the conventional intermittent infusion. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.