Intensive versus less intensive blood pressure targets after mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Hemodynamic management, specifically blood pressure, is essential to reduce mortality and preserve functional capacity. However, the literature is uncertain about the best blood pressure target to be adopted after performing mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Randomized clinical trials that compared blood pressure goals after mechanical thrombectomy were searched in the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Biomedcentral, and Cochrane Library. The last search was on September 19, 2023. The results obtained were used to construct network meta-analyses. A total of 1556 participants were enrolled from 4 randomized controlled trials (OPTIMAL-BP, ENCHANTED2/MT, BP-TARGET, BEST-II). The last article was not included in the network meta-analysis because it did not have common blood pressure targets. The outcomes compared were: mRS (modified Rankin scale), eTICI/mTICI scale scores, symptomatic and any intracerebral hemorrhage, post-intervention NIHSS, and post-intervention infarct volume. The outcomes using the mRS scale showed that better outcomes were reached with less intensive blood pressure targets when comparing < 120 mmHg vs. ≤ 180 mmHg, OR: 0.71 (95% CI 0.54 - 0.94), in the outcome of mRS 0-1. And for the mRS 0-2 outcome with comparisons < 120 mmHg vs. ≤ 180 mmHg, with OR: 0.59 (95% CI 0.44 - 0.77) and < 140 mmHg vs. ≤ 180 mmHg, with OR: 0.61 (95% CI 0.41 - 0.89). In patients with large vessel occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy and who achieved good reperfusion, intensive blood pressure lowering is not effective and might be harmful respect to non intensive blood pressure control in recanalized patients.

Association between reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and functional outcomes in acute stroke: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a measure of cardiac function and often reduced LVEF is indicative of cardiomyopathy/heart failure. The current study evaluated whether reduced LVEF is associated with poor outcomes and mortality in acute stroke. METHODS: Articles that compared poor outcomes (modified Rankin scale 3-6) or mortality in people with reduced LVEF compared to preserved LVEF in acute ischemic stroke were searched in the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Biomed central, and Cochrane Library. The last search was on March 17, 2024. The results obtained were pooled in meta-analyses. RESULTS: A total of 28933 participants were enrolled from 17 articles. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was independently associated with poor outcomes at 90 days (OR:2.38 CI95 % 1.52;3.71; I² = 71 %), the same was observed for death at 90 days (OR:3.15 CI 95 % 1.43; 6.96; I² = 60 %). CONCLUSION: Reduced LVEF is associated with poor functional outcomes and death within 3 months after acute ischemic stroke compared to the setting in which LVEF is preserved.

Use of industrial liquid silicone: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Illicit cosmetic injections remain highly prevalent and can cause serious complications, including death. We aimed to explore existing literature regarding the use of illicit cosmetic injections globally. METHODS: We searched six databases with no language restriction from inception to 2022. We included all articles focused on adult patients of any gender who received any illicit cosmetic injection. Screening and data extraction followed standards from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. RESULTS: After screening 629 abstracts and 193 full texts, 142 citations were included. We identified articles from 28 countries and three multi-country studies. Most were from high-income (75.3%) and upper-middle-income countries (21.8%). Of all patients whose gender identity was described, 49.9% were transgender women, and 40.8% were cisgender women. The anatomic regions most frequently injected were the buttocks (35%) and the breast (13.3%). The most frequently described complications were granuloma (41.5%), dermatological problems (41.5%), infection (35.9%), and pulmonary complications (34.5%). CONCLUSIONS: We observed the impact of illicit silicone injections, particularly on cisgender women and transgender individuals. Existing barriers must be addressed, including healthcare prejudice and inadequate knowledge about care for gender minorities. This will require educating at-risk groups and enhancing policies to regulate these procedures.

Impact of transsexualizing process centers on self-medication of transgender individuals.

OBJECTIVE: The transgender population in Brazil faces marginalization and difficulties in accessing education and health, leading many individuals to self-medicate. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of Specialized Centers in the Transsexualizing Process (SCTP) on the use of cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) without medical prescription, as well as the level of education and mental health profile of these individuals. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with data from physical and electronic medical records between September 2017 and February 2023 regarding the use of CSHT before and after the implementation of two SCTP in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in addition to data on education level, previous diagnosis of anxiety and depression of patients. RESULTS: A total of 219 participants, 127 transgender men (TM) and 92 transgender women and travestis (TrTW), were assessed. A significant reduction in the prevalence of self-medication was observed in both TrTW (92.98% before and 51.43% after, p<0.001), and TM (47.17% before and 25.67% after, p = 0.010) with the implementation of SCTP. Transgender individuals who used CSHT before accessing the service were found to have a lower prevalence of depression. Self-medication was not significantly associated with education or anxiety in our sample. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the need for the expansion of SCTP, as they were associated with lower rates of self-medication in the transgender population.

Prognostic Value of the Platelet-lymphocyte Ratio for Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common type of malignant glioma and is 1 of the most frequent primary tumors during adult life. The platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been studied as an inflammatory marker associated with the prognosis of glioblastoma in previous studies. Considering the morbidity associated with this condition, it is important that there are other ways of assessing the prognosis that do not require invasive methods. Therefore, we performed this systematic review in order to determine the prognostic value of the PLR. METHODS: We conducted an English language, literature-based search for papers published from 2012 to 2022, using the PubMed, Cochrane, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde and Biomed Central Journal. We use the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses recommendations. Titles and abstracts were evaluated independently by 2 authors, after which articles were selected for final analysis based on application of inclusion criteria (patients diagnosed with glioblastoma; address the use of PLR as a prognostic factor; hazard ratio; adults; clinical trials and observational studies) and exclusion criteria (inclusion of pediatric or animals, case reports, letters, conference abstracts, meta-analysis, and nonclinical studies or did not include hazard ratio) during full text screen. Each included article was then assessed for quality using Newcastle-Ottawa scale and relevant variables were extracted for synthesis. RESULTS: Of 127 results, 11 articles were included for final analysis. There were 7 studies from China, 1 from Italy, 1 from Portugal, 1 from Turkey, and 1 from India. The years of publications were between 2015 and 2022. All the studies used PLR from the preoperative blood sample. Among the studies that analyzed the relationship between PLR and overall survival, 7 found a predictive relationship, 3 found no association, and 1 found an association between PLR and progression free survival in patients with glioblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Studies have shown that PLR can be a useful marker to aid in the prognosis of glioblastoma. Due to the ease of obtaining, rapid analysis and low cost, the PLR can be particularly beneficial in health centers with limited financial resources.

Impact of transsexualizing process centers on self-medication of transgender individuals

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The transgender population in Brazil faces marginalization and difficulties in accessing education and health, leading many individuals to self-medicate. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of Specialized Centers in the Transsexualizing Process (SCTP) on the use of cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) without medical prescription, as well as the level of education and mental health profile of these individuals. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study with data from physical and electronic medical records between September 2017 and February 2023 regarding the use of CSHT before and after the implementation of two SCTP in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in addition to data on education level, previous diagnosis of anxiety and depression of patients. RESULTS A total of 219 participants, 127 transgender men (TM) and 92 transgender women and travestis (TrTW), were assessed. A significant reduction in the prevalence of self-medication was observed in both TrTW (92.98% before and 51.43% after, p<0.001), and TM (47.17% before and 25.67% after, p = 0.010) with the implementation of SCTP. Transgender individuals who used CSHT before accessing the service were found to have a lower prevalence of depression. Self-medication was not significantly associated with education or anxiety in our sample. CONCLUSION The results indicate the need for the expansion of SCTP, as they were associated with lower rates of self-medication in the transgender population.