Effects of vertical compression during pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation using the one-handed chest compression technique.

OBJECTIVE: The posture of the rescuer while performing the one-handed chest compression (OHCC) has not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of vertical compression during pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using the OHCC technique. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized crossover simulation trial. A total of 42 medical doctors conducted a 2-min single-rescuer CPR using the conventional OHCC (Test 1) or vertical OHCC (Test 2) technique on a pediatric manikin. The chest compression and ventilation parameters were measured in real time during the experiments using sensors embedded in the manikin. In addition, the compression force of each technique was measured using a force plate. RESULTS: The average and adequate chest compression depth (CCD) were significantly higher in Test 2 than in Test 1 (average depth: 54.0 mm (interquartile range [IQR]: 48.5-56.0) in Test 2 vs. 49.0 mm (IQR: 40.0-54.0) in Test 1, P < 0.001; adequate depth: 99.0% (IQR: 36.3-100.0) in Test 2 vs. 52.0% (IQR: 0.0-98.0) in Test 1, P < 0.001). The average force of compression was also significantly higher in vertical OHCC than that in conventional OHCC (25.7 kg ± 4.4 in vertical OHCC vs. 24.5 kg ± 4.2 in conventional OHCC, P < 0.001). The ventilation parameters were not significantly different between Tests 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: The vertical OHCC could provide a deeper and more adequate CCD compared with the conventional OHCC, and the advantages of the vertical OHCC originate from the superiority of the compression force.

Effects of resuscitation guideline terminology on pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of resuscitation guideline terminology on pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance. METHODS: This was a prospective randomised crossover simulation trial. A total of 32 medical doctors conducted 2-min single-rescuer CPR using the one-handed chest compression technique (OHCC) or two-handed chest compression technique (THCC) on a pediatric manikin. The participants conducted chest compressions according to the chest compression depth (CCD) target of '5 cm (Test 1)' or 'at least one third of the anterior-posterior dimension of the chest (Test 2)' in a random order. RESULTS: In both techniques (OHCC or THCC), the average CCD of Test 1 were significantly lower than those of Test 2 (OHCC: 50.0 mm [46.0-52.0 mm] in Test 1 vs. 52.0 mm [50.3-55.0 mm] in Test 2, P = 0.001; THCC: 52.0 mm [50.3-55.0 mm] in Test 1 vs. 58.0 mm [54.0-62.0 mm] in Test 2, P < 0.001). The adequacy of the chest compressions was also superior in Test 2 (OHCC: 63.0% [7.5-95.8%] in Test 1 vs. 96.5% [78.8-99.9%] in Test 2, P < 0.001; THCC: 96.5% [78.8-99.9%] in Test 1 vs. 100.0% [100.0-100.0%] in Test 2, P < 0.001). Ventilation parameters were not significantly different between Tests 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: Average CCD during simulated pediatric CPR according to the CCD target of '5 cm' was significantly lower than those according to the CCD target of 'at least one third of the anterior-posterior dimension of the chest'.

The Impact of Korean Medicine Treatment on the Incidence of Parkinson's Disease in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in South Korea.

We aimed to investigate the association between Korean medicine (KM) treatment and the risk of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in South Korea. This study analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort in South Korea. The 1816 IBD patients enrolled in the analysis comprised 411 who received only conventional treatment (monotherapy group) and 1405 who received both conventional and KM treatments (integrative therapy group). The risk of PD in patients with IBD was significantly lower in the integrative therapy group than in the monotherapy group after adjusting for confounding variables (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-0.92). In the mild Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) group, the risk of PD in patients with IBD in the integrative therapy group was 0.39 times lower (adjusted HR, 95% CI = 0.20-0.77) than that in the monotherapy group. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of PD in patients with IBD between the integrative therapy and monotherapy groups among individuals with severe CCI (adjusted HR, 0.90; 95% CI = 0.41-1.96). IBD patients are at a decreased risk of PD when they receive integrative therapy. KM treatment may prevent PD in IBD patients.

Herbal Medicine for Dumping Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Dumping syndrome is a common complication of surgical treatment of gastric cancer, but conventional therapy has limitations related to symptom care due to its structural cause and the decreased quality of life. Objectives: The objective of this review was to assess the clinical evidence for the effectiveness of herbal medicine as a treatment for dumping syndrome. Methods: A literature review was conducted using 16 databases from their inceptions to March 2018. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of herbal medicine used to treat dumping syndrome patients were included and meta-analyzed. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Results: A total of 174 dumping syndrome patients of 3 trials met all inclusion criteria. Two trials assessed the effectiveness of herbal medicine on the symptom response rate compared with conventional pharmacotherapy. Their results suggested significant effects in favor of herbal medicine (risk ratio [RR] = 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-1.63, P = .0003, heterogeneity τ2 = 0, χ2 = 0.02, P = .88, I2 = 0%). One trial assessed its effectiveness on the improvement rate of overall symptoms compared with conventional conservative complex therapy, such as postural management, diet regulation, and counseling (RR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.96-1.58). Conclusions: Due to the small sample size, scarcity of reported articles, and lack of quality of the current RCTs, it was concluded that the effectiveness of herbal medicine in treating dumping syndrome is unclear.

A Systematic Review of Herbal Medicine for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect in cancer patients. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of herbal medicine in preventing and treating CIPN. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials were included in this review. Extracting and assessing the data independently, two authors searched 13 databases. RESULTS: Twenty-eight trials involving 2174 patients met the inclusion criteria. Although there were some exceptions, the methodological quality was typically low. Seventeen trials reported the incidence rate of CIPN assessed by various tools and 14 showed a significant difference regarding the decrease of the incidence rate between the two groups. For clinical improvement, 12 trials reported it using various tools and 10 showed a significant difference between two groups. Two cases of adverse events occurred in one trial; the other nine trials reported no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: We found that herbal medicines in combination with and/or without other therapies potentially have preventive or therapeutic effects on CIPN. However, conclusions cannot be drawn because of the generally low quality of the methodology, the clinical heterogeneity, and the small sample size for each single herbal medicine. Trials that are more rigorous and report sufficient methodological data are needed.

Herbal Medicine for Xerostomia in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Xerostomia (dry mouth) causes many clinical problems, including oral infections, speech difficulties, and impaired chewing and swallowing of food. Many cancer patients have complained of xerostomia induced by cancer therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy of herbal medicine for the treatment of xerostomia in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized controlled trials investigating the use of herbal medicines to treat xerostomia in cancer patients were included. We searched the following 12 databases without restrictions on time or language. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. RESULTS: Twenty-five randomized controlled trials involving 1586 patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 24 formulas were examined in the included trials. Most of the included trials were insufficiently reported in the methodology section. Five formulas were shown to significantly improve the salivary flow rate compared to comparators. Regarding the grade of xerostomia, all formulas with the exception of a Dark Plum gargle solution with normal saline were significantly effective in reducing the severity of dry mouth. Adverse events were reported in 4 trials, and adverse effects of herbal medicine were reported in 3 trials. CONCLUSIONS: We found herbal medicines had potential benefits for improving salivary function and reducing the severity of dry mouth in cancer patients. However, methodological limitations and a relatively small sample size reduced the strength of the evidence. More high-quality trials reporting sufficient methodological data are warranted to enforce the strength of evidence regarding the effectiveness of herbal medicines.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: English, Chinese, and Korean electronic databases were searched up to June 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible. The methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: In total, 42 studies involving 2625 participants were systematically reviewed. Participants treated using combined acupuncture and conventional medication (CM) showed significant improvements in total Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), UPDRS I, UPDRS II, UPDRS III, and the Webster scale compared to those treated using CM alone. The combination of electroacupuncture and CM was significantly superior to CM alone in total UPDRS, UPDRS I, UPDRS II, and UPDRS IV. Similarly, the combination of scalp electroacupuncture, acupuncture, and CM was significantly more effective than CM alone in total UPDRS. However, our meta-analysis showed that the combination of electroacupuncture and CM was not significantly more effective than CM alone in UPDRS III, the Webster, and the Tension Assessment Scale. The results also failed to show that acupuncture was significantly more effective than placebo acupuncture in total UPDRS. Overall, the methodological quality of the RCTs was low. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: We found that acupuncture might be a safe and useful adjunctive treatment for patients with PD. However, because of methodological flaws in the included studies, conclusive evidence is still lacking. More rigorous and well-designed placebo-controlled trials should be conducted.