Outcomes of stroke patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (P.E.G.) is recommended for stroke patients with dysphagia to sustain oral nutrition. OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the outcomes of stroke patients undergoing P.E.G. compared with those requiring nasogastric tube (N.G.T) or control group. METHODS: We performed a thorough search across five electronic databases to gather pertinent studies. Outcomes were analyzed using relative risk (R.R.) for categorical data and mean difference (M.D.) for continuous data, each with 95% confidence intervals (C.I.). The single-arm meta-analysis results were presented as proportions or mean changes, also with 95% C.I. RESULTS: We included 22 studies consisting of 996,567 patients. Our double-arm meta-analysis (924,134 patients) revealed no significant difference in post-hospitalization or in-hospital mortality between P.E.G. and control groups. However, P.E.G. patients showed a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia than control (R.R. = 11.72[3.75, 36.62], p < 0.00001). A comparison of P.E.G. and N.G.T. in three studies involving 691 patients indicated a non-significant difference in-hospital mortality risk (R.R. = 0.59, 95% C.I. [0.2, 1.72]). The single-arm analysis of stroke patients with P.E.G. identified a 19.8% in-hospital mortality, 13.6% rate of aspiration pneumonia, and 58% rate of pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Stroke patients undergoing P.E.G remain at high risk for aspiration pneumonia and with an in-hospital mortality suggesting the need for identifying the best candidates and timing for the procedure.

Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel in Endovascular Therapy for Cerebral Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet therapy is pivotal in endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. However, there is a lack of studies comparing ticagrelor to clopidogrel in patients with aneurysms undergoing endovascular therapy. Additionally, the existing literature lacks adequate sample size, significant subgrouping, and follow-up, making our study important to cover these gaps. METHODS: We searched 5 databases to collect all relevant studies. Categorical outcomes were pooled as relative risk (R.R.) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). In the single-arm meta-analysis, outcomes were pooled as proportions and their corresponding 95% CI. RESULTS: This comprehensive analysis of 18 studies involving 2,427 patients. For thromboembolic events, the pooled (R.R.) did not show significant differences, whether considering overall events. A similar pattern was observed for thromboembolic events stratified by aneurysmal rupture status, with no significant differences in overall events. Hemorrhagic events did not also exhibit significant differences in previously mentioned stratifications. Furthermore, there were no substantial differences in death and mRS (0-2) on discharge between Ticagrelor and Clopidogrel. Single-arm meta-analyses for Ticagrelor demonstrated low rates of thromboembolic events, hemorrhage, death, and favorable mRS scores, with associated confidence intervals (CIs). Main line of endovascular treatment did not significantly affect either thromboembolic or hemorrhagic outcomes with Ticagrelor and Clopidogrel. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant differences in key outcomes like thromboembolic events, hemorrhagic events, mortality rates, and favorable mRS (0-2) upon discharge in the studied patients between Ticagrelor and Clopidogrel. Moreover, the single-arm meta-analysis for Ticagrelor revealed low rates of thromboembolic events, hemorrhage, mortality, and high rates of favorable mRS scores.

Efficacy and safety of argatroban in the management of acute ischemic stroke: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a leading cause of death and disability. AIS is caused by an embolus or thrombus that restricts blood flow to the brain tissue. Despite intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy, a substantial number of patients do not achieve effective reperfusion. Argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, can potentially improve neurological outcomes in AIS patients. However, there are conflicting results in the medical literature regarding the efficacy and safety of argatroban in this context. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of argatroban as monotherapy or adjunct therapy for acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Five major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy and safety of using argatroban alone or in combination with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) in the management protocol of the AIS. We used Review Manager Software (RevMan 5.4.1) for data analysis. RESULTS: We included 1393 patients from eight RCTs (of them, 726 were treated with argatroban alone or combined with r-TPA, while 667 received the placebo, standard therapy (standard treatments based on current guidelines including antihypertensive, antiplatelet agents, and statins) or endovascular r-TPA). Neither argatroban vs control nor argatroban with r-TPA vs r-TPA showed significant difference regarding the activity in daily living; (SMD= 1.69, 95% CI [-0.23, 3.61]; p = 0.09), (SMD= 0.99, 95% CI [-0.88, 2.86]; p = 0.30), respectively. Also, there was no significant difference in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at seven days, the number of patients achieving modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 0-1 or 0-2 at 90 days (p > 0.05). Argatroban did not significantly increase the risk of adverse events or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), or major systemic bleeding compared to control or r-TPA (p > 0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Argatroban does not demonstrate superior efficacy compared to placebo or standard therapy in terms of ADL, NIHSS and mRS outcomes. Importantly, argatroban does not significantly increase the incidence of adverse events, including symptomatic ICH and systemic bleeding.

General Anesthesia Versus Conscious Sedation for Acute Ischemic Stroke Endovascular Therapy: A Meta Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular thrombectomy (E.V.T.) is the primary treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nevertheless, the optimal choice of anesthetic modality during E.V.T. remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize existing literature from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to guide the selection of the most appropriate anesthetic modality for AIS patients undergoing E.V.T. METHODS: By a thorough search strategy, RCTs comparing general anesthesia (G.A.) and conscious sedation (C.S.) in E.V.T. for AIS patients were identified. Eligible studies were independently screened, and relevant data were extracted. The analysis employed pooled risk ratio for dichotomous outcomes and the mean difference for continuous ones. RCTs quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool 1. RESULTS: In the functional independence outcome (mRS scores 0-2), the pooled analysis did not favor either G.A. or C.S. arms, with an RR of 1.10 [0.95, 1.27] (P = 0.19). Excellent (mRS 0-1) and poor (≥3) recovery outcomes did not significantly differ between G.A. and C.S. groups, with RR values of 1.03 [0.80, 1.33] (P = 0.82) and 0.93 [0.84, 1.03] (P = 0.16), respectively. Successful recanalization significantly favored G.A. over C.S. (RR 1.13 [1.07, 1.20], P > 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: G.A. had superior recanalization rates in AIS patients undergoing endovascular therapy, but functional outcomes, mortality, and NIHSS scores were similar. Secondary outcomes showed no significant differences, except for a higher risk of hypotension with G.A. More trials are required to determine the optimal anesthesia approach for thrombectomy in AIS patients.