Mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of primary and secondary distal medium-vessel occlusion stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the indication and role of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with distal medium-vessel occlusions (DMVOs). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate all the evidence available on the efficacy and safety of MT techniques (stent retriever, aspiration) in primary and secondary DMVOs. METHODS: Five databases were searched from inception to January 2023 for studies of MT in primary and secondary DMVOs. Outcomes of interest included favorable functional outcome (90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-2), successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b-3), symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and 90-day mortality. Prespecified subgroup meta-analyses according to the specific MT technique and to the vascular territory (distal M2-M5, A2-A5, P2-P5) were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies with 1262 patients were included. For primary DMVOs (n=971 patients), pooled rates of successful reperfusion, favorable outcome, 90-day mortality and sICH were 84% (95% confidence interval (CI) 76 to 90%), 64% (95% CI 54 to 72%), 12% (95% CI 8 to 18%), and 6% (95% CI 4 to 10%), respectively. For secondary DMVOs (n=291 patients), pooled rates of successful reperfusion, favorable outcome, 90-day mortality and sICH were 82% (95% CI 73 to 88%), 54% (95% CI 39 to 69%), 11% (95% CI 5 to 20%), and 3% (95% CI 1 to 9%), respectively. Subgroup analyses by MT technique and by vascular territory showed no differences in primary and secondary DMVOs. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that MT using aspiration or stent retriever techniques appears to be effective and safe in primary and secondary DMVOs. However, given the level of evidence of our results, further confirmation in well-designed randomized controlled trials is needed.

Stroke imaging modality for endovascular therapy in the extended window: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the extended time window, the guidelines recommend advanced imaging (ADVI) to select patients for endovascular therapy (EVT). However, questions remain regarding its availability and applicability in the real world. It is unclear whether an approach to the extended window EVT that does not use ADVI would be equivalent. METHODS: In April 2022, a literature search was performed to identified randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies describing 90-day outcomes. We performed a meta-analysis of the proportion of aggregate using a random effect to estimate rates of functional independence, defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤2 at 90 days, mean mRS, mortality and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) stratified by imaging modality. RESULTS: Four RCTs and 28 observational studies were included. The pooled proportion of functional independence among patients selected by ADVI was 44% (95% CI 39% to 48%; I2=80%) and 48% (95% CI 41% to 55%; I2=75%) with non-contrast CT/CT angiography (NCCT/CTA) (p=0.36). Mean mRS with ADVI was 2.88 (95% CI 2.36 to 3.41; I2=0.0%) and 2.79 (95% CI 2.31 to 3.27; I2=0.0%) with NCCT (p=0.79). Mortality in patients selected by ADVI was 13% (95% CI 10% to 17%; I2=81%) and 16% (95% CI 12% to 22%; I2=69%) with NCCT (p=0.29). sICH with ADVI was 4% (95% CI 3% to 7%; I2=73%) and 6% with NCCT/CTA (95% CI 4% to 8%; I2=6%, p=0.27). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that, in anterior circulation LVO, the rates of functional independence may be similar when patients are selected using ADVI or NCCT for EVT in the extended time window. A simplified triage protocol does not seem to increase mortality or sICH. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021236092).

Toma de decisiones en la práctica clínica: Propuesta de un enfoque basado en evidencia "4E" / Decision-making in clinical practice: "4E" evidence-based framework proposal

Introducción: Las decisiones humanas son parcialmente racionales. En medicina, los escenarios críticos dificultan la toma de decisiones (TD). En esta revisión, proponemos el enfoque "4E" para mejorar la TD de intervenciones. Las "4E" incluyen decisiones: "eficaces" cuando las intervenciones han sido probadas en entornos controlados, "efectivas" cuando las intervenciones han sido probadas en entornos clínicos no controlados o pragmáticos, "eficientes" cuando los beneficios de una nueva intervención se evalúan con relación a sus costos, y decisiones que promuevan "equidad" cuando estas intervenciones se recomiendan de acuerdo con las necesidades del paciente, evitando barreras. El uso de este enfoque podría mejorar la TD en la práctica clínica, pero no es suficiente para garantizar su incorporación y uso. También es importante promover una dinámica organizativa, institucional y política de los sistemas de salud que promuevan el uso crítico de la evidencia para tomar decisiones.

Background:Human decisions are partially rational. In medicine, critical scenarios make decide-making (DM) difficult. In this review, we propose the "4E" approach to improve the DM of interventions. The "4E" approach includes decisions: "effectual" when interventions have been tested in controlled settings, "effective" when interventions have been tested in uncontrolled or pragmatic clinical settings, "efficient" when the benefits of a new intervention are evaluated by its costs, and decisionsthatpromote"equity"whentheseinterventionsare recommended according to the needs of the patient, avoiding barriers. Using this approach could improve DM in clinical practice, but it is not enough to guarantee its incorporation and use. It is also essential to promote the organizational, institutional, and political dynamics of health systems that promote evidence's critical use to make decisions

Scoping Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Early Management of Stroke with Focus on Endovascular Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Stroke represents one of the major causes of death and long-term disability worldwide and, even when new treatment strategies have been identified, there is a need of quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to guide and improve acute stroke care. We aim to describe the characteristics and assess the quality of CPGs in endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke due to anterior-circulation large-vessel occlusion. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of CPGs that assessed stroke management. We searched the following databases: PubMed, TripDatabase, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify CPGs published or updated in the last 3 years and used Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II to assess the quality of the guidelines. RESULTS: We found a total of 9 CPGs published or updated between 2018 and 2020, from which only one third had adequate methodologic rigor. Guidelines presented pitfalls related to evidence search, assessment, and methods used to reach the recommendations. All the CPGs considered a 24-hour extended window of treatment and the CPGs considered the use of similar imaging techniques to diagnose and explore the extent of the stroke. However, there were variations regarding the selection criteria for thrombectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of the CPGs varied widely, which issues around the identification and assessment of the evidence used to reach recommendations. Despite this, the recommendations regarding the use of thrombectomy were similar across the CPGs. Readers need to carefully assess the methodologic rigor of CPGs before applying them to their clinical practice.

Evidence-based appraisal of blood pressure reduction in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: A scoping review and overview.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is a current debate on the best approach for blood pressure (BP) reduction in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Through this scoping review, we aimed to examine how research on reducing BP in ICH patients has been conducted and to clarify the evidence on which approach is the best (intensive vs. standard BP reductions). METHODS: We performed a scoping review and overview of reviews of the literature. We systematically searched clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), systematic reviews (SRs), and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared intensive versus standard BP reduction. We searched in three databases from inception until March 2020. Two independent authors conducted the study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and overlapping analysis of SRs. We performed a description and critical appraisal of the current body of evidence. RESULTS: We included three CPGs (with moderate to high quality); all of them recommended intensive reduction in specific clinical settings. We included eight SRs (with high overlap and critically low quality): two supported intensive reduction and four supported its safety, but not effectiveness. One SR reported that patients with intensive reduction had a significant risk of renal adverse events. We included seven RCTs (with limitations in randomization process); trials with large population did not found significant differences in mortality and disability. One RCT reported a significantly higher number of renal adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: CPGs support the use of intensive BP reduction; however, most recent SRs partially supported or did not support it due to the association with renal events. It seems the range goal between 140 and 180 mmHg could be safe and equally effective than intensive reduction. We recommend further research in serious and non-serious events promoted by intensive reduction and outcomes homogenization across studies to ensure correct comparison.

[Is the prophylactic antibiotic therapy with Imipenem effective for patients with pancreatic necrosis?]. / Es la antibióticoterapia profiláctica con Imipenem efectiva en los pacientes con necrosis pancreática?

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the capacity of Imipenem as a prophylactic treatment for decreasing the number of infected necrosis and surgeries, as well as for diminishing septic complications and the mortality rate among patients with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: from May 2005 to December 2007 a prospective randomized study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of a prophylactic antibiotic therapy in patients with pancreatic necrosis. During this time period 58 patients entered the study protocol. Patients were divided in two groups; the first one underwent antibiotic therapy with Imipenem while the second group received no prophylactic treatment at all. All patients received early enteral nutrition. RESULTS: both studied groups had comparable age, gender ratio, and C.R.P and necrosis percentages. When comparing general morbidity in both groups no difference was found between the group receiving a prophylactic antibiotic and the group that did not receive it (58% vs. 56%). Moreover, when the septic complications were evaluated, it was confirmed that these were more frequent among the group of patients receiving Imipenem (29%), in comparison to the group that did not received antibiotics (15%). 12.5% of the patients that received Imipenem developed pancreatic necrosis infection, while said infection only appeared in 6% of the patients in the group that did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis; nevertheless, none of the comparisons reached statistical significance. The number of patients who required surgery was similar in both groups. When comparing the hospital stay, it was observed that this was longer among the patients receiving prophylactic therapy. No patient died during the study. CONCLUSION: The present study finds no benefits in the use of antibiotic therapy with Imipenem regarding the risk of developing pancreatic necrosis infection and septic complications, and neither when trying to reduce the number of surgeries among patients with severe acute pancreatitis with necrosis.

[Evaluation of conditioning factors of morbimortality in duodenopacreatectomy in periampullary neoplasms]. / Evaluación de los factores condicionantes de morbi-mortalidad en la duodenopancreatectomía por neoplasias periampulares.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to define the factors that condition complications and mortality in a group of 119 patients with periampullary neoplasms operated on at a general hospital. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Between October 2002 and December 2006, 119 patients who were diagnosed with periampullary neoplasms and underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy at Rebagliati Hospital were evaluated. RESULTS: Age and sex were not conditioning factors of complications. A significant difference in the type of pancreatic anastomosis used was noticed, whereby telescoping was a conditioning factor of complication (p<0.009) compared with mucous-mucous anastomosis.After analyzing the bleeding associated with each complication, a significant connection was established between the greatest bleeding volume obtained in the operating room with the development of pancreatic fistulas (p<0.03), re-operation (p<0.01), abscesses (p<0.006) and intestinal fistulas (p<0.001).The complications related to mortality in patients who underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) were evaluated. It was observed that pancreatic fistulas (p<0.003), intestinal fistulas (p<0.003) and gallbladder fistulas (p<0.03), intra-abdominal hemorrhaging and bleeding during a standard operating procedure (SOP), transfusions and re-operations were factors that increased mortality significantly. When the surgeon was evaluated as a factor of morbimortality, it was proven that there was a connection between the surgical volume and the incidence of complications and mortality.There was a shorter hospital stay, a lower incidence of intra-operative bleeding and lower morbimortality in the high surgical volume group. CONCLUSIONS: The most-feared complications, since they are directly related to mortality, are intestinal fistulas, intra-abdominal hemorrhaging, intra-abdominal abscesses, gallbladder fistulas and the need to undergo repeated operations. Both complications and mortality are directly related to the surgeon factor, which, according to our analysis is the most important factor in decreasing costs, morbidity and mortality in this type of surgery.

Evaluación de los factores condicionantes de morbi-mortalidad en la duodenopancreatectomía por neoplasias periampulares / Evaluation of conditioning factors or morbimortality in duodenopancreatectomy in periampullary neoplasms

El propósito de este estudio, es definir cuales son los factores que condicionan las complicaciones y la mortalidad en un grupo de 119 pacientes con neoplasias peri ampulares operados en un hospital general. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Desde Octubre del 2002 hasta Diciembre del 2006 se analizaron 119 pacientes operados de duodenopancreatectomía en el hospital Rebagliati por el diagnostico de neoplasia peri ampular.RESULTADOS: La edad y el sexo no fueron factores condicionantes de complicaciones. Se observo una diferencia significativa en el tipo de anastomosis pancreática utilizadadonde el telescopaje fue un factor condicionante de complicación (p<0.009) Cuando se comparó con a la anastomosis mucosa-mucosa. Al analizar el sangrado con cada una de las complicaciones, se pudo ver que existía una relación significativa entre el mayor volumen de sangrado en sala de operaciones con el desarrollo de fístula pancreática (p<0.03), reoperación (p<0.01), absceso (p<0.006), y fístula intestinal (p<0.001). Se evaluó cuales fueron las complicaciones relacionados a la mortalidad en los pacientes sometidos a Pancreatoduodenectomía (PD), se pudo observar que la fístula pancreática (p<0.003), la fístula intestinal (p<0.003), la fístula biliar (p<0.03), la hemorragia intra abdominal, el sangrado en Sala de Operaciones (SOP), las transfusiones y las reoperaciones fueron factores que aumentaron la mortalidad, en forma significativa. Cuando se evaluó al cirujano como factor de morbi-mortalidad, se pudo comprobar queexistía una relación entre el volumen quirúrgico y la incidencia de complicaciones y mortalidad. Teniendo una menor estancia hospitalaria una menor incidencia en el sangradointra operatorio y una morbi-mortalidad menor en el grupo de alto volumen quirúrgico. CONCLUSIONES: Las complicaciones más temidas ya que se relacionan directamente con la mortalidad son: la fístula intestinal, hemorragia intra abdominal, absceso intraabdominal, fístula biliar y la necesidad de...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to define the factors that condition complications and mortality in a group of 119 patients with periampullary neoplasms operated on at a general hospital. MATERIALS & METHOD: Between October 2002 and December 2006, 119 patients who were diagnosed with periampullary neoplasms and underwent a pancreatoduodenectomyat Rebagliati Hospital were evaluated. RESULTS: Age and sex were not conditioning factors of complications. A significant difference in the type of pancreatic anastomosis used was noticed, whereby telescopingwas a conditioning factor of complication (p<0.009) compared with mucous-mucous anastomosis. After analyzing the bleeding associated with each complication, a significant connection was established between the greatest bleeding volume obtained in the operating room with the development of pancreatic fistulas (p<0.03), re-operation (p<0.01), abscesses (p<0.006) and intestinal fistulas (p<0.001). The complications related to mortality in patients who underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) were evaluated. It was observed that pancreatic fistulas (p<0.003), intestinal fistulas (p<0.003) and gallbladder fistulas (p<0.03), intra-abdominal hemorrhaging and bleeding during a standard operating procedure (SOP), transfusions and re-operations were factors that increased mortality significantly. When the surgeon was evaluated as a factor of morbimortality, it was proven that there was a connection between the surgical volume and the incidence of complications andmortality. There was a shorter hospital stay, a lower incidence of intra-operative bleeding and lower morbimortality in the high surgical volume group.CONCLUSIONS: The most-feared complications, since they are directly related to mortality, are intestinal fistulas, intra-abdominal hemorrhaging, intra-abdominal abscesses,gallbladder fistulas and the need to undergo repeated operations. Both complications and mortality are directly related to the...