Summary Background 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03471494 . Findings Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit.
Background: COVID-19 was initially considered to be a respiratory illness, but current findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is increasingly expressed in cardiac myocytes as well. COVID-19 may lead to cardiovascular injuries, resulting in myocarditis, with inflammation of the heart muscle. Objective: This systematic review collates current evidence about demographics, symptomatology, diagnostic, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infected patients with myocarditis. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Central, Web of Science and Google Scholar until August, 2021. A combination of the following keywords was used: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, myocarditis. Cohorts and case reports that comprised of patients with confirmed myocarditis due to COVID-19 infection, aged >18 years were included. The findings were tabulated and subsequently synthesized. Results: In total, 54 case reports and 5 cohorts were identified comprising 215 patients. Hypertension (51.7%), diabetes mellitus type 2 (46.4%), cardiac comorbidities (14.6%) were the 3 most reported comorbidities. Majority of the patients presented with cough (61.9%), fever (60.4%), shortness of breath (53.2%), and chest pain (43.9%). Inflammatory markers were raised in 97.8% patients, whereas cardiac markers were elevated in 94.8% of the included patients. On noting radiographic findings, cardiomegaly (32.5%) was the most common finding. Electrocardiography testing obtained ST segment elevation among 44.8% patients and T wave inversion in 7.3% of the sample. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging yielded 83.3% patients with myocardial edema, with late gadolinium enhancement in 63.9% patients. In hospital management consisted of azithromycin (25.5%), methylprednisolone/steroids (8.5%), and other standard care treatments for COVID-19. The most common in-hospital complication included acute respiratory distress syndrome (66.4%) and cardiogenic shock (14%). On last follow up, 64.7% of the patients survived, whereas 31.8% patients did not survive, and 3.5% were in the critical care unit. Conclusion: It is essential to demarcate COVID-19 infection and myocarditis presentations due to the heightened risk of death among patients contracting both myocardial inflammation and ARDS. With a multitude of diagnostic and treatment options available for COVID-19 and myocarditis, patients that are under high risk of suspicion for COVID-19 induced myocarditis must be appropriately diagnosed and treated to curb co-infections.
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) predisposes patients to venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to risk factors, severe infection, and severe inflammatory responses. The objective is to determine the risk of developing VTE after corticosteroid administration during COVID-19 treatment. Using PRISMA reporting guidelines, a review was conducted from inception until 20 September 2020 with MESH terms including “venous thromboembolism” and “covid-19,” using MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, and WHO Global Database. The inclusion criteria included studies with COVID-19 patients aged 18 years and older with VTE diagnosed by duplex ultrasonography or computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Exclusion criteria were studies with non COVID-19 patients and non-VTE patients aged less than 18 years. Quality appraisal was conducted of included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A random-effect model using 95% confidence intervals, and significance of findings was assessed using Review Manager V5.4.We included 12 observational studies with 2801 patients (VTE n = 434; non-VTE; n = 2367). Patients had a higher risk of presenting with VTE when being administered corticosteroids during treatment of COVID-19 (RR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.77, I2 = 0%). A positive effect size was found (SMD = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.67 to 1.32, I2 = 85%) for D-dimer laboratory values (µg/mL) in the VTE group. While critically ill COVID-19 patients are more likely to require corticosteroid treatment, it may be associated with increased risk of VTE, and poor clinical prognosis. Risk assessment is warranted to further evaluate patients as case-by-case in reducing VTE and worsening clinical outcomes.
Background A new clinical syndrome has been recognized following the COVID-19 vaccine, termed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). The following systematic review focuses on extrapolating thrombotic risk factors, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of patients diagnosed with TTS following the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods We utilized the World Health Organization's criteria for a confirmed and probable case of TTS following COVID-19 vaccination and conducted a systematic review and posthoc analysis using the PRISMA 2020 statement. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS V25 for factors associated with mortality, including age, gender, anti-PF4/heparin antibodies, platelet nadir, D-dimer peak, time to event diagnosis, arterial or venous thrombi. Results Of the 175 studies identified, a total of 25 studies with 69 patients were included in this systematic review and post hoc analysis. Platelet nadir ( P < .001), arterial or venous thrombi ( χ2 = 41.911, P = .05), and chronic medical conditions ( χ2 = 25.507, P = .041) were statistically associated with death. The ROC curve analysis yielded D-dimer (AUC = .646) and platelet nadir (AUC = .604) as excellent models for death prediction. Conclusion Adenoviral COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to trigger TTS, however, reports of patients having received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are also present. Healthcare providers are recommended to maintain a high degree of suspicion among individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine within the last 4 weeks.
Background: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, numerous therapies to counteract severe disease have emerged. The benefits of Tocilizumab for severely infected COVID-19 patients and the methodologies of ongoing clinical trials are explored. Methods: A systematic search adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Central, medRxiv, and bioRxiv using the following keywords: "Tocilizumab," "Actemra," "COVID-19." An additional sub-search was conducted on Clinicaltrials.gov to locate ongoing tocilizumab trials. Results: A total of 13 studies were included in the meta-analysis comprising 2120 patients. The treatment group had lower mortality compared to the control group (OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.26 to 0.69, P-value=0.0005, I 2 =55%). A descriptive analysis of 50 registered trials was conducted. Conclusion: This review meta-analyzed the therapeutic benefits of tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients with severe disease for mortality, mechanical ventilation, and the characteristics of COVID-19 registered trials.
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