Ramkaji Baniya

Drug-eluting stent placement versus coronary artery bypass surgery for unprotected left main coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard of care for treating left main coronary lesions. However, recently published randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown conflicting results. We sought to compare clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug‐eluting stent placement to CABG using a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Laparoscopic esophageal myotomy versus pneumatic dilation in the treatment of idiopathic achalasia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder of unknown etiology associated with abnormalities in peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. The disease is incurable; however, definitive treatment procedures like pneumatic dilation (PD)/balloon dilation and laparoscopic esophageal myotomy (LEM) are performed to relieve dysphagia and related symptoms. Currently, there is paucity of data comparing the outcomes of these procedures. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the short- and long-term success rates of PD and LEM. Methods A thorough systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane library was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the outcomes of PD versus LEM in the treatment of achalasia. The Mantel-Haenszel method and random effect model were used to analyze the data. RCTs with outcome data at 3-month, 1-year, and 5-year intervals were analyzed. Results A total of 437,378 and 254 patients at 3-month, 1-year, and 5-year intervals were analyzed for outcome data. At 3 months and 1 year, PD was not as effective as LEM (odds ratio [OR]: 0.50; confidence interval [CI] 0.31–0.82; P = 0.009 and OR: 0.47; CI 0.22–0.99; P = 0.21) but at 5 years, one procedure was non-inferior to the other (OR: 0.62; 0.33–1.19; P = 0.34). Conclusion PD was as effective as LEM in relieving symptoms of achalasia in the long-term.

Carbon Dioxide versus Air Insufflation in Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background/Aims Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with air insufflation is commonly used for the staging and treatment of early gastric carcinoma. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) use has been shown to cause less post-procedural pain and fewer adverse events. The objective of this study was to compare the post-procedural pain and adverse events associated with CO2 and air insufflation in ESD. Methods A systematic search was conducted for randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing the two approaches in ESD. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to analyze the data. The mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) were used for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results Four RCTs with a total of 391 patients who underwent ESD were included in our meta-analysis. The difference in maximal post-procedural pain between the two groups was statistically significant (MD, -7.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -13.6 – -1.21; p=0.020). However, no significant differences were found in the length of procedure, end-tidal CO2, rate of perforation, and postprocedural hemorrhage between the two groups. The incidence of overall adverse events was significantly lower in the CO2 group (OR, 0.51; CI, 0.32–0.84; p=0.007). Conclusions: CO2 insufflation in gastric ESD is associated with less post-operative pain and discomfort, and a lower risk of overall adverse events compared with air insufflation.

Prevalence of occult celiac disease in females with iron deficiency in the United States: an NHANES analysis

ABSTRACT Aim: The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in patients with iron deficiency (ID) is estimated at 0–6% in European countries. The prevalence of celiac disease in patients with iron deficiency in the USA is unknown. Given the treatable nature of gluten hypersensitivity, estimating the prevalence of CD in patients with ID can help to determine the need to screen these patients for occult CD. Methods: Data were obtained from the NHANES database, a nationally representative health survey conducted from 2009 to 2010. We included 2,105 females aged 6 years or older. Iron deficiency was defined as serum ferritin level <20 ng/ml and considered positive for celiac disease when subjects were tested positive for both immunoglobulin A (IgA) tissue transglutaminase antibody and IgA endomysial antibody. Subjects were divided between two groups (ID and non-ID). The association of CD and ID, which was the primary outcome, was obtained after adjusting for other covariates using logistic regression. Results: Among the sample of 2,105 subjects, 569 had ID and 1536 did not have ID. Five people were identified as having CD among the ID group, as were two people in the non-ID group. After adjusting for selected covariates, the prevalence of CD was higher in female subjects with ID with OR of 12.5 (95% CI 1.74–90). Conclusions: The overall prevalence of celiac disease in the USA’ female population is low, however, the prevalence is higher in subjects with iron deficiency. Further prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage versus percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: a meta-analysis

The failure rate of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for biliary cannulation is approximately 6%–7% in cases of obstructive jaundice. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is the procedure of choice in such cases. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EGBD) is a novel technique that allows biliary drainage by echoendoscopy and fluoroscopy using a stent from the biliary tree to the gastrointestinal tract. Information in PubMed, Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane review were analyzed to obtain studies comparing EGBD and PTBD. Six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Technical (odds ratio (OR): 0.34; confidence interval (CI) 0.10–1.14; p=0.05) and clinical (OR: 1.48; CI 0.46–4.79; p=0.51) success rates were not statistically significant between the EGBD and PTBD groups. Mild adverse events were nonsignificantly different (OR: 0.36; CI 0.10–1.24; p=0.11) but not the moderate-to-severe adverse events (OR: 0.16; CI 0.08–0.32; p≤0.00001) and total adverse events (OR: 0.34; CI 0.20–0.59; p≤0.0001). EGBD is equally effective but safer than PTBD.

Impact of cyclosporine A use in the prevention of reperfusion injury in acute myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Reperfusion injury is an important limiting factor associated with revascularization in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Various therapies have been tried in an attempt to prevent reperfusion injury, but the search has been elusive. The role of cyclosporine A (CsA) in the prevention of reperfusion injury in AMI is still not clear. The objective of this study was to find out whether CsA is beneficial in reducing reperfusion injury in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS We performed a systematic search of Pubmed, Scopus, clinicaltrial.gov, and Cochrane Database for randomized control trials (RCT) measuring the effect of CsA in AMI compared to a placebo. The Mantel-Haenszel method and random effect model were used to analyze the data. A total of 1,566 patients (776 in the CsA group and 790 in the placebo group), who participated in 5 RCTs were included in our meta-analysis. RESULTS We did not find any significant differences between the CsA and placebo groups in terms of all-cause death (odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-1.87) and cardiovascular death (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.66-2.49). Similarly, we did not find any significant differences in terms of cardiogenic shock, recurrent ischemia and myocardial infarction, heart failure and echocardiographic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Cyclosporine A is not helpful in preventing reperfusion injury in AMI.

Quinine-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Every drug comes with some side effect. It is the benefit/risk ratio that determines the medical use of the drug. Quinine, a known antimalarial drug, has been used for nocturnal leg cramps since the 1930s; it is associated with severe life-threatening hematological and cardiovascular side effects. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), albeit rare, is a known coagulopathy associated with Quinine. It is imperative to inquire about the Quinine intake in medication history in patients with coagulopathy, as most patients still consider it a harmless home remedy for nocturnal leg cramps. In this report, we present a case of coagulopathy in a middle-aged woman, who gave a history of taking Quinine for nocturnal leg cramps, as her home remedy. Early identification of the offending agent led to the diagnosis, prompt discontinuation of the medication, and complete recovery and prevented the future possibility of recurrence.