One Versus 2 Venous Anastomoses in Free Flap Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

The necessity of a second venous anastomosis in free flap surgery is controversial. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine whether venous flap failure and reoperation rates are lower when 2 venous anastomoses are performed. The secondary objective is to determine whether venous flap failure and reoperation rates are lower when the 2 veins are from 2 different drainage systems.

Methods

A comprehensive search of the literature identified relevant studies. Investigators independently extracted data on rates of flap failure and reoperation secondary to venous congestion. A meta-analysis was performed; odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using a random-effects model and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Of 18 190 studies identified, 15 were included for analysis. The mean sample size was 287 patients (minimum = 102, maximum = 564). No statistically significant difference in venous flap failure was found when comparing 1 versus 2 venous anastomoses (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 0.46-3.93). A significant decrease in reoperation rate due to venous congestion was shown (OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.64-5.58). The results favor using 2 veins from 2 different systems over veins from the same system (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.02-1.27).

Conclusions

There is low-quality evidence suggesting that the use of 2 venous anastomoses will lower the rate of reoperation due to venous congestion. There are insufficient data published to meaningfully compare outcomes of flaps with 2 venous anastomoses from different systems to flaps with anastomoses from the same system.

Acute Traumatic Quadriplegia in Adults: Predictors of Acute in-Hospital Mortality

AIM

To assess the in-hospital mortality rate in adult patients suffering acute traumatic complete quadriplegia and determine the possible predictors of mortality in these patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A review of all complete quadriplegics treated from January 1996 through March 2004 in a regional spine injuries unit measuring in-hospital mortality and other factors that might contribute to increased mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore these possible predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

We identified 126 cases of cervical spinal cord injury treated at our hospital from January 1996 to March 2004 and identified only 62 cases of complete quadriplegia. Of 62 patients, 11 (17.7%) died in the hospital. Age, gender, injury mechanism and medical co-morbidity showed only trends towards a higher mortality. Age and pre-injury medical co-morbidity were found to be significant independent predicting factors for mortality. Gender, mechanism of injury, neurological level and injury severity score were not the predictors of mortality in these patients.

CONCLUSION

Despite the limitations of the current evidence, advanced age and pre-existing medical co-morbidity are likely predictors of hospital mortality in the traumatic quadriplegia population.

A Canadian perspective on anterior cervical discectomies: practice patterns and preferences

Background

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the current practice patterns of Canadian neurosurgeons with regards to anterior cervical discectomy (ACD).

Methods

A one-page questionnaire was sent out using SurveyMonkey to all neurosurgeon members of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (CNSF). End points were surgeon preference for ACD surgical method, graft source, the length of collar usage and the recommended time before returning to work.

Results

Response rate was 74.0%. Of the responders, 75.0% performed single level ACD and 18.3% had completed spine fellowships. The majority (68.2%) chose ACD with fusion and plating (ACDFP) as their preferred method with allograft being the most popular choice of fusion material (44.3%). Most of the respondents did not prescribe collars (60.9%) and when they did, hard collar was prescribed most often (76.9%) and Aspen^TM collar was the most popular choice (67.7%). The majority of surgeons chose 'other' as their response for length of time for collar use (40.0%) while allowing them to take their collars off at night (78.1%). Most of the surgeons recommended physiotherapy post-operatively (58.1%) and time to physiotherapy was 6-8 weeks. Recommended back to work time was 6 weeks for 44.9% of respondents. In the cross analysis, surgeons who performed ACDF were more likely to prescribe collars (50%, P=0.01) versus surgeons who performed ACDFP (21.7%, P=0.01).

Conclusions

Our survey is an up to date description of current practice patterns for ACD amongst Canadian neurosurgeons.

Incentive Spirometry After Lung Resection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Incentive spirometry (IS) is thought to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) after lung resection. We sought to determine whether the addition of IS to routine physiotherapy following lung resection results in a lower rate of PPC, as compared with physiotherapy alone.

METHODS

A single-blind prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted in adults undergoing lung resection. Individuals with previous lung surgery or home oxygen were excluded. Participants randomized to the control arm (PHY) received routine physiotherapy alone (deep breathing, ambulation and shoulder exercises). Those randomized to the intervention arm (PHY/IS) received IS in addition to routine physiotherapy. The trial was powered to detect a 10% difference in the rate of PPC (β = 80%). Student's t test and chi-square were utilized for continuous and categorical variables, respectively, with a significance level of p = 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 387 participants (n = 195 PHY/IS; n = 192 PHY) were randomized between 2014 and 2017. Baseline characteristics were comparable for both arms. The majority of patients underwent a pulmonary lobectomy (PHY/IS = 59.5%, PHY = 61.0%; p = 0.84), with no difference in the rates of minimally invasive and open procedures. There were no differences in the incidence of PPC at 30 days postoperatively (PHY/IS = 12.3%, PHY = 13.0%; p = 0.88). There were no differences in rates of pneumonia (PHY/IS = 4.6%, PHY = 7.8%; p = 0.21), mechanical ventilation (PHY/IS = 2.1%, PHY = 1.0%; p = 0.41), home oxygen (PHY/IS = 13.8%, PHY = 14.6%; p = 0.89), hospital length of stay (PHY/IS = 4 days, PHY = 4 days; p = 0.34), or rate of readmission to hospital (PHY/IS = 10.3%, PHY = 9.9%; p = 1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of IS to routine postoperative physiotherapy does not reduce the incidence of PPC after lung resection.

Atraumatic versus conventional lumbar puncture needles: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Atraumatic needles have been proposed to lower complication rates after lumbar puncture. However, several surveys indicate that clinical adoption of these needles remains poor. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare patient outcomes after lumbar puncture with atraumatic needles and conventional needles.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we independently searched 13 databases with no language restrictions from inception to Aug 15, 2017, for randomised controlled trials comparing the use of atraumatic needles and conventional needles for any lumbar puncture indication. Randomised trials comparing atraumatic and conventional needles in which no dural puncture was done (epidural injections) or without a conventional needle control group were excluded. We screened studies and extracted data from published reports independently. The primary outcome of postdural-puncture headache incidence and additional safety and efficacy outcomes were assessed by random-effects and fixed-effects meta-analysis. This study is registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, number CRD42016047546.

FINDINGS

We identified 20 241 reports; after exclusions, 110 trials done between 1989 and 2017 from 29 countries, including a total of 31 412 participants, were eligible for analysis. The incidence of postdural-puncture headache was significantly reduced from 11·0% (95% CI 9·1-13·3) in the conventional needle group to 4·2% (3·3-5·2) in the atraumatic group (relative risk 0·40, 95% CI 0·34-0·47, p<0·0001; I²=45·4%). Atraumatic needles were also associated with significant reductions in the need for intravenous fluid or controlled analgesia (0·44, 95% CI 0·29-0·64; p<0·0001), need for epidural blood patch (0·50, 0·33-0·75; p=0·001), any headache (0·50, 0·43-0·57; p<0·0001), mild headache (0·52, 0·38-0·70; p<0·0001), severe headache (0·41, 0·28-0·59; p<0·0001), nerve root irritation (0·71, 0·54-0·92; p=0·011), and hearing disturbance (0·25, 0·11-0·60; p=0·002). Success of lumbar puncture on first attempt, failure rate, mean number of attempts, and the incidence of traumatic tap and backache did not differ significantly between the two needle groups. Prespecified subgroup analyses of postdural-puncture headache revealed no interactions between needle type and patient age, sex, use of prophylactic intravenous fluid, needle gauge, patient position, indication for lumbar puncture, bed rest after puncture, or clinician specialty. These results were rated high-quality evidence as examined using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation.

INTERPRETATION

Among patients who had lumbar puncture, atraumatic needles were associated with a decrease in the incidence of postdural-puncture headache and in the need for patients to return to hospital for additional therapy, and had similar efficacy to conventional needles. These findings offer clinicians and stakeholders a comprehensive assessment and high-quality evidence for the safety and efficacy of atraumatic needles as a superior option for patients who require lumbar puncture.

FUNDING

None.

A challenge-response endoscopic sinus surgery specific checklist as an add-on to standard surgical checklist: an evaluation of potential safety and quality improvement issues

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate the impact of an aviation-style challenge and response sinus surgery-specific checklist on potential safety and equipment issues during sinus surgery at a tertiary academic health center. The secondary goal was to assess the potential impact of use of the checklist on surgical times during, before, and after surgery. This initiative is designed to be utilized in conjunction with the "standard" World Health Organization (WHO) surgical checklist. Although endoscopic sinus surgery is generally considered a safe procedure, avoidable complications and potential safety concerns continue to occur. The WHO surgical checklist does not directly address certain surgery-specific issues, which may be of particular relevance for endoscopic sinus surgery.

METHODS

This prospective observational pilot study monitored compliance with and compared the occurrence of safety and equipment issues before and after implementation of the checklist. Forty-seven consecutive endoscopic surgeries were audited; the first 8 without the checklist and the following 39 with the checklist. The checklist was compiled by evaluating the patient journey, utilizing the available literature, expert consensus, and finally reevaluation with audit type cases. The final checklist was developed with all relevant stakeholders involved in a Delphi method.

RESULTS

Implementing this specific surgical checklist in 39 cases at our institution, allowed us to identify and rectify 35 separate instances of potentially unsafe, improper or inefficient preoperative setup. These incidents included issues with labeling of topical vasoconstrictor or injectable anesthetics (3, 7.7%) and availability, function and/or position of video monitors (2, 5.1%), endoscope (6, 15.4%), microdebrider (6, 15.4%), bipolar cautery (6, 15.4%), and suctions (12, 30.8%).

CONCLUSION

The design and integration of this checklist for endoscopic sinus surgery, has helped improve efficiency and patient safety in the operating room setting.

Venous Thromboembolism Events After Hip Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

The purpose of this systematic literature review focused on hip arthroscopy was to (1) report the venous thromboembolism (VTE) event incidence in patients who receive VTE prophylaxis and those who do not, (2) report how VTE prophylaxis is currently being administered, and (3) report operative and patient-related risk factors for VTE identified in the literature.

METHODS

The electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed were searched from database inception to October 10, 2016, and screened in duplicate for relevant studies. Data were collected regarding VTE prophylaxis, traction use, surgical time, VTE incidence, patient and operative factors, and postoperative weight bearing and rehabilitation. Study quality was assessed in duplicate with the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria.

RESULTS

Outcome analyses included 14 studies that involved 2,850 patients (2,985 hips). The weighted mean follow-up period was 19 ± 8 months, ranging from 7 days to 103 months. The weighted mean age was 40.7 ± 7 years, ranging from 6 to 82 years, and 39.6% of patients were male patients. The overall weighted proportion of VTE events after hip arthroscopy found in 14 included studies was 2.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.01%-4.1%), with 25 VTE events. Several studies reported patient risk factors, which included increased age, increased body mass index, prolonged traction time, and use of oral contraceptives.

CONCLUSIONS

The use and efficacy of VTE prophylaxis are highly under-reported within hip arthroscopy. The low incidence of VTE events found in this review (2.0%) suggests that prophylaxis may not be necessary in low-risk patients undergoing hip arthroscopy; however, the true rate may be under-reported. Current literature suggests that prophylaxis is typically not prescribed. Early mobility and postoperative rehabilitation may also help to further mitigate the risk of VTE events, but use of these strategies needs further prospective evaluation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, systematic review of Level II through IV studies.

Parental knowledge of pediatric eye health in an ophthalmology clinic setting: validation and delivery of the EYEE questionnaire

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop and assess the reliability of a questionnaire assessing parental knowledge on core topics in pediatric eye health.

METHODS

In Phase I, the Evaluate Your Eye Education Questionnaire (EYEE-Q) was developed and distributed to ascertain face validity (n = 20). In Phase II, participants completed EYEE-Q twice to determine test-retest reliability (n = 40). In Phase III, EYEE-Q was administered to parents in a tertiary level pediatric ophthalmology clinic to assess knowledge (n = 193).

RESULTS

EYEE-Q had good test-retest reliability (Kripendorff's alpha = 0.77). Mean knowledge was 71% on eye physiology, 59% on pediatric vision care, 58% on refractive error, 53% on common childhood eye conditions, and 48% on eye care professional (ECP) roles. Low income, non-Caucasian race, and English as a second language status were associated with poorer scores.

CONCLUSION

EYEE-Q is a reliable means of assessing parental knowledge on select pediatric eye health-related topics. Knowledge appears to be suboptimal among parents of children attending tertiary level ophthalmology clinics. ECPs should actively provide educational materials in various languages and formats to promote understanding of medical jargon and patient compliance. The influence of educational interventions on knowledge can be assessed using the EYEE-Q.

Society for Fetal Urology Classification vs Urinary Tract Dilation Grading System for Prognostication in Prenatal Hydronephrosis: A Time to Resolution Analysis

PURPOSE

The Urinary Tract Dilation grading system for prenatal hydronephrosis was introduced to address potential shortcomings of the Society for Fetal Urology classification. Hydronephrosis resolution is an important patient outcome and is frequently discussed during family counseling. We compared these 2 grading systems and their ability to predict time to hydronephrosis resolution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We prospectively screened 855 patients with prenatal hydronephrosis due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction-like hydronephrosis, nonrefluxing primary megaureter or vesicoureteral reflux between 2009 and 2015. Of the patients 454 were excluded due to surgery, late referral, absence of postnatal dilatation or presence of other anomalies, resulting in 401 eligible patients (of whom 81% were male) to be included for analyses. Hydronephrosis grades collected at baseline and last followup were compared to identify resolution trends through time. Hydronephrosis resolution was defined as renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter 10 mm or less at last followup. Time to resolution was analyzed using Cox proportion regression.

RESULTS

Of 401 patients 328 (82%) had resolution during a mean ± SD followup of 24 ± 18 months (maximum 107). Cumulative resolution rate at 3 years was 98% for Society for Fetal Urology grade I hydronephrosis, 87% for grade II, 76% for grade III and 57% for grade IV. The 3-year hydronephrosis resolution rate was 90% for Urinary Tract Dilation postnatal grade 1 (low risk), 81% for grade 2 (intermediate risk) and 71% for grade 3 (high risk).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with distinctive baseline hydronephrosis grades (classified by Society for Fetal Urology or Urinary Tract Dilation system) had significantly different resolution times for hydronephrosis (p <0.001). Counseling families regarding time to resolution of prenatal hydronephrosis should remain the same whether using Society for Fetal Urology or Urinary Tract Dilation grading system.

Users' guide to the surgical literature: how to assess a noninferiority trial

SUMMARY

A well-planned randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the most optimal study design to determine if a novel surgical intervention is any different than a prevailing one. Traditionally, when we want to show that a new surgical intervention is superior to a standard one, we analyze data from an RCT to see if the null hypothesis of "no difference" can be rejected (i.e., the 2 surgical interventions have the same effect). A noninferiority RCT design seeks to determine whether a new intervention is not worse than a prevailing (standard) one within an acceptable margin of risk or benefit, referred to as the "noninferiority margin." In the last decade, we have observed an increase in the publication of noninferiority RCTs. This article explores this type of study design and discusses the tools that can be used to appraise such a study.

The impact of a bladder training video versus standard urotherapy on quality of life of children with bladder and bowel dysfunction: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) can negatively impact the quality of life (QoL) of children. Urotherapy is an accepted treatment option for BBD; however, literature that examines the impact of management options on QoL in this population is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a bladder training video (BTV) is non-inferior to standard urotherapy (SU) in improving QoL in children with BBD.

METHODS

Children aged 5-10 years and who scored ≥11 on the Vancouver Non-Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction/Dysfunctional Elimination Syndrome Questionnaire (NLUTD/DES) were recruited from a pediatric tertiary care center. Children were excluded with known vesicoureteral reflux; spinal dysraphism; learning disabilities; recent urotherapy; and primary nocturnal enuresis. Quality of life was evaluated using the Pediatric Incontinence Quality-of-Life questionnaire (PinQ). Questionnaires were administered at the baseline and 3-month follow-up clinic visits. Following centralized electronic blocked randomization schemes to guarantee allocation concealment, patients were assigned to receive SU or BTV during their regular clinic visits. An intention-to-treat protocol was followed. Between-group baseline and follow-up QoL scores were compared using paired and unpaired t-tests, and linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 539 BBD patients who were screened, 173 (32%) were eligible, and 150 (87%) were randomized. Of these, 143 (96%) completed the study, five (3%) were lost to follow-up, and two (1%) withdrew. In total, 140/143 (97%) completed the QoL questionnaire at baseline and follow-up. Mean follow-up time was 3.5 ± 1.1 months for BTV patients and 3.7 ± 1.6 months for SU. At baseline, BTV and SU patients had a mean QoL score of 26.6 ± 13 and 23.8 ± 12, respectively (P = 0.17). Between-group mean change in PinQ scores from baseline was not statistically significant (BTV: 6.25 ± 12.5 vs SU: 3.75 ± 12.2; P = 0.23; Summary Fig.). Significant predictors of positive change in QoL were: higher symptomatology score, with a correlation coefficient of 0.5 (95% CI: 0.2-0.9; P = 0.003), and worse baseline QoL score, with a correlation coefficient of 0.5 (95% CI: 0.4-0.7; P < 0.001). Overall, most patients had improved symptomatology and QoL scores.

CONCLUSION

Significant and similar QoL changes from baseline to follow-up were observed in both the BTV and SU groups, suggesting that BTV was non-inferior to SU in improving QoL in children with BBD. Quality of life assessment should be considered when evaluating interventions for BBD, as it appears to be an important clinical outcome with which to determine urotherapy success.

Users' guide to the surgical literature: how to assess an article using surrogate end points

SUMMARY

Phase 3 randomized controlled trials are the widely accepted gold standard through which treatment decisions are made, as they assess the efficacy of a novel treatment against the control on the relevant patient population. The effectiveness of the novel treatment should be derived by measuring patient-important outcomes; however, to accurately assess these outcomes, clinical trials often require extensive patient follow-up and large sample sizes that can incur substantial expense. For this reason, investigators substitute surrogate end points to reduce the sample size and duration of a trial, ultimately reducing cost. The purpose of this article is to help surgeons appraise the surgical literature that use surrogate end points for patient-important outcomes.

Timing of complications during and after elective endovascular intracranial aneurysm coiling

OBJECTIVE

To determine the time to complications during and after elective endovascular intracranial aneurysm coiling.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing elective endovascular aneurysm coiling between March 2006 and October 2013 in one large Eastern Canadian Neurointerventional Service was performed. Data regarding the incidence, time and type of complication related to the endovascular coiling procedure and clinical outcome at last follow-up were collected. Patient, aneurysm and operation factors were analyzed to determine any factors associated with complication occurrence.

RESULTS

Of the 150 patient procedures analyzed, 16% experienced a coiling-related complication, although none resulted in death. 6.7% of patients experienced an intraoperative complication, of which thromboembolism was the most common type. The majority of the complications were detected in the first 6 hours after reversal of anesthesia, and a small proportion the next morning prior to discharge. Only 3.3% of patients had persistent neurological deficit after the procedure on last follow-up. Duration of the operation demonstrated a strong association with the occurrence of procedure-related complications.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that coiling-related complications of elective endovascular coiling tend to occur either intraoperatively or are detected shortly after reversal of anesthesia. Further investigation with a larger cohort may help to guide important preoperative communication with patients and identify a select group of patients who may not necessarily require prolonged admission to hospital for observation.

Does the usage of digital chest drainage systems reduce pleural inflammation and volume of pleural effusion following oncologic pulmonary resection?-A prospective randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Prolonged air leak and high-volume pleural drainage are the most common causes for delays in chest tube removal following lung resection. While digital pleural drainage systems have been successfully used in the management of post-operative air leak, their effect on pleural drainage and inflammation has not been studied before. We hypothesized that digital drainage systems (as compared to traditional analog continuous suction), using intermittent balanced suction, are associated with decreased pleural inflammation and postoperative drainage volumes, thus leading to earlier chest tube removal.

METHODS

One hundred and three [103] patients were enrolled and randomized to either analog (n=50) or digital (n=53) drainage systems following oncologic lung resection. Chest tubes were removed according to standardized, pre-defined protocol. Inflammatory mediators [interleukin-1B (IL-1B), 6, 8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)] in pleural fluid and serum were measured and analysed. The primary outcome of interest was the difference in total volume of postoperative fluid drainage. Secondary outcome measures included duration of chest tube in-situ, prolonged air-leak incidence, length of hospital stay and the correlation between pleural effusion formation, degree of inflammation and type of drainage system used.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in total amount of fluid drained or length of hospital stay between the two groups. A trend for shorter chest tube duration was found with the digital system when compared to the analog (P=0.055). Comparison of inflammatory mediator levels revealed no significant differences between digital and analog drainage systems. The incidence of prolonged post-operative air leak was significantly higher when using the analog system (9 versus 2 patients; P=0.025). Lobectomy was associated with longer chest tube duration (P=0.001) and increased fluid drainage when compared to sub-lobar resection (P<0.001), regardless of drainage system.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of post-lung resection digital drainage does not appear to decrease pleural fluid formation, but is associated with decreased prolonged air leaks. Total pleural effusion volumes did not differ with the type of drainage system used. These findings support previously established benefits of the digital system in decreasing prolonged air leaks, but the advantages do not appear to extend to decreased pleural fluid formation.

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy: Outcome Analysis of an Anterior Entry Point

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a safe and effective treatment for hydrocephalus. An entry point located 4 cm anterior to the coronal suture, 3 cm anterior to Kocher point, and approximately 9 cm from the pupil at the midpupillary line has been used successfully for the last 20 years in our center. We aimed to evaluate this alternative anterior entry point routinely used for ETV, with or without concurrent endoscopic biopsy.

METHODS

Patients undergoing this proposed entry point were examined to evaluate its safety and efficacy. Factors such as patients' age, sex, hydrocephalus etiology, tumor location and pathology, and complication rate were examined through regression analyses to evaluate their impact on tumor biopsy and ETV success rates, and the need for subsequent ventricular shunting.

RESULTS

A total of 131 patients were included in the study. ETV was successful in 125 (95.4%) patients. Of these, 26 (19.8%) patients required a biopsy, which was successful in 21 (80.8%) cases. A complication was observed in 10 (7.6%) patients, with a trend toward complications occurring after ETV failure. There was no association between ETV success rate and patients' age (P = 0.5) or sex (P = 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

The anterior entry point is a safe and effective method for ETV, especially when considering concurrent ventricular tumor biopsy. This entry point may be considered as a more minimally invasive procedure when using rigid endoscopy and may also eliminate the need for a flexible scope.

Perioperative systemic glucocorticoids in total hip and knee arthroplasty: A systematic review of outcomes

BACKGROUND

Perioperative systemic glucocorticoids are frequently included in multimodal analgesia and antiemetic regimens administered to patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the effect of perioperative systemic glucocorticoids on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain, narcotic consumption, antiemetic consumption, length of stay in hospital, and major complications in patients undergoing elective THA or TKA.

METHODS

A predefined protocol of eligibility and methodology was used for conduct of systematic reviews. Two reviewers screened citations for inclusion, assessed methodological quality, and verified the extracted data.

RESULTS

Six RCTs were included for analysis. Across all outcomes analyzed, patients who received glucocorticoids experienced either a benefit or no difference compared to those patients who did not receive glucocorticoids. There were no instances in which perioperative glucocorticoids had a negative impact on any of the outcomes that were analyzed. Furthermore, perioperative glucocorticoids had no effect on the rates of superficial infection, deep infection, wound complications or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

CONCLUSION

The results of this systematic review support the use of perioperative systemic glucocorticoids in patients undergoing elective total hip and knee arthroplasty. Perioperative glucocorticoids have overall positive outcomes with the benefits being more robust in those patients undergoing TKA compared to THA. Glucocorticoids did not increase the occurrence of major complications. There is limited data to support the conclusion that they can reduce length of stay in hospital.

Atraumatic versus traumatic lumbar puncture needles: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Lumbar puncture is one of the oldest and most commonly performed procedures in medicine, used to diagnose and treat disease. Headache following lumbar puncture remains a frequent complication, causing significant patient discomfort and often requiring narcotic analgesia or invasive therapy. Needle tip design has been proposed to affect the incidence of headache postlumbar puncture, with pencil-point 'atraumatic' needles thought to reduce its incidence in comparison to bevelled 'traumatic' needles. Despite this, the use of atraumatic needles and knowledge of their existence remains significantly limited among clinicians. This study will systematically review the evidence on atraumatic lumbar puncture needles and compare them with traumatic needles across a variety of clinical outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

We will include published randomised controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies and abstracts, with no publication type or language restrictions. Search strategies will be designed to peruse the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, CINAHL, WHO Clinical Trials Database and Cochrane Library databases. We will also implement strategies to search the grey literature. 3 reviewers will thoroughly and independently examine the search results, complete data abstraction and conduct quality assessment. Included RCTs will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and eligible observational studies will be examined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will examine the outcomes of: headache and its type, intensity, duration and treatment; backache; success rate; hearing disturbance and nerve root irritation. The primary outcome will be the incidence of postdural puncture headache. We will calculate pooled estimates, relative risks for dichotomous outcomes and weighted mean differences for continuous outcomes, with corresponding 95% CIs. Statistical heterogeneity will be measured using Cochran's Q test and quantified using the I² statistic. We will also conduct prespecified subgroup and sensitivity analyses to examine if covariates exist and to explore potential heterogeneity.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Research ethics board approval is not required for this study as it draws from published data and raises no concerns related to patient privacy. This review will provide a comprehensive assessment of the evidence on atraumatic needles for lumbar puncture and is directed to a wide audience. Results from the review will be disseminated extensively through conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42016047546.

The use of ibuprofen and acetaminophen for acute headache in the postconcussive youth: A pilot study

Objective

Acute postconcussive headaches are problematic for children after mild traumatic brain injury. There are no evidence-based guidelines for their management. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of routine analgesia administration.

Methods

A four-arm open-label randomized controlled trial pilot/feasibility study was conducted: (i) acetaminophen, (ii) ibuprofen, (iii) alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen and (iv) a control group. Children and youth 8 to 18 years of age presenting to emergency department with headache within 48 hours of their first concussion were recruited consecutively and sequentially randomized. Children with abnormal neuroimaging, history of previous concussions and bleeding disorder were excluded. A headache survey was administered at recruitment. All participants were provided with standard concussion management education and were also instructed on how to use the headache diary for the 1-week study follow-up period. The diary captures (i) headache days, (ii) number of headaches, (iii) headache intensity and (iv) return-to-school information. Feasibility was assessed based on study recruitment and compliance.

Results

There were no feasibility concerns with the recruitment and no major compliance issues. Patients on acetaminophen, ibuprofen or both had significantly less headache days, episodes of headache and lower headache intensity than did the standard care group. Patients on both ibuprofen and acetaminophen (79.0%) and on ibuprofen alone (61.0%) were more likely to be back at school 1 week postinjury as compared with the acetaminophen group (33.3%) and the standard care group (21.1%).

Conclusion

Results showed routine analgesia administration was feasible and effective for postconcussive headache management. A larger full-scale randomized controlled trial is required to further assess the efficacy with longer follow-up, a wider variety of patients and more concussion related outcomes.