Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) as a Screening Tool for Early Identification of Cerebral Large Vessel Occlusions; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction

Large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes are associated with worse functional outcomes and higher mortality rates. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the diagnostic yield of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) in detecting LVO.

Methods

We performed an extensive systematic search among online databases including Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus, until July 31st, 2023. We also conducted a manual search on Google and Google scholar, along with citation tracking to supplement the systematic search in retrieving all studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the CPSS in detecting LVO among patients suspected to stroke.

Results

Fourteen studies were included in the present meta-analysis. CPSS showed the sensitivity of 97% (95% CI: 87%-99%) and the specificity of 17% (95% CI: 4%-54%) at the cut-off point of ≥1. The optimal threshold was determined to be ≥2, with a sensitivity of 82% (95% CI: 74%-88%) and specificity of 62% (95% CI: 48%-74%) in detecting LVO. At the highest cut-off point of ≥3, the CPSS had the lowest sensitivity of 60% (95% CI: 51%-69%) and the highest specificity of 81% (95% CI: 71%-88%). Sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of the results regardless of study population, inclusion of hemorrhagic stroke patients, pre-hospital or in-hospital settings, and the definition of LVO.

Conclusion

A very low level of evidence demonstrated that CPSS, with a threshold set at ≥2, is a useful tool for identifying LVO stroke and directing patients to CSCs, both in prehospital and in-hospital settings.

Effect of Postoperative Kinesio Taping on Knee Edema, Pain, and Range of Motion After Total Knee Arthroplasty and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND

Kinesio taping (KT) has been shown to be clinically effective in a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders. Despite evidence supporting KT, there still needs to be more certainty regarding its clinical worthiness in managing postoperative conditions. This study aims to assess the effect of postoperative KT on knee edema, pain, and range of motion (ROM) when added to routine physiotherapy after knee surgery.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases were searched from their inception to July 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing routine physiotherapy with and without KT were included. Random-effect models were used to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD), confidence interval, and heterogeneity (I2).

RESULTS

Sixteen RCTs on 842 operated knees were included. KT reduced knee edema in first week (SMD, -0.59, p < 0.001), 14th postoperative day (POD) (SMD, -0.78, p < 0.001), and 28 to 42 days postop (SMD, -0.66, p < 0.001). The KT demonstrated significant pain improvement in second week (SMD, -0.87, p < 0.001) and the fourth week (SMD, -0.53, p < 0.001). The KT groups demonstrated ROM improvement within second week (SMD, 0.69, p = 0.010) and in the 28th POD (SMD, 0.89, p = 0.009). Subgroup analysis demonstrated minimal heterogeneity in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) cases. However, it did not show significant superiority regarding ankle, calf, or thigh edema and Lysholm scale.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that adding KT to routine postoperative physiotherapy reduces pain and knee edema after total knee arthroplasty or ACLR. Low to very low certainty of evidence for all outcomes and the limited number of studies emphasize the need for more high-quality primary studies to explore the optimal method of KT application and its effectiveness in specific knee surgeries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of S100B versus Neuron Specific Enolase for Traumatic Brain Injury; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction

Traumataic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant global health burden. This systematic review delves into the comparison of S100B and Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE) regarding their diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in TBI within the adult population.

Methods

Conducted on October 21, 2023, the search identified 24 studies encompassing 6454 adult patients. QUADAS-2 and QUAPAS tools were employed to assess the risk of bias. The analyses aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of S100B and NSE based on sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). The outcomes were detecting intracranial injury, mortality, and unfavorable outcome.

Results

Pooled data analysis tended towards favoring S100B for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. S100B exhibited a diagnostic AUC of 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-0.78), sensitivity of 80% (95% CI: 63%-90%), and specificity of 59% (95% CI: 45%-72%), outperforming NSE with an AUC of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.61-0.70), sensitivity of 74% (95% CI: 53%-88%), and specificity of 46% (95% CI: 24%-69%). Notably, both biomarkers demonstrated enhanced diagnostic value when blood samples were collected within 12 hours post-injury. The analyses also revealed the excellent diagnostic ability of S100B with a sensitivity of 99% (95% CI: 4%-100%) and a specificity of 76% (95% CI: 51%-91%) in mild TBI patients (AUC = 0.89 [0.86-0.91]). In predicting mortality, S100B showed a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI: 65%-98%) and specificity of 61% (95% CI: 39%-79%), slightly surpassing NSE's performance with a sensitivity of 88% (95% CI: 76%-95%) and specificity of 56% (95% CI: 47%-65%). For predicting unfavorable outcomes, S100B exhibited a sensitivity of 83% (95% CI: 74%-90%) and specificity of 51% (95% CI: 30%-72%), while NSE had a sensitivity of 80% (95% CI: 64%-90%) and specificity of 59% (95% CI: 46%-71%).

Conclusion

Although neither biomarker has shown promising diagnostic performance in detecting abnormal computed tomography (CT) findings, they have displayed acceptable outcome prediction capabilities, particularly with regard to mortality.

Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2 as a Candidate Prognostic Marker for Stroke: A Systematic Review

Background

Risk stratification of patients for incidence of stroke and its outcomes can aid in decision-making regarding treatment options and rehabilitative care. We systematically reviewed the literature to provide comprehensive evidence for the value of serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST-2) in the prediction of stroke incidence and the evaluation of post-stroke outcomes.

Methods

The Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched until the end of August 2022 for studies investigating the value of serum sST-2 in the prediction of stroke incidence and post-stroke outcomes.

Results

Nineteen articles were included. The articles reported conflicting results on the predictive value of sST-2 measurement in the incidence of stroke. Studies investigating the value of sST-2 measurement for the prognosis of post-stroke outcomes have reported positive associations between sST-2 levels and post-stroke mortality, composite adverse events, major disability, cerebral-cardiac syndrome, and cognitive impairment.

Conclusions

Although some studies have reported a predictive value of serum sST-2 measurement in the incidence of stroke, a clear consensus has yet to be reached because of discrepancies in the results. As for the prognosis of post-stroke outcomes, sST-2 may be a predictor of mortality, composite adverse events, and major disability after stroke. Overall, more well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to reach a more decisive conclusion on the value of sST-2 measurement for the prediction of stroke and its outcomes and to determine optimal cutoffs.

Clinical decision rules in predicting computed tomography scan findings and need for neurosurgical intervention in mild traumatic brain injury: a prospective observational study

PURPOSE

In this study, we will compare the diagnostic values of head CT decision rules in predicting the findings of CT scans in a prospective multicenter study in university emergency departments in Iran.

METHODS

The primary outcome was any traumatic lesion findings in brain CT scans, and the secondary outcomes were death, the need for mechanical ventilation, and neurosurgical intervention. Decision rules including the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR), New Orleans Criteria (NOC), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS), and Neurotraumatology Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (NCWFNS) were compared for the main outcomes.

RESULTS

In total, 434 mild TBI patients were enrolled in the study. The NCWFNS had the highest sensitivity (91.14%) and the lowest specificity (39.42%) for predicting abnormal finding in CT scan compared to other models. While the NICE obtained the lowest sensitivity (79.75%), it was associated with the highest specificity (66.67%). All model performances were improved when administered to predict neurosurgical intervention among patients with GCS 13-15. NEXUS (AUC 0.862, 95% CI 0.799-0.924) and NCWFNS (AUC 0.813, 95% CI 0.723-0.903) had the best performance among all evaluated models.

CONCLUSION

The NCWFNS and the NEXUS decision rules performed better than the CCHR and NICE guidelines for predicting any lesion in the CT imaging and neurosurgical intervention among patients with mTBI with GCS 13-15. For a subset of mTBI patients with GCS 15, the NOC criteria have higher sensitivity for abnormal CT imaging, but lower specificity and more requested CTs.

The value of Coronary Artery Disease - Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) in Outcome Prediction of CAD Patients; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) reporting has traditionally been operator-dependent, and no precise classification is broadly used for reporting Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) severity. The Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data Systems (CAD-RADS) was introduced to address the inconsistent CCTA reports. This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively appraise all available studies and draw conclusions on the prognostic value of the CAD-RADS classification system in CAD patients.

Method

Online databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched until September 19th, 2022, for studies on the value of CAD-RADS categorization for outcome prediction of CAD patients.

Results

16 articles were included in this systematic review, 14 of which had assessed the value of CAD-RADS in the prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and 3 articles investigated the outcome of all-cause mortality. Our analysis demonstrated that all original CAD-RADS categories can be a predictor of MACE [Hazard ratios (HR) ranged from 3.39 to 8.63] and all categories, except CAD-RADS 1, can be a predictor of all-cause mortality (HRs ranged from 1.50 to 3.09). Moreover, higher CAD-RADS categories were associated with an increased hazard ratio for unfavorable outcomes among CAD patients (p for MACE = 0.007 and p for all-cause mortality = 0.018).

Conclusion

The evidence demonstrated that the CAD-RADS classification system can be used to predict incidence of MACE and all-cause mortality. This indicates that the implementation of CAD-RADS into clinical practice, besides enhancing the communication between physicians and improving patient care, can also guide physicians in risk assessment of the patients and predicting their prognosis.

Can metformin use reduce the risk of stroke in diabetic patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Stroke and cardiovascular diseases are major causes of death and disability, especially among diabetic patients. Some studies have shown that metformin has been effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effect of metformin on stroke in type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from their inception till 1st July 2022. Randomized clinical trials (RCT) and cohort studies were included. Two independent researchers screened the records, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias and certainty of evidence. Findings were reported as risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). All statistical analyses were performed using the STATA 17.0 software package.

RESULTS

Analysis of 21 included studies with 1,392,809 patients demonstrated that metformin monotherapy was effective in reducing stroke risk in both RCTs (RR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.87 p = 0.004) and cohort studies (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.81, p < 0.0001). However, combined administration of metformin with other antihyperglycemic agents had no significant effect on stroke risk reduction in either the RCTs (RR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.22 p = 0.558) or the cohort studies (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.59, 1.06, p = 0.122).

CONCLUSION

Low to moderate level of evidence in RCTs showed that metformin monotherapy could reduce stroke risk in type 2 diabetic patients. However, the preventive effect of metformin in stroke was not observed in patients who received a combination of metformin plus other hypoglycemic agents.

Prognostic Value of The Leuko-Glycemic Index in Acute Myocardial Infarction; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction

In recent years, studies have provided evidence on the prognostic value of the leuko-glycemic index (LGI) in acute myocardial infarction (MI), but there is a lack of consensus. In addition, various reported cut-offs for LGI have raised concern regarding its clinical applicability. So, to conclude, through this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to investigate all available evidence on the prognostic value of LGI in acute MI.

Methods

Two independent researchers summarized records available in the four main databases of Medline (Via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science until 15 Sep 2022. Articles studying the prognostic value of the LGI in acute MI were included. Finally, sensitivity, specificity, prognostic odds ratio, and the area under the curve (AUC) for LGI were analyzed and reported.

Results

Eleven articles were included (3701 patients, 72.1% male). Based on the analyses, AUC, sensitivity, and specificity for LGI in prediction of mortality following acute MI were 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73 to 0.80), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.84), and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.51 to 0.78), respectively. Positive and negative post-test probability of LGI in prediction of mortality were 21% and 5%, respectively. AUC, sensitivity, and specificity for LGI in prediction of major cardiac complications after acute MI were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77 to 0.84), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.92), and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.84), respectively. Also, the Positive and negative post-test probability of LGI in this regard were 59% and 13%, respectively.

Conclusion

Although the results demonstrated that the LGI could predict mortality and acute cardiac complication after MI, the low post-test probability of LGI in risk stratification of patients raises questions regarding its applicability. Nevertheless, as most of the available studies have been conducted in the Latino/Hispanic population, further evidence is warranted to generalize the validity of this tool to other racial populations.

Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Detecting Intracranial Injuries Following Minor Head Trauma; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction

Developing novel diagnostic and screening tools for exploring intracranial injuries following minor head trauma is a necessity. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in detecting intracranial injuries following minor head trauma.

Methods

An extensive search was performed in Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to the end of April 2022. Human observational studies were chosen, regardless of sex and ethnicity of their participants. Pediatrics studies, report of diagnostic value of GFAP combined with other biomarkers (without reporting the GFAP alone), articles including patients with all trauma severity, defining minor head trauma without intracranial lesions as the outcome of the study, not reporting sensitivity/specificity or any other values essential for computation of true positive, true negative, false positive and false-negative, being performed in the prehospital setting, assessing the prognostic value of GFAP, duplicated reports, preclinical studies, retracted articles, and review papers were excluded. The result was provided as pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic score and diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

Eventually, 11 related articles were introduced into the meta-analysis. The pooled analysis implies that the area under the SROC curve for serum GFAP level in minor traumatic brain injuries (TBI) was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71 to 0.78). Sensitivity and specificity of this biomarker in below 100 pg/ml cut-off were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.89) and 0.39 (95% CI: 0.24 to 0.53), respectively. The diagnostic score and diagnostic odds ratio of GFAP in detection of minor TBI were 1.13 (95% CI: 0.53 to 1.74) and 3.11 (95% CI: 1.69 to 5.72), respectively. The level of evidence for the presented results were moderate.

Conclusion

The present study's findings demonstrate that serum GFAP can detect intracranial lesions in mild TBI patients. The optimum cut-off of GFAP in detection of TBI was below 100 pg/ml. As a result, implementing serum GFAP may be beneficial in mild TBI diagnosis for preventing unnecessary computed tomography (CT) scans and their related side effects.