Background: Several studies investigated the role of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in improving poststroke recovery; thus, we have decided to conduct this systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of SSRIs in poststroke recovery. Methods and Results: In this meta‐analysis we searched the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The studies were included if they were placebo‐controlled trials in design and reported SSRIs’ effects on poststroke depression, anxiety, disability, dependence, motor abilities, and cognitive functions. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized trials. The search yielded 44 articles that included 16 164 patients, and about half of the participants were treated with SSRIs. Our results showed that SSRIs had a significant effect on preventing depression (weighted mean difference [WMD], −7.05 [95% CI, −11.78 to −2.31]), treating depression according to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score (WMD, −1.45 [95% CI, −2.77 to −0.14]), anxiety (relative risk, 0.23 [95% CI, 0.09–0.61]), dependence (WMD, 8.86 [95% CI, 1.23–16.48]), motor abilities according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (WMD, −0.79 [95% CI, −1.42 to −0.15]), and cognitive functions (WMD, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.12–1.89]). On the other hand, no significant effect of SSRIs on disability was observed. Additionally, we found that treating with SSRIs increased the risk of seizures (relative risk, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.13–1.83]), whereas there was no difference in the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms or bleeding between SSRIs and a placebo. Conclusions: Our study showed that SSRIs are effective in preventing and treating depression, and improving anxiety, motor function, cognitive function, and dependence in patients after stroke. These benefits were only reproducible with the citalopram subanalysis but not fluoxetine. Further well‐conducted placebo‐controlled trials are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of citalopram among patients after stroke. Registration: URL: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ ; Unique identifier: CRD42021285766.

Background: Approximately five million fatalities occur annually due to stroke, along with its substantial effects on patient well-being and functional impairment. Research has established a connection between extended exposure to air pollutants and ischemic stroke. However, the link between short-term exposure to air pollutants and stroke remains less definitive. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted on MEDLINE, Scopus, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of Sciences databases up until February 2023, without any language restrictions. The inclusion criteria encompassed observational or interventional studies that examined the correlation between short-term exposure to air pollutants ((Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂), Ozone (O₃)), as well as particulate matter with diameters of less than 1 µm, less than 2.5 µm, or less than 10 µm (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10), with the incidence and mortality of ischemic stroke. Short-term exposure was defined as exposure occurring within 5 days of the onset of stroke. Results: A total of 18,035,408 cases of ischemic stroke were included in the analysis, derived from 110 observational studies. Asia accounted for the majority of the included studies, representing 58.8% of the total. In contrast, Europe and the Americas contributed 24.6% and 16.7% of the studies, respectively. Notably, none of the included studies were conducted in Africa. Stroke incidence was significantly associated with an increase in the concentration of NO₂ (RR=1.28; 95%CI: 1.21-1.36), O₃ (RR=1.05; 95%CI: 1.03-1.07), CO (RR=1.26; 95%CI: 1.21-1.32), SO₂ (RR=1.15; 95%CI: 1.11-1.19), PM₁ (RR=1.09; 95%CI: 1.06-1.12), PM_2.5 (RR=1.15; 95%CI: 1.13-1.17), and PM₁₀ (RR=1.14; 95%CI: 1.12-1.16). Moreover, an increase in the concentration of NO₂ (RR=1.33; 95%CI: 1.07-1.65), SO₂ (RR=1.60; 95%CI: 1.05-2.44), PM_2.5 (RR=1.09; 95%CI: 1.04-1.15), and PM₁₀ (RR=1.02; 95%CI: 1.00-1.04) was associated with an increase in stroke mortality. Conclusion: There is a strong and significant correlation between gaseous and particulate air pollutants and the occurrence and mortality rates of stroke. This close temporal association underscores the importance of implementing global initiatives to develop policies aimed at reducing air pollution. By doing so, alleviate the burden of ischemic stroke and its consequences.

This meta-analysis aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of mental disorders among COVID-19 survivors.The databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and medRxiv have been searched up to 1 Au...

Purpose: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most debilitating complications following joint replacement surgery. Synovial biomarkers, such as Calprotectin, have become valuable in the diagnosis of PJI. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the role of synovial Calprotectin as a diagnostic test in PJI.Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted with adherence to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched until February 2022. Inclusion criteria were as follows: all studies in which the patients with joint replacements were evaluated for PJI; synovial Calprotectin was the biomarker of choice to diagnose PJI; standardized guidelines were used as the gold standard for the diagnosis; and a comparison between the guidelines and Calprotectin results was made. Diagnostic parameters such as sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for the included studies to evaluate synovial Calprotectin for PJI diagnosis.Results: The total number of the included patients was 618 from eight studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio of Calprotectin test were 92% (95%CI: 84%-98%), 93% (95%CI: 84%-99%), and 187.61 (95%CI: 20.21–1741.18), respectively. The results showed that the negative and positive likelihood ratios of the Calprotectin test were 0.07 (95%CI: 0.02–0.22) and 9.91 (95%CI: 4.11–23.93), respectively. The SROC showed that the area under the curve for Calprotectin test was 0.935.Conclusion: Synovial Calprotectin is a valuable biomarker as it provides a reliable and rapid diagnosis of PJI. It has the potential to be used in clinical practice due to its high sensitivity and specificity that are comparable to the other utilized biomarkers. Another advantage is its low cost relative to other biomarkers.