Background: This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the three different administration routes of vitamin B12: oral, intramuscular (IM), and sublingual (SL) routes. Methods: We searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials). We included only comparative studies. We performed a frequentist network meta-analysis to measure network estimates for the relative outcomes. Moreover, we conducted a pairwise meta-analysis using a random effect model to obtain direct estimates for outcomes. All outcomes were continuous, and the relative treatment effects were pooled as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 4275 patients. Regarding increasing vitamin B12 levels, the IM route ranked first, followed by the SL route (MD = 94.09 and 43.31 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the oral route. However, these differences did not reach statistical significance owing to the limited number of studies. Regarding the hemoglobin level, the pooled effect sizes showed no difference between all routes of administration that could reach statistical significance. However, the top two ranked administration routes were the oral route (78.3) and the IM route (49.6). Conclusion: All IM, oral, and SL routes of administration of vitamin B12 can effectively increase the level of vitamin B12 without significant differences between them, as thought previously. However, the IM route was the top-ranked statistically but without clinical significance. We found no significant difference among studied administrated routes in all other CBC parameters and homocysteine levels. Graphical

Background: Intubating a patient in an emergent setting presents significant challenges compared to planned intubation in an operating room. This study aims to compare video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy in achieving successful endotracheal intubation on the first attempt in emergency intubations, irrespective of the clinical setting. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until 27 February 2023. We included only randomized controlled trials that included patients who had undergone emergent endotracheal intubation for any indication, regardless of the clinical setting. We used the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool 2 (ROB2) to assess the included studies. We used the mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR), with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), to pool the continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. Results: Fourteen studies were included with a total of 2470 patients. The overall analysis favored video laryngoscopy over direct laryngoscopy in first-attempt success rate (RR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.02, 1.18], P = 0.02), first-attempt intubation time (MD = − 6.92, 95% CI [− 12.86, − 0.99], P = 0.02), intubation difficulty score (MD = − 0.62, 95% CI [− 0.86, − 0.37], P < 0.001), peri-intubation percentage of glottis opening (MD = 24.91, 95% CI [11.18, 38.64], P < 0.001), upper airway injuries (RR = 0.15, 95% CI [0.04, 0.56], P = 0.005), and esophageal intubation (RR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.15, 0.94], P = 0.04). However, no difference between the two groups was found regarding the overall intubation success rate (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In emergency intubations, video laryngoscopy is preferred to direct laryngoscopy in achieving successful intubation on the first attempt and was associated with a lower incidence of complications.

Background: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a challenging disease in its presentation and management as it may cause life-threatening hemorrhaging in vital organs and may resist several lines of treatment. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in treating patients with ITP. Methods: We systematically searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from inception until 10 October 2022. We included all clinical trials, either controlled or single arm, and prospective and retrospective observational studies that evaluate the efficacy and safety of MMF in patients with ITP. We assessed the risk of bias using three tools (ROBINS-I, Cochrane ROB-2, and NIH), each for eligible study design. Results: Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 411 patients with ITP. We found that MMF demonstrated an overall response rate of (62.09%; 95% CI = [43.29 to 77.84]) and the complete response rate was (46.75%; 95% CI = [24.84 to 69.99]). The overall proportion of adverse events was (12%; 95% CI = [6 to 24]). After the sensitivity analysis, the overall response rate became 50%; 95% CI = [38 to 63]) and the complete response rate became (32%; 95% CI = [24 to 42]). However, MMF did not appear to affect white blood cell counts or hemoglobin levels significantly. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that MMF appears to be an effective and relatively safe treatment option for patients with ITP when combined with steroids and even in those who have not responded to standard therapies (steroid-resistant cases). Further research with well-designed studies is warranted to better understand the factors influencing treatment response and to refine the use of MMF in the management of ITP. An interactive version of our analysis can be accessed from here: https://databoard.shinyapps.io/mycophenolate_meta/ Graphical

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most serious metabolic complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Insulin deficiency and inflammation play a role in the pathogenesis of DKA. The authors aimed to assess the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) as a marker of severity among T1DM patients with DKA and without infection. Methods: The authors included T1DM patients older than or equal to 12 years hospitalized because of DKA. The authors excluded patients with infection or any condition that can change SII parameters or cause metabolic acidosis. The authors compared SII, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) between severe and non-severe DKA groups. The authors also assessed the need for an ICU, length of stay, and 90-day readmission rate between the groups. Results: The study included 241 patients with a median age of 17 (14, 24) years, and 44.8% were males. More patients with severe DKA (45%) required ICU admission (P<0.001). Median SII increased with DKA severity, and the difference was significant (P=0.033). No significant difference was observed as regards median NLR or PLR (P=0.380 and 0.852, respectively). SII, but not NLR or PLR, had a significant negative correlation with PH (r=−0.197, P=0.002) and HCO₃ level (r=−0.144, P=0.026). Also, being in the highest SII quartile was an independent risk factor for DKA severity (OR, 2.522; 95% CI, 1.063–6.08; P=0.037). The authors estimated an SII cut-off value of 2524.24 to predict DKA severity with high specificity. Conclusion: Elevated SII is a risk factor for DKA severity in T1DM. It is better than NLR and PLR in prognosticating DKA patients. These findings highlight the role of inflammation in DKA. SII can help as a valuable and simple tool to assess DKA severity.

Background: Unintended perioperative hypothermia is a significant complication for patients undergoing anesthesia. Different measures are routinely undertaken to prevent hypothermia and its consequences. The evidence comparing the impact of self-warming blankets and forced-air warming is scarce. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of self-warming blankets compared to forced-air devices regarding the incidence of perioperative hypothermia. Methods: We searched the Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Scopus for relevant studies from inception until December 2022. We included comparative studies with patients allocated to undergo warming using a self-warming blanket or forced air warming. All concerned outcomes were pooled as odds ratios or mean differences (MDs) in the meta-analysis models using Review Manager (RevMan version 5.4). Results: Our results from 8 studies (597 patients) favored self-warming blankets over forced-air devices in terms of core temperature at 120 and 180 minutes after induction of general anesthesia (MD = 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.14–0.51], P = .0006), (MD = 0.62, 95% CI [0.09–1.14], P = .02), respectively. However, the overall effect did not favor either of the 2 groups for the incidence of hypothermia (odds ratio = 0.69, 95% CI [0.18–2.62]). Conclusion: Ultimately, self-warming blankets have a more significant effect than forced-air warming systems in terms of maintaining normothermia of core temperature after induction anesthesia. However, the present evidence is not enough to verify the efficacy of the 2 warming techniques in the incidence of hypothermia. Further studies with large sample sizes are recommended.