Systematic Narrative Review Research Articles

Neoadjuvant systemic therapy in patients undergoing nephroureterectomy for urothelial cancer: a multidisciplinary systematic review and critical analysis.

The benefit of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) is not yet supported by randomized controlled trials in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), but the evidence is increasing. This narrative systematic review was conducted to evaluate the available evidence on the role of NAST in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for UTUC. We searched for all relevant articles or conference abstracts published and indexed in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus on July 19, 2021. The study was reported according to the PRISMA criteria and designed within the PICOS framework. We included studies comparing patients with non-metastatic UTUC who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) or immunotherapy (NAI) with patients who underwent definitive surgery alone or surgery plus adjuvant systemic therapy. Prospective uncontrolled studies were also included. We identified 27 reports (NAC, N.=24 and NAI, N.=3) published between 2010 and 2021. Twenty of the 24 studies on NAC were retrospective comparative analyses, whereas the remaining four were prospective single-arm studies. One of the three NAI studies exclusively enrolled patients with UTUC. NAC was associated with improved survival and better pathological response relative to surgery alone, but there was no clear advantage when compared to surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy. Overall, the drug-induced toxicity and risk of disease progression were acceptable but the inherent bias across study designs, inadequate reporting and heterogeneous definition of primary outcomes render it difficult to synthesize results, compare centers, and inform practice. The current level of evidence supporting NAST for UTUC is relatively low and the inability to predict responsiveness and thereby pinpoint the optimal candidates remains a major challenge. There is a need to compare NAST to adjuvant therapies using clearly defined primary endpoints as minimum reporting standards developed by a multidisciplinary team.

Use of clozapine for psychosis and chorea in Huntington's disease systematic narrative review

The degenerative nature of Huntington's disease drastically reduces quality of life for sufferers while limiting life expectancy itself. Among other sequalae, psychosis and chorea remain persistently difficult disease manifestations to manage for patients. Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic medication with a multineuroreceptor affinity, which gives it a broad range of action. Clozapine has been documented to have good remedial actions on chorea and psychosis in patients with Huntington's disease. Here the authors make the case for further research.

Occurrence of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: A Narrative Review of Existing Evidence.

(1) Background: This study summarizes the current research on antibiotic resistance (AR) in the environment conducted in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland; (2) Methods: A narrative systematic literature review of epidemiological studies based on searches in EMBASE and CAB abstracts (up to 16 June2021) was conducted. Environmental reservoirs included water sources, wastewater, animal husbandry, wildlife, soil, and sediment; (3) Results: Four hundred and four records were screened, and 52 studies were included. Thirteen studies examined aquatic environments, and eleven investigated wastewater. Eight studies investigated both wildlife and animal husbandry. Less evidence was available for sediments, soil, and air. Considerable heterogeneity in research focus, study design, sampling, and measurement of resistance was observed. Resistance to all categories of antimicrobials in the WHO CIA list was identified. Resistance to critically important and highly important substances was reported most frequently; (4) Conclusions: The current research scope presents data-gathering efforts. Usage of a unified protocol for isolate collection, selecting sampling sites, and susceptibility testing is required to provide results that can be compared between the studies and reservoirs. Epidemiological, environmental, and ecological factors should be considered in surveys of the environmental dissemination of AR. Systematic epidemiological studies investigating AR at the interface of human, animal, and environmental health are needed.

Decreasing loneliness and social isolation among the older people: systematic search and narrative review


 Introduction
 The aim of this study is to sum up the current knowledge on the effectiveness of the existing interventions for alleviating loneliness and social isolation among elderly persons.
 Methods
 We used a systematic approach and performed a literature search of MEDLINE, ISI Web of science, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. After identifying 13 eligible reviews addressing interventions of our interest, we proceeded with a narrative description of the study findings.
 Results
 The initiatives largely encompassed one-to-one interventions, group activities or community engagement approaches. In particular, technology interventions were recently given much attention. Overall, the studies showed non-satisfying methodological quality and their results were often inconclusive.
 Conclusions
 Although there is a growing body of evidence referring to implementation of interventions targeting social isolation and loneliness among the elderly, future well-designed interventions are necessary in order to draw firm conclusions.

Can Informal Savings Groups Promote Food Security and Social, Economic and Health Transformations, Especially among Women in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Narrative Systematic Review

This narrative review aimed to identify if roles of common informal savings groups known as Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs) or Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) can play a significant role in mitigating food insecurity, socioeconomic inequality, promoting health, and/or increasing agency in women in urban sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These organizations exist in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide under various names. A comprehensive search of scholarly outputs across six electronic databases (Pub-Med, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Scopus, Sabinet, and Cochrane) from 2000 to 2021 was completed. Twenty-eight (28) records met our inclusion criteria, and their quality was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist. We identified through thematic analysis that ROSCAs/ASCAs play a crucial role in advancing social, economic, and health transformations, especially among women in urban SSA. However, while ROSCAs/ACSAs played important roles in food security, it was often not the primary motivation for participation. None of the selected studies identified the importance of dietary quality or access to healthy food in relation to food security. This review suggests a window of opportunity to promote partnerships and collaborations of ROSCAs/ASCAs with relevant stakeholders to leverage the functionalities of ROSCAs/ASCAs as vehicles for re-alignment of priorities, increased knowledge, and opportunities to encourage affordable healthy diets in urban SSA.

A systematic narrative review of subjective well‐being promotion intervention programmes in the school setting

AbstractGiven the growing number of interventions aimed at promoting well‐being in the school setting, this narrative review sought to synthesise available evidence about the characteristics of the interventions: theoretical components, evaluation designs and their reported results. Two electronic databases (EBSCO and Scopus) were searched, and articles published between 2015 and 2020 were included. A total of 1477 articles were identified from these search engines and based on the systematic scrutinising process a total of 55 articles were included in the review. Only one‐third of the studies employed experimental, causal designs. Therefore, the review is unable to make conclusive statements about promising approaches, Nevertheless, the results show that the majority of interventions used to promote school children's well‐being were based on positive psychology, most of which were focused on promoting positive emotions. The studies reviewed also suggest that longer interventions, with a higher number of sessions, which are targeted at multiple components of positive emotions are more likely to yield positive results. Almost all these studies were carried out in developed countries, with only one empirical work in Latin America. Therefore, more robust experimental studies using causal designs are needed, and more empirical work is needed in low‐ and middle‐income countries on effective practices in developing children's subjective well‐being.

Neurological mechanisms involved in idiopathic scoliosis. Systematic review of the literature

The literature that explains the neurological mechanisms underlying the development or compensation of idiopathic scoliosis is limited. The objective of the article is to describe and integrate the mechanisms and nerve pathways through which idiopathic scoliosis is compensated and/or developed. A narrative systematic review in different databases of the studies published between January 1, 1967 and April 1, 2021 was performed, using the following terms: “scoliosis”, “vision”, “eye”, “vestibule”, “labyrinth” “posture”, “balance”, “eye movements”, “cerebellum”, “proprioception”, and “physiological adaptation”. In the search, 1112 references were identified, of which 50 were finally included: 46 observational analytical clinical studies-descriptive (between cohorts, report and series of cases) and 4 experimental studies. In the neurological response to idiopathic scoliosis, the sensory-cortical integration of the afferences in the visual-oculomotor-vestibular-proprioceptive systems, allows modifications at the postural level in order to achieve an initial compensation on the sagittal balance and the centre of body mass; however, over time these compensation mechanisms may be exhausted causing progression of the initial deformity.

Impact of Polypharmacy, Drug-Related Problems, and Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Geriatric Patients and Its Implications for Bulgaria-Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis.

ObjectivePolypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing are overlooked issues in Bulgaria. We aimed at collecting and analyzing global literature on the most prevalent risk factors and investigating what they could reveal about current practice.Materials and MethodsA systematic narrative review and meta-analysis was conducted on the topic, investigating the prevalence of polypharmacy, odds of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) due to polypharmacy, and the likelihood of developing a drug-related problem (DRP) due to PIMs. The results were then related to current demographic statistics to estimate the potential impact on Bulgarian elderly patients.ResultsThe prevalence of polypharmacy was estimated at 41% in elderly populations. The odds of a potentially inappropriate medication being prescribed were 2.095, with an expected 30.84% of those leading to a DRP. These numbers indicated that the expected Bulgarian elderly with polypharmacy should be 709,676 with 212,903 cases of DRPs.ConclusionGlobal polypharmacy rates seem to be on the rise, with an expected increase in DRPs.

A systematic narrative review of the effects of alcohol supply reduction policies on children and adolescents.

Children are often exposed to increased rates of secondary harm such as physical harm, motor vehicle incidents, maltreatment, and neglect because of others' or their own alcohol consumption. Alcohol supply reduction, or alcohol control policies, are often enacted to mitigate alcohol harms within the community. The current systematic narrative review aims to synthesise recent literature that examines how alcohol supply reduction policies impact the physical health, mental health, and offending behaviour of children and adolescents. Eight databases and grey literature sources were systematically searched, and results were synthesised by policy under evaluation. Twenty-one peer reviewed articles and ten grey literature articles were included after screening of 7,135 original articles. Included articles examined the alcohol control policies of the minimum legal drinking age, price control, and trading restrictions, with the most common outcomes under evaluation being related to the physical health or offending behaviour of adolescents. Overall, the current review identified that the impact of alcohol policy on children and adolescents varied depending on the policy type, policy environment and assessed outcome. Common limitations within the literature include inability to control for covariates, use of alcohol related outcomes unsuitable to children and adolescents, and use of cross-sectional data and regression-discontinuity analysis in lieu of actual policy changes. The current review highlights the need to further evaluate the impact of actual alcohol-related policy changes on children and adolescents.

Jus Wheatgrass (Rumput Gandum) untuk Mengurangi Efek Kemoterapi

This study aims to describe and analyze the benefits of wheatgrass in reducing the effects of chemotherapy. The design of this research is a systematic narrative review. Six scientific databases were used to obtain relevant sources dealing with specific issues related to wheatgrass in reducing the effects of chemotherapy, namely Pubmed, Ebsco, Sage Journals, Clinical Key, Scopus, and Pro-quest. The study results found 655 articles, and six articles were relevant and qualified. The use of wheatgrass juice turned out to have a significant effect on treating cancer patients in reducing the impact of chemotherapy and providing alternative options for reducing the effects of chemotherapy. In conclusion, wheatgrass can increase hemoglobin and platelet levels, contain antineoplastic compounds, suppress EMT in hypoxia, and can improve the performance of P53 cells in performing apoptosis.
 
 Keywords: Cancer, Chemotherapy, Wheatgrass

Clinical Relevance of Drug Interactions with Cannabis: A Systematic Review.

Concomitant use of cannabis with other drugs may lead to cannabis–drug interactions, mainly due to the pharmacokinetic mechanism involving the family of CYP450 isoenzymes. This narrative systematic review aimed to systematize the available information regarding clinical relevance of cannabis–drug interactions. We utilized the PubMed/Medline database for this systematic review, using the terms drug interactions and cannabis, between June 2011 and June 2021. Articles with cannabis–drug interactions in humans, in English or Spanish, with full-text access were selected. Two researchers evaluated the article’s inclusion. The level of clinical relevance was determined according to the severity and probability of the interaction. Ninety-five articles were identified and twenty-six were included. Overall, 19 pairs of drug interactions with medicinal or recreational cannabis were identified in humans. According to severity and probability, 1, 2, 12, and 4 pairs of cannabis–drug interactions were classified at levels 1 (very high risk), 2 (high risk), 3 (medium risk), and 5 (without risk), respectively. Cannabis–warfarin was classified at level 1, and cannabis–buprenorphine and tacrolimus at level 2. This review provides evidence for both the low probability of the occurrence of clinically relevant drug interactions and the lack of evidence regarding cannabis–drug interactions.

Features of successful interventions to improve adherence to inhaled corticosteroids in children with asthma:A narrative systematic review.

IntroductionNonadherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) in children with asthma leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Few adherence interventions have been effective and little is known about what contributes to intervention effectiveness. This systematic review summarizes the efficacy and the characteristics of effective interventions.MethodsSix databases were systematically searched on October 3, 2020 for randomized control trials measuring adherence to ICS in children with asthma. A narrative synthesis was conducted focusing on intervention efficacy and study reliability. Intervention content was coded based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for medicines adherence (the Perceptions and Practicalities Approach, PAPA) and behavior change techniques (BCTs), to determine the effective aspects of the intervention.ResultsOf 240 studies identified, 25 were eligible for inclusion. Thirteen of the 25 studies were categorized as being highly reliable. Nine of the 13 interventions were effective at increasing adherence and 6 of those met the criteria for a PAPA intervention. Techniques targeting perceptions and practicalities in successful interventions included rewards, reminders, feedback and monitoring of adherence, pharmacological support, instruction on how to take their ICS/adhere, and information about triggers for symptoms and nonadherence.ConclusionAdherence interventions in children with asthma have mixed effectiveness. Effective intervention studies were more frequently of higher quality, were tailored to individuals' perceptual and practical adherence barriers, and used multiple BCTs. However, due to the small number of included studies and varying study design quality, conclusions drawn here are preliminary. Future research is needed to test a PAPA‐based intervention with a rigorous study design.

Refractory Hypertension: a Narrative Systematic Review with Emphasis on Prognosis.

To perform a narrative systematic review on refractory hypertension (RfHT) with particular emphasis on prognosis. There were 37 articles on RfHT, 13 non-systematic reviews, and 24 original studies. RfHT, a recently described extreme phenotype of anti-hypertensive treatment failure, shall be defined as uncontrolled out-of-office blood pressure (BP) levels despite the use of at least 5 anti-hypertensive drugs, including a long-acting diuretic and a mineraloreceptor antagonist. Its prevalence ranges from 0.5 to 4.3% of general treated hypertensives and between 3.6 and 51.4% of patients with resistant hypertension (RHT). RfHT is associated with younger age, African ancestry, obesity, hypertension-mediated organ damage and clinical cardiovascular diseases, and with some comorbidities, such as diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. Its physiopathological mechanisms probably involve sympathetic overactivity and not volume overload. Patients with RfHT have a worse prognosis than non-refractory RHT individuals, with higher risks of adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes and of mortality. RfHT represents a rare but true extreme phenotype of anti-hypertensive treatment failure distinct from RHT and with a significantly worse prognosis. Identifying such individuals is important to tailor specific interventions.

Outcomes to evaluate care for adults with acute dental pain and infection: a systematic narrative review

ObjectiveTo identify outcomes reported in peer-reviewed literature for evaluating the care of adults with acute dental pain or infection.DesignSystematic narrative review.Setting/participantsPrimary research studies published in peer-reviewed literature and reporting care...

Developmental Education in Dutch primary schools: Review of research outcomes from a CHAT-based teaching approach

In this literature review, we evaluate the learning outcomes of Developmental Education (DE) in The Netherlands. This CHAT-based teaching approach has been around for over 30 years and is constantly being developed in collaboration between teachers, teacher educators and researchers. Although outcomes of this approach are evaluated in educational practice and several research studies, no systematic review study has been carried out to present an overview of the learning outcomes of DE. Therefore, we conducted a systematic narrative literature review study. We found that research in the field of DE varies both in domain and design. We conclude that pupils in DE meet national norms on language development, show sufficient to good scores on mathematical development and seem to have higher scores on social-emotional development compared to pupils in non-DE schools. These conclusions should be interpreted with caution, as this review study includes mainly small-scaled studies. Therefore, we recommend that future studies should adopt a longitudinal design, include more schools and pupils, and apply appropriate tests to evaluate the learning outcomes in a way that fits the DE approach.

Is There a Connection between Tooth Loss and Gastrointestinal Disorders?-A MiniReview

Objective: This mini review intended to study association between tooth loss and gastrointestinal disorders. Data Sources: There was a manual search of major journals and references in the reference list as well as electronic databases such as Springer Link, Science Direct, and PubMed. Duration:January 2000 and December 2021 Methods and Results: A total of 116 papers covering 17 categories of decontamination procedures were included in this evaluation. Among the decontamination techniques used were coatings, mechanical cleaning, laser treatment and photodynamic therapy, as well as air polishing and anodizing. Other techniques included radiation, sonication and thermal treatment. Biofilm generation and decontamination on titanium implants may be prevented and eliminated using most of the disinfection techniques studied. For future study in the creation of novel dental implants and decontamination processes, this narrative systematic review gives a description of methodologies. Keywords:Tooth loss, gastrointestinal diseases, chewing efficiency, nutritional intake and nutrition are some of the topics covered in this article

Is There a Connection between Tooth loss and Gastrointestinal Disorders?-A Mini Review

Objective: This mini review intended to study association between tooth loss and gastrointestinal disorders. Data Sources: There was a manual search of major journals and references in the reference list as well as electronic databases such as Springer Link, Science Direct, and PubMed. Duration: January 2000 and December 2021 Methods and Results: A total of 116 papers covering 17 categories of decontamination procedures were included in this evaluation. Among the decontamination techniques used were coatings, mechanical cleaning, laser treatment and photodynamic therapy, as well as air polishing and anodizing. Other techniques included radiation, sonication and thermal treatment. Biofilm generation and decontamination on titanium implants may be prevented and eliminated using most of the disinfection techniques studied. For future study in the creation of novel dental implants and decontamination processes, this narrative systematic review gives a description of methodologies. Keywords: Tooth loss, gastrointestinal diseases, chewing efficiency, nutritional intake and nutrition are some of the topics covered in this article.

A review of the effectiveness and experiences of welfare advice services co-located in health settings: A critical narrative systematic review

We conducted a narrative systematic review to assess the health, social and financial impacts of co-located welfare services in the UK and to explore the effectiveness of and facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of these services, in order to guide future policy and practice. We searched Medline, EMBASE and other literature sources, from January 2010 to November 2020, for literature examining the impact of co-located welfare services in the UK on any outcome. The review identified 14 studies employing a range of study designs, including: one non-randomised controlled trial; one pilot randomised controlled trial; one before-and-after-study; three qualitative studies; and eight case studies. A theory of change model, developed a priori, was used as an analytical framework against which to map the evidence on how the services work, why and for whom. All studies demonstrated improved financial security for participants, generating an average of £27 of social, economic and environmental return per £1 invested. Some studies reported improved mental health for individuals accessing services. Several studies attributed subjective improvements in physical health to the service addressing key social determinants of health. Benefits to the health service were also demonstrated through reduced workload for healthcare professionals. Key components of a successful service included co-production during service development and ongoing enhanced multi-disciplinary collaboration. Overall, this review demonstrates improved financial security for participants and for the first time models the wider health and welfare benefits for participants and for health service from these services. However, given the generally poor scientific quality of the studies, care must be taken in drawing firm conclusions. There remains a need for more high quality research, using experimental methods and larger sample sizes, to further build upon this evidence base and to measure the strength of the proposed theoretical pathways in this area.

Teaching sexual consent to young people in education settings: a narrative systematic review

ABSTRACT The recent outpouring of testimonies about teenage sexual assault has reinvigorated calls for improved education on sexual consent. Better understanding of the approach, content and delivery of these programmes is key to informing best practice. In this paper, we systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles on programmes in education settings for young people aged 15–29 that purport to teach sexual consent, with 18 meeting the inclusion criteria. Nearly all reviewed programmes were implemented in the USA (n = 16) in university settings (n = 15), with short-term duration (1–2-hour sessions), with varied facilitators and interactive teaching strategies. Thematic analysis identified four main approaches to sexual consent education, some of which were interwoven within programmes: risky behaviour, sex-positive, life skills, and socioculturally adapted. In line with existing research into best practice sex and relationship education, we recommend that consent education programmes take a sex-positive and whole-school approach, are interactive and inclusive, and facilitate critical analysis of how experiences of consensual and non-consensual sexual activity are connected to socio-structural forces within socio-cultural contexts. Future research should evaluate a larger number of programmes and ensure consistent measurement of programme outcomes, whilst taking account of complex social systems and their shifting influence on consent.

Engagement Strategies to Improve Adherence and Retention in Web-Based Mindfulness Programs: Systematic Review.

BackgroundWeb-based mindfulness programs may be beneficial in improving the well-being outcomes of those living with chronic illnesses. Adherence to programs is a key indicator in improving outcomes; however, with the digitization of programs, it is necessary to enhance engagement and encourage people to return to digital health platforms. More information is needed on how engagement strategies have been used in web-based mindfulness programs to encourage adherence.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to develop a list of engagement strategies for web-based mindfulness programs and evaluate the impact of engagement strategies on adherence.MethodsA narrative systematic review was conducted across the MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL Complete, APA PsycINFO, and Embase databases and followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Articles were screened using the population, intervention, comparator, and outcome framework. Adults aged >18 years with chronic health conditions were included in the study. Mindfulness interventions, including those in combination with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, delivered on the web through the internet or smartphone technology were included. Interventions lasted at least 2 weeks. Studies with a randomized controlled trial design or a pilot randomized controlled trial design were included. Engagement strategies, including web-based program features and facilitator-led strategies, adherence, and retention, were included.ResultsA total of 1265 articles were screened, of which 19 were relevant and were included in the review. On average, 70.98% (2258/3181) of the study participants were women with a mean age of 46 (SD 13) years. Most commonly, mindfulness programs were delivered to people living with mental health conditions (8/19, 42%). Of the 19 studies, 8 (42%) used only program features to encourage adherence, 5 (26%) used facilitator-led strategies, and 6 (32%) used a combination of the two. Encouraging program adherence was the most common engagement strategy used, which was used in 77% (10/13) of the facilitator-led studies and 57% (8/14) of the program feature studies. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the studies provided a definition of adherence, which varied between 50% and 100% completion across studies. The overall mean participant compliance to the mindfulness programs was 56% (SD 15%). Most studies (10/19, 53%) had a long-term follow-up, with the most common follow-up period being 12 weeks after intervention (3/10, 30%). After the intervention, the mean retention was 78% (SD 15%).ConclusionsEngagement strategies in web-based mindfulness programs comprise reminders to use the program. Other features may be suitable for encouraging adherence to interventions, and a facilitator-led component may result in higher retention. There is variance in the way adherence is measured, and intervention lengths and follow-up periods are inconsistent. More thorough reporting and a standardized framework for measuring adherence are needed to more accurately assess adherence and engagement strategies.