AIMSThe aim of this study was to perform an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of prophylactic administration of levetiracetam in brain tumour patients. METHODA systematic review of studies published until April 2015 was conducted using Scopus/Elsevier, EMBASE and MEDLINE. The search was limited to articles reporting results from adult patients, suffering from brain tumour, undergoing supratentorial craniotomy for tumour resection or biopsy and administered levetiracetam in the perioperative period for seizure prophylaxis. Outcomes included the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam, as well as the tolerability of the specific regimen, defined by the discontinuation of the treatment due to side effects. RESULTSThe systematic review included 1148 patients from 12 studies comparing levetiracetam with no treatment, phenytoin and valproate, while only 243 patients from three studies, comparing levetiracetam vs phenytoin efficacy and safety, were included in the meta-analysis. The combined results from the meta-analysis showed that levetiracetam administration was followed by significantly fewer seizures than treatment with phenytoin (OR = 0.12 [0.03-0.42]: χ 2 = 1.76: I 2 = 0%). Analysis also showed significantly fewer side effects in patients receiving levetiracetam, compared to other groups (P < 0.05). The combined results showed fewer side effects in the levetiracetam group compared to the phenytoin group (OR = 0.65 [0.14-2.99]: χ 2 = 8.79: I 2 = 77%). CONCLUSIONSThe efficacy of prophylaxis with levetiracetam seems to be superior to that with phenytoin and valproate administration. Moreover, levetiracetam use demonstrates fewer side effects in brain tumour patients. Nevertheless, high risk of bias and moderate methodological quality must be taken into account when considering these results. British Journal of Clinical PharmacologyBr J Clin Pharmacol (2016) 82 315-325 315

Objective To determine whether an electroacupuncture (EA) technique that was developed for a surgical population under general anaesthesia reduces pain after mesh inguinal hernia open repair. Methods A total of 54 patients with right or left inguinal hernia were randomised to group I (preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative EA), group II (preoperative, postoperative EA), or a sham control group (group III; preoperative and postoperative placement of needles, but without skin penetration). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (primary outcome) and the State-Trait Anxiety Spielberger Inventory were evaluated preoperatively and at 30 min, 90 min, 10 h and 24 h after surgery. Pain threshold and tolerance were evaluated using an algometer at these same time points and preoperatively before and after EA. Levels of the stress hormones cortisol, corticotrophin and prolactin were determined at 30 min, 90 min and 10 h after surgery and preoperatively before and after EA. Results The results showed significant differences between the true EA and control groups. The true EA groups (I and II) showed statistically significantly greater improvements in the primary (VAS pain, p<0.05) and secondary outcome measures (Anxiety scale; algometer measurements, p<0.05 and stress hormones, p<0.01) compared to the control group. There were no statistically significant differences between groups I and II. Conclusions Electroacupuncture reduces postoperative pain after mesh inguinal hernia repair and decreases stress hormone levels and anxiety during the postoperative period. Trial Registration Number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01722253.

It seems that venous-arterial pCO(2) values obtained from mixed and central venous circulations can be reliably interchanged in estimating CI in patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures in the sitting position. Thus, central venous-arterial pCO(2) gradient could serve as a useful and simple method for estimating cardiac performance, in which further invasive monitoring is not strongly indicated.