No abstract

Background Postoperative sore throat is a leading undesirable postoperative outcome. Ketamine is an N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antagonist and its topical application is used for chronic pain and oral/throat indications. We conducted a systematic review to assess the efficacy of preoperative, topical ketamine application for preventing postoperative sore throat. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL through September 23, 2019 for randomized controlled trials in which at least one intervention was topical ketamine to prevent postoperative sore throat in adults undergoing endotracheal intubation. The primary outcome was the incidence of sore throat at 24 hours postoperatively. The comparators were non‐analgesic controls (placebo, no treatment, or usual care) or active agents. We pooled the data using a random‐effects model. Results We included 41 randomized controlled trials involving 3784 participants. Topical ketamine was associated with reduced incidence of sore throat at 24 hours postoperatively compared to non‐analgesic methods (risk ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.37‐0.54; P < .001). We found significant publication bias, but the results remained unchanged with a trim‐and‐fill analysis. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) suggested that the efficacy of topical ketamine was adequate (TSA‐adjusted 95% CI, 0.33‐0.56). The GRADE quality for this evidence was moderate. Topical ketamine was inferior to a combination of nebulized ketamine and clonidine in preventing postoperative sore throat. Conclusions Preoperative, topical ketamine application may be more effective than non‐analgesic methods in preventing postoperative sore throat. The number of studies did not suffice to determine the place of topical ketamine among agents to prevent postoperative sore throat.

The genetic relationship between schizophrenia (SCZ) and other nonpsychiatric disorders remains largely unknown. We examined the shared genetic components between these disorders based on multipopulation data sets. Methods:We used two data sets for East Asian (EAS) and European (EUR) samples. SCZ data was based on the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Asia with our own genome-wide association study for EAS and Psychiatric Genomics Consortium for EUR. Nonpsychiatric data (20 binary traits [mainly nonpsychiatric complex disorders] and 34 quantitative traits [mainly laboratory examinations and physical characteristics]) were obtained from Biobank Japan and UK Biobank for EAS and EUR samples, respectively. To evaluate genetic correlation, linkage disequilibrium score regression analysis was utilized with further meta-analysis for each result from EAS and EUR samples to obtain robust evidence. Subsequent mendelian randomization analysis was also included to examine the causal effect.Results: A significant genetic correlation between SCZ and several metabolic syndrome (MetS) traits was detected in the combined samples (meta-analysis between EAS and EUR data) (body mass index [r g = À0.10, q-value = 1.0 Â 10 À9 ], high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol [r g = 0.072, q-value = 2.9 Â 10 À3 ],blood sugar [r g = À0.068, q-value = 1.4 Â 10 À2 ], triglycerides [r g = À0.052, q-value = 2.4 Â 10 À2 ], systolic blood pressure [r g = À0.054, q-value = 3.5 Â 10 À2 ], and C-reactive protein [r g = À0.076, q-value = 7.8 Â 10 À5 ]. However, no causal relationship on SCZ susceptibility was detected for these traits based on the mendelian randomization analysis. Conclusion:Our results indicate shared genetic components between SCZ and MetS traits and C-reactive protein. Specifically, we found it interesting that the correlation between MetS traits and SCZ was the opposite of that expected from clinical studies: this genetic study suggests that SCZ susceptibility was associated with reduced MetS. This implied that MetS in patients with SCZ was not associated with genetic components but with environmental factors, including antipsychotics, lifestyle changes, poor diet, lack of exercise, and living conditions.

Background Massive hemothorax secondary to thoracic spinal fractures is rare, and its clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis are unknown. We present two cases of thoracic spinal fracture-induced massive hemothorax and a systematic review of previously reported cases. Methods This study included patients with traumatic hemothorax from thoracic spinal fractures at a Japanese tertiary care hospital. A systematic review of published cases was undertaken through searches in PubMed, EMBASE, and ICHUSHI from inception to October 13, 2019. Results Case 1: An 81-year-old man developed hemodynamic instability from a right hemothorax with multiple rib fractures following a pedestrian–vehicle accident; > 1500 mL blood was evacuated through the intercostal drain. Thoracotomy showed hemorrhage from a T8-burst fracture, and gauze packing was used for hemostasis. Case 2: A 64-year-old man with right hemothorax and hypotension after a fall from height had hemorrhage from a T7-burst fracture, detected on thoracotomy, which was sealed with bone wax. Hypotension recurred during transfer; re-thoracotomy showed bleeding from a T7 fracture, which was packed with bone wax and gauze for hemostasis. The systematic review identified 10 similar cases and analyzed 12 cases, including the abovementioned cases. Inferior part of thoracic spines was prone to injury and induced right-sided hemothorax. Most patients developed hemodynamic instability, and some sustained intra-transfer hemorrhage; direct compression (gauze packing, bone wax, and hemostatic agents) was the commonest hemostatic procedure. The mortality rate was 33.3%. Conclusions Hemothorax due to thoracic spinal fracture can be fatal. Thoracotomy with direct compression is necessary in hemodynamically unstable patients.

Aim There have been no previous reports on the efficacy and safety of suvorexant for insomnia in people with psychiatric disorders. Methods This one‐week, prospective, single‐arm, clinical trial of fixed dose of suvorexant (20 mg if ages 18–64 or 15 mg if age ≥ 65 years) for insomnia included 57 patients with psychiatric disorders who had experienced any of the following insomnia symptoms for four or more nights during the week prior to the start of the study: total sleep time (TST) <6 hours, time to sleep onset (TSO) ≥30 minutes, or two or more episodes of wake after sleep onset. Results The mean age of the patients was 49.4 ± 17.3 years; 54.4% were women, 49.1% had a major depressive disorder, and 77.2% completed the trial. Compared with the baseline scores (the mean scores for the two days before the start of the study), taking suvorexant was associated with significant improvements in TST, TSO, wake time after sleep onset, and the patients' sleep satisfaction level at week 1. Adverse events included at least one adverse event (43.9%), sleepiness (28.8%), fatigue (11.5%), nightmares (5.8%), headache (3.8%), dizziness (3.8%), and vomiting (1.9%). Conclusion Suvorexant was beneficial for the treatment of insomnia in people with psychiatric disorders. However, this study was of short duration and included only a relatively small number of patients. A larger, long‐term study is needed to investigate the efficacy and safety of suvorexant for insomnia in people with psychiatric disorders.