The systemic immune-inflammation index (SIII) is a marker studied in multiple types of urologic cancer. This systematic review evaluates the association between SIII values with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in testicular cancer. We searched observational studies in five databases. The quantitative synthesis was performed using a random-effects model. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). The only measure of the effect was the hazard ratio (HR). A sensitivity analysis was performed according to the risk of bias in the studies. There were 833 participants in a total of 6 cohorts. We found that high SIII values were associated with worse OS (HR = 3.28; 95% CI 1.3–8.9; p < 0.001; I2 = 78) and PFS (HR = 3.9; 95% CI 2.53–6.02; p < 0.001; I2 = 0). No indication of small study effects was found in the association between SIII val...

Background: The growing threat from pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) poses a major public health concern in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Therefore, this study aimed to summarize the available evidence on the prevalence of pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in LAC. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in the following databases on June 3, 2023: PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Scielo and LILACS. We estimated pooled proportions using a random effects model (Dersimonian and Laird). The 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using the binomial exact method (Clopper-Pearson Method). Subgroup (by time period and country) and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Twenty-nine studies were eligible for qualitative synthesis and 27 for...

Non-pharmacological interventions have shown to affect the symptoms of patients diagnosed with dementia. One of these interventions is animal-assisted therapy, which has been analyzed in multiple studies. However, the results of these interventions are mixed and no consensus has been reached. An electronic search was conducted in August 2021 in 4 databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify studies evaluating the role of animal-assisted therapy in patients diagnosed with dementia. The titles and abstracts of each article were independently analyzed. Subsequently, a full text of those articles that met the selection criteria was read. The narrative review was carried out based on the articles found. The effect of animal-assisted therapy on the psychiatric, psychological, and cognitive symptoms derived from dementia remains mixed and does not allow to draw speci...

Introduction: Vaccination represents an important strategy to mitigate COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality by protecting against severe forms of the disease and reducing hospitalization and death rates. In this sense, the objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Vaccination Intention (VI) against COVID-19 in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). Methods: We conducted a systematic review with a comprehensive search strategy for the following databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. A random-effect model meta-analysis was carried out using observational studies assessing the intention to vaccines against COVID-19 in LAC countries. The Clopper-Pearson method was used to estimate 95% Confidence Intervals. The quality assessment was developed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. A subgroup analysis by study location and a sensitivity ana...