Search

Background: Approximately 35% of people with depression do not respond to 2 courses of antidepressant medications of adequate dosage, and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is still a major clinical concern with a great impact on patients, their families, society and the health system. The present meta-analysis evaluates antidepressant efficacy of unilateral and bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with unipolar TRD. Methods: We searched for randomized controlled trials that compared rTMS with sham treatment and were published by Apr. 3, 2017. The primary outcome was improvement in depression scores measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. The secondary outcomes were remission and response rates. Two independent review authors screened the studies and extracted the data. Results: Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of the depression scores showed a weighted mean difference (WMD) of 3.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85-4.88) between unilateral rTMS and sham treatment. Stratified data showed that the effect was relatively higher when rTMS was used as an add-on to antidepressant medications (WMD 3.64, 95% CI 1.52-5.76) than when it was used as a stand-alone treatment (WMD 2.47, 95% CI 0.904.05). The WMD between bilateral rTMS and sham was 2.67 (95% CI 0.83-4.51), and all studies that contributed to this outcome used rTMS while participants were taking antidepressant medications. The pooled remission and response rates for unilateral rTMS versus sham treatment were 16.0% and 25.1% for rTMS and 5.7% and 11.0% for sham treatment, respectively. The pooled remission and response rates for bilateral rTMS versus sham treatment were 16.6% and 25.4% for rTMS and 2.0% and 6.8% for sham treatment, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggests that rTMS has moderate antidepressant effects and appears to be promising in the short-term treatment of patients with unipolar TRD., Introduction Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a debilitating mental illness with substantial morbidity resulting in the loss of quality of life for millions of people around the world. Despite the use [...]

Abstract Background To update a cost-effectiveness analysis of rotavirus vaccination in the Netherlands previously published in 2011. Methods The rotavirus burden of disease and the indirect protection of older children and young adults (herd protection) were updated. Results When updated data was used, routine infant rotavirus vaccination in the Netherlands would potentially become an even more cost-effective strategy than previously estimated with the incremental cost per QALY at only €3,000-4,000. Break-even total vaccination costs were indicated at €92–122, depending on the applied threshold. Conclusions We concluded that the results on potentially favourable cost-effectiveness in the previous study remained valid, however, the new data suggested that previous results might represent an underestimation of the economic attractiveness of rotavirus vaccination.

Abstract Background This study aims to critically review available cost-effectiveness models for rotavirus vaccination, compare their designs using a standardized approach and compare similarities and differences in cost-effectiveness outcomes using a uniform set of input parameters. Methods We identified various models used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination. From these, results using a standardized dataset for four regions in the world could be obtained for three specific applications. Results Despite differences in the approaches and individual constituting elements including costs, QALYs Quality Adjusted Life Years and deaths, cost-effectiveness results of the models were quite similar. Differences between the models on the individual components of cost-effectiveness could be related to some specific features of the respective models. Sensitivity analysis revealed that cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination is highly sensitive to vaccine prices, rotavirus-associated mortality and discount rates, in particular that for QALYs. Conclusions The comparative approach followed here is helpful in understanding the various models selected and will thus benefit (low-income) countries in designing their own cost-effectiveness analyses using new or adapted existing models. Potential users of the models in low and middle income countries need to consider results from existing studies and reviews. There will be a need for contextualization including the use of country specific data inputs. However, given that the underlying biological and epidemiological mechanisms do not change between countries, users are likely to be able to adapt existing model designs rather than developing completely new approaches. Also, the communication established between the individual researchers involved in the three models is helpful in the further development of these individual models. Therefore, we recommend that this kind of comparative study be extended to other areas of vaccination and even other infectious disease interventions.

Of Key Points: Although relatively rare, invasive meningococcal disease continues to be a health concern, especially in young children. This systematic review clearly delineates both the near- and long-term morbidities that can occur after, and persist beyond, the period of acute illness., Background: Although rare, invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) continues to be a health concern in high-income countries because of its severe morbidity and relatively high case fatality rate, especially in young children. However, studies measuring sequelae of IMD across the spectrum of invasive syndromes have not been systematically reviewed. We conducted a systematic review of sequelae attributable to IMD and quality of life (QoL) in IMD survivors in high-income countries., Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and HealthSTAR for primary studies that assessed sequelae or QoL in individuals of any age with and without IMD. Two independent reviewers screened articles, abstracted data, and performed quality appraisal. The findings were summarized qualitatively., Results: Of 1884 citations screened, 17 studies were included. The most commonly assessed sequelae were hearing impairment, cognitive impairment, and psychological problems. In general, children with IMD had a greater incidence of hearing loss and psychological disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, its effects on intelligence in children remain unclear. No statistical differences in overall cognitive function in adults were reported. The odds of death were significantly increased with IMD at hospital discharge and up to 30 years after disease. Lower overall QoL was observed in those who had IMD versus controls., Conclusions: The results of this systematic review delineate both the short- and long-term morbidities that can occur after, and persist beyond, the period of acute illness. A better understanding of the full spectrum of IMD sequelae is critical for assessing the burden of IMD and supporting healthcare planning and decision making in light of new vaccines., (© Crown copyright 2015.)