• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.137-150
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of moxibustion treatment for osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases used to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used moxibustion as treatment for osteoarthritis. The quality of methodology for the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool [Review Manager (RevMan) Version 5.3 Windows, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark]. The inclusion criteria for this review was met by 27 RCTs. All studies were conducted in China. A 4-week moxibustion treatment period was the most common. EX-LE4 and SP10 and GB34 acupoints were most frequently selected in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The most commonly used evaluation index was the visual analog scale (VAS). All studies, including a meta-analysis showed that moxibustion treatments were statistically significantly effective at treating knee osteoarthritis. However, well-designed randomized RCTs without a high risk of bias should be designed in the future.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review clinical studies about the effect of chuna manual therapy (CMT) for peripheral facial paralysis in children. Methods : In this review, we searched 11 electronic databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, CAJ, Oasis, NDSL, KISS, RISS, KISTI, Dbpia); We concluded our literature search in April 23, 2019. We included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of testing CMT for peripheral facial paralysis in children. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The meta-analysis was performed by synthesizing outcome data of total efficacy rate (TER). Results : After screening papers, a total of 6 RCTs were selected and analyzed. In the 6 RCTs, patients(n=15-60 per study) were randomized into groups for treatment and control. Specifically, the treatment group received CMT, while the control group was concurrently given usual care, such as acupuncture and medicine. The meta-analysis showed that the treatment group receiving CMT alone showed significant improvement in TER, compared to the control group receiving acupuncture therapy alone(P<0.05). And the treatment group receiving CMT combined with usual care showed positive results, in terms of TER, compared to the control group receiving usual care, but was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusions : Our analysis suggests that CMT has therapeutic effects for peripheral facial paralysis in children. However, to confirm this result, further investigation accompanied by high quality studies is required.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.159-165
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• 2018

Objectives : This study was performed to review the efficacy of national and international randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating evidence on thread embedding therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Methods : Online databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, NDSL, OASIS, CNKI) were searched for studies where thread embedding therapy was performed for Knee Osteoarthritis from their inception to July 2018. Two researchers independently performed the search. Only RCTs were selected. Eligible studies were selected first by the abstract and the title and then included after full-texts were read. Risk of bias of the included studies were evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Data were narratively summarized. Results : There were 334 studies retrieved from the databases, resulting in analysis of 3 RCTs. There was an average of 1.5 treatment visits over a 7 day period and evaluation tool used was efficacy rate, with traditional acupuncture being the most common control used in the trials. Statistically significant improvement by thread embedding therapy was reported. None of the included RCTs reported on adverse reactions. The risk of bias of the included studies was generally unclear. Conclusion : The review suggests that thread embedding therapy can be effective in knee osteoarthritis. But there was a lack of detailed information about the treatment procedures, and the risk of bias was unclear. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence for thread embedding therapy for knee osteoarthritis.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.41.1-41.23
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various local anesthesia (LA) in vital asymptomatic teeth. Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing pulpal anesthesia of various LA on vital asymptomatic teeth were included in this review. Searches were conducted in the Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar and 3 field-specific journals from inception to May 3, 2019. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool were done by 2 independent reviewers in duplicate. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed within the frequentist setting using STATA 15.0. The LA was ranked, and the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) line was plotted. The confidence of the NMA estimates was assessed using the CINeMA web application. Results: The literature search yielded 1,678 potentially eligible reports, but only 42 were included in this review. For maxillary buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:100,000 (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.89). For mandibular buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than various lidocaine solutions. The SUCRA ranking was highest for articaine 4% with epinephrine when used as maxillary and mandibular buccal infiltrations, and lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:80,000 when used as inferior alveolar nerve block. Inconsistency and imprecision were detected in some of the NMA estimates. Conclusions: Articaine 4% with epinephrine is superior when maxillary or mandibular infiltration is required in vital asymptomatic teeth.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.201-201
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• 2023

Objectives: Cupping therapy (CT) has been widely used in traditional medicine worldwide for various indications, including stroke. The aim of this study was to systematically review the clinical evidence of CT for stroke. Methods: To identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the effectiveness and/or safety of CT, seven databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles published from January 2000 to February 2021 without language restrictions. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software and the results were presented as mean difference (MD) or standard mean difference (SMD) for continuous variables and odds ratio (OR) for diverse variables with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Assessment of the methodological quality of the eligible trials was conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for risk of bias in RCTs. Results: Twenty-two RCTs with 1653 participants were included in the final analysis. CT provided additional benefit in improving upper limb motor function (Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper limb motor function, MD 6.91, 95% CI 4.64 to 1.67, P<0.00001) and spasticity (response rate, OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.31 to 8.22, P=0.08) in stroke survivors receiving conventional medical treatment. These findings were supported with a moderate level of evidence. CT did not significantly increase the occurrence of adverse events. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the potential of CT to be beneficial in managing a variety of complications in stroke survivors. However, to compensate for the shortcomings of the existing evidence, rigorously designed large-scale RCTs are warranted in the future.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.116-122
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• 2024

Background: Due to the importance of evidence-based research in plastic surgery, the authors of this study aimed to assess the accuracy of ChatGPT in generating novel systematic review ideas within the field of craniofacial surgery. Methods: ChatGPT was prompted to generate 20 novel systematic review ideas for 10 different subcategories within the field of craniofacial surgery. For each topic, the chatbot was told to give 10 "general" and 10 "specific" ideas that were related to the concept. In order to determine the accuracy of ChatGPT, a literature review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane. Results: In total, 200 total systematic review research ideas were generated by ChatGPT. We found that the algorithm had an overall 57.5% accuracy at identifying novel systematic review ideas. ChatGPT was found to be 39% accurate for general topics and 76% accurate for specific topics. Conclusion: Craniofacial surgeons should use ChatGPT as a tool. We found that ChatGPT provided more precise answers with specific research questions than with general questions and helped narrow down the search scope, leading to a more relevant and accurate response. Beyond research purposes, ChatGPT can augment patient consultations, improve healthcare equity, and assist in clinical decision-making. With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), it is important for plastic surgeons to consider using AI in their clinical practice to improve patient-centered outcomes.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.81-94
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• 2017

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of periurethral cleaning with water or antiseptics in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections through systemic review Methods:The randomized clinical trials published between 2000 and 2016 were searched using domestic and international databases, and five randomized studies were selected for this study. The quality of study was assessed by assessment tool from the cochrane's Risk of Bias and meta-analysis was performed using the Cochrane Review Manager software Version 5.3 (RevMan) Results: The two groups of antiinfectants used in this study include povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine, water and chlorhexidine vs water and chlorhexidine. there was no significant difference in urinary tract infection rate between the two groups. Conclusion: Based on the findings, periurethral cleaning with water is safer and cost-efficient than using antiseptics. and it can make reduce a patient's discomfort.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.89-100
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• 2020

Objectives : This study aimed to verify the clinical effectiveness of Baduanjin for shoulder pain. Methods : We searched 10 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CAJ, KISS, KISTI, KMBASE, RISS, NDSL, and OASIS) up to May 2020. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using Baduanjin for shoulder pain. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results : As a result of the search, a total of 6 RCTs were eligible for analysis. Of these 6 studies, one applied Baduanjin alone and 5 cases used Baduanjin in combination with other treatments, such as acupuncture or electroacupuncture. Except for 2 studies, descriptive analysis was performed without meta-analysis due to the high level of heterogeneity between studies. A high risk of bias was observed in all studies. Conclusions : When considering the results of the included papers, there was limited information derived on the therapeutic effect of using Baduanjin as a single intervention, but the results showed significant effectiveness when Baduanjin was combined with other oriental interventions, such as acupuncture and electroacupuncture, in the clinical field. Although all RCTs included in the analysis were biased to CAJ and the number was limited, this study was conducted in accordance with the methodological process of systematic literature reviews and revealed the clinical effects of Baduanjin on shoulder pain.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.37.1-37.17
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• 2023

This study aimed to compare the disinfectant ability of chlorhexidine (CHX) gel and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Systematic searches were conducted from inception until December 8th, 2022 (MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Grey Literature databases). Only randomized clinical trials were included. The revised Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomized trials were used to assess the quality of studies. Meta-analyses were performed. The overall quality of evidence was assessed through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool. Six studies were included. Five had a low risk of bias and 1 had some concerns. Three studies assessed bacterial reduction. Two were included in the meta-analysis for bacterial reduction (mean difference, 75.03 [confidence interval, CI, -271.15, 421.22], p = 0.67; I² = 74%); and 3 in the meta-analysis for cultivable bacteria after chemomechanical preparation (odds ratio, 1.03 [CI, 0.20, 5.31], P = 0.98; I² = 49%). Five studies assessed endotoxin reduction. Three were included in a meta-analysis (mean difference, 20.59 [CI, -36.41, 77.59], p = 0.48; I² = 74%). There seems to be no difference in the disinfectant ability of CHX gel and NaOCl, but further research is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 2020

Objectives : Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the role of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for lung cancer. Methods : We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the role of acupuncture therapy in lung cancer treatment by electronic and manual searching in ninedatabases, including PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase, Korean databases, and Chinese medical databases. Results : A total of 21 trials were included in the meta-analysis. The study results showed that acupuncture therapy had significant efficacy in immuneregulation, including CD3 andCD4. Further analysis revealed that acupuncture therapy significant improvements in quality of life, including Karnofsky performance status(KPS)score, functional assessment of cancer therapy-lung cancer subscale (FACT-L) and European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). In addition, the pooled studies also showed that acupuncture therapy reduced cancer pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Conclusions : Our study provides moderate evidence of the efficacy of the acupuncture therapy in the treatment of lung cancer.