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Background: The published experience with restrictive and liberal blood transfusion approaches in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) is not extensive. We investigated the outcomes of restrictive compared to liberal transfusion strategies in critically ill children. Methods: A search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Web of Science until February 16, 2024. The first 300 results from Google Scholar and records from the clinicaltrials.gov registry were manually screened. Backward and forward citation searches were also performed. We included randomized controlled trials examining outcome measures of children aged

Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) originates from the lymphoid tissues with a great morbidity and economic burden. It accounts for about 5 % of cancers in the United States (US) in 2024. We aimed to report the incidence trend of pediatric NHL in the US over 2000–2020, by age, sex, and subtype. Methods: We utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. Cases were categorized using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology version 3. We reported age-standariszed incidence rates (ASIRs) and average annual percent changes (AAPC). Results: From 2000 to 2019, there were 38,098 reported cases of pediatric NHL, with B-cell NHL being the most common subtype (84.31 %). Most cases were observed in non-Hispanic Whites (46.71 %) and children aged ≤4 years (37.26 %). The ASIR per 100,000 population was 5.47 (5.40–5.54) for males and 3.95 (3.89–4.01) for females. Over the study period, both sexes showed significant increases in ASIRs (AAPCs of 0.93 % for males and 0.51 % for females). However, no significant changes were observed in the ASIRs of pediatric NHL across all races and both sexes after the COVID-19 pandemic (percent change: 1.30 % [-5.10, 7.70]). Conclusions: While overall incidence rates remained stable, significant demographic variations were evident, including increases among Hispanic males and decreases among NHB females. There is a need for targeted interventions to address demographic disparities and the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors influencing NHL ASIRs in pediatric populations.

Glaucoma is the primary cause of irreversible blindness globally. Different glaucoma subtypes are identified by their underlying mechanisms, and treatment options differ by its pathogenesis. Current management includes topical medications to lower intraocular pressure and surgical procedures like trabeculoplasty and glaucoma drainage implants. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an almost effective and safe treatment option for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. The relationship between bacterial populations, metabolites, and inflammatory pathways in retinal diseases indicates possible therapeutic strategies. Thus, incorporating host microbiota-based therapies could offer an additional treatment option for glaucoma patients. Here, we propose that combining FMT with standard glaucoma treatments may benefit those affected by this condition. Also, the potential safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness and clinical applications are discussed.

Background: Neck pain is a common cause of disability across the world. The objective of the present study was to present a thorough investigation of the burden caused by neck pain in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, by country, sex, age group and socio-demographic index (SDI). Methods: The data on the burden of neck pain, encompassing its prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs), were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study. These findings are reported as age-standardised numbers and rates (per 100,000), accompanied by 95 % uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: The age-standardised point prevalence of neck pain in 2019 was 3066.7 (95 % UI: 2407.8 to 3894.3) per 100,000, with an age-standardised incidence rate of 649.2 (509.2–829.2) in the MENA region, neither of which have changed since 1990. The age-standardised YLD rate of neck pain was 303.0 (201.5–438.8) per 100,000 population in 2019. The highest YLD rate of neck pain was found in Iran [423.5 (280.3–609.8)] and the lowest in Kuwait [215.0 (141.0–314.1)]. The highest number of prevalent cases were seen in the 45–49 age-group for both sexes in 2019, but overall females had a higher point prevalence than males. Furthermore, over the study period (1990–2019) there was no clear and consistent relationship between the SDI and the burden of neck pain. Conclusion: Although the burden of neck pain has largely remained stable over the past three decades, the prevalence and morbidity in the MENA region remains high. Preventive and rehabilitative programs should be implemented that firstly target middle-aged females and males.

Summary: Background: The objective of this study is to investigate the trends of exposure and burden attributable to the four main metabolic risk factors, including high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high body-mass index (BMI), and high low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL) in North Africa and the Middle East from 1990 to 2019. Methods: The data were retrieved from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Summary exposure value (SEV) was used for risk factor exposure. Burden attributable to each risk factor was incorporated in the population attributable fraction to estimate the total attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Findings: While age-standardized death rate (ASDR) attributable to high-LDL and high-SBP decreased by 26.5% (18.6–35.2) and 23.4% (15.9–31.5) over 1990–2019, respectively, high-BMI with 5.1% (−9.0–25.9) and high-FPG with 21.4% (7.0–37.4) change, grew in ASDR. Moreover, age-standardized DALY rate attributed to high-LDL and high-SBP declined by 30.2% (20.9–39.0) and 25.2% (16.8–33.9), respectively. The attributable age-standardized DALY rate of high-BMI with 8.3% (−6.5–28.8) and high-FPG with 27.0% (14.3–40.8) increase, had a growing trend. Age-standardized SEVs of high-FPG, high-BMI, high-SBP, and high-LDL increased by 92.4% (82.8–103.3), 76.0% (58.9–99.3), 10.4% (3.8–18.0), and 5.5% (4.3–7.1), respectively. Interpretation: The burden attributed to high-SBP and high-LDL decreased during the 1990–2019 period in the region, while the attributable burden of high-FPG and high-BMI increased. Alarmingly, exposure to all four risk factors increased in the past three decades. There has been significant heterogeneity among the countries in the region regarding the trends of exposure and attributable burden. Urgent action is required at the individual, community, and national levels in terms of introducing effective strategies for prevention and treatment that account for local and socioeconomic factors. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.