Amanda Koh, Tiffany Wong, Alfred Adiamah, Sudip Sanyal
{"title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of N-acetylcysteine on outcomes after liver resection.","authors":"Amanda Koh, Tiffany Wong, Alfred Adiamah, Sudip Sanyal","doi":"10.1111/ans.19183","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a recognized antioxidative agent that facilitates the conjugation of toxic metabolites. In recent years, NAC has been routinely used to limit ischaemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplantation. There remains, however, contradictory evidence on its effectiveness in liver resection. This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of NAC in improving outcomes following hepatectomy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published since database inception until November 2023. The outcomes of Day 1 biochemical markers (lactate, ALT, bilirubin, and INR), length of stay, transfusion rates, and morbidity were extracted. Quantitative pooling of data was based on a random-effects model. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (Registration no: CRD42023442429).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five RCTs reporting on 388 patients undergoing hepatectomy were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences in patient demographics between groups. Post-operative lactate was lower in patients receiving NAC (WMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.19 to -0.04, I<sup>2</sup> = 67%). There were, however, no differences in the post-operative INR (WMD -0.04, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.12, I<sup>2</sup> = 96%) and ALT (WMD -94.94, 95% CI -228.46 to 40.38; I<sup>2</sup> = 67%). More importantly, there were no statistically significant differences in length of stay, transfusion rates, and morbidity between the two groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The administration of NAC in liver resection did not alter important biochemical parameters suggesting any real effectiveness in reducing hepatic dysfunction. There were no improvements in the clinical outcomes of length of stay, transfusion rates, and overall morbidity.</p>","PeriodicalId":8158,"journal":{"name":"ANZ Journal of Surgery","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ANZ Journal of Surgery","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.19183","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"SURGERY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a recognized antioxidative agent that facilitates the conjugation of toxic metabolites. In recent years, NAC has been routinely used to limit ischaemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplantation. There remains, however, contradictory evidence on its effectiveness in liver resection. This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of NAC in improving outcomes following hepatectomy.
Methods: A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published since database inception until November 2023. The outcomes of Day 1 biochemical markers (lactate, ALT, bilirubin, and INR), length of stay, transfusion rates, and morbidity were extracted. Quantitative pooling of data was based on a random-effects model. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (Registration no: CRD42023442429).
Results: Five RCTs reporting on 388 patients undergoing hepatectomy were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences in patient demographics between groups. Post-operative lactate was lower in patients receiving NAC (WMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.19 to -0.04, I2 = 67%). There were, however, no differences in the post-operative INR (WMD -0.04, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.12, I2 = 96%) and ALT (WMD -94.94, 95% CI -228.46 to 40.38; I2 = 67%). More importantly, there were no statistically significant differences in length of stay, transfusion rates, and morbidity between the two groups.
Conclusion: The administration of NAC in liver resection did not alter important biochemical parameters suggesting any real effectiveness in reducing hepatic dysfunction. There were no improvements in the clinical outcomes of length of stay, transfusion rates, and overall morbidity.
期刊介绍:
ANZ Journal of Surgery is published by Wiley on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons to provide a medium for the publication of peer-reviewed original contributions related to clinical practice and/or research in all fields of surgery and related disciplines. It also provides a programme of continuing education for surgeons. All articles are peer-reviewed by at least two researchers expert in the field of the submitted paper.