Tenofovir for children and adults with chronic hepatitis B This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of tenofovir versus no intervention or placebo for children and adults with chronic hepatitis B. This is a protocol....

How can we best filter systematic reviews in MEDLINE and Embase? Key Messages A wide range of search filters to retrieve systematic reviews were evaluated. Although many had acceptable sensitivity (missed few relevant studies) and specificity (omitted irrelevant studies), no single filter can be recommended since most were derived from older sets of reviews that may not reflect current reporting characteristics and standards. What are search filters for systematic reviews? Search filters combine words and phrases to retrieve records with a common feature (e.g. study design, clinical topic)...

Which models exist for prediction of future disease outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis? Why is it important to study multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the brain, spine, and nerves. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this disease, but the disease and how it progresses can be very different from person to person. Although MS cannot be cured, different treatments are available that can help reduce symptoms and slow the worsening of the disease. These treatments work differently, with some having more severe side effects than others. Understanding...

Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity. This is a protocol....

Platinum-containing chemotherapy for women before or after surgery for early triple-negative breast cancer Key messages Chemotherapy including the platinum-based medicine carboplatin improves survival and reduces the chance of cancer returning for people with early triple negative breast cancer. However, it is also associated with increased side effects. What is triple-negative breast cancer? Triple-negative breast cancer makes up 15% of breast cancer cases. It is a type of breast cancer that does not have any of the three receptors commonly found on breast cancer cells – the oestrogen,...

Can music and vocal interventions benefit preterm infants and their parents? Key messages • Music and vocal interventions probably reduce heart rates in preterm infants compared to standard care during the intervention. This beneficial effect was even more substantial and confident after the intervention suggesting a long-lasting relaxing and stabilising effect. • We found no harmful effects from music and voice. However, many studies did not explicitly explore the possibility of unwanted effects. • We found no evidence of any other clear beneficial or harmful effects of the interventions on...

Thiazolidinediones for people with chronic kidney disease and diabetes This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to assess the benefits and harms of thiazolidinediones in people with CKD and type 2 diabetes. This is a protocol....

TB-LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in children This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of tuberculosis loop-mediated isothermal amplification (TB-LAMP) for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in children with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis. Secondary objectives To compare the diagnostic accuracy of TB-LAMP and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in children with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis. To compare the diagnostic...

Adding iron to condiments and seasonings for preventing anaemia and improving health Key messages - Adding iron to condiments/seasonings may slightly improve iron status and reduce iron deficiency. When iron is added along with other micronutrients, it may reduce anaemia. Unwanted effects were not reported. - There was a lot of variation between the studies included in this review, making it more difficult to draw definitive conclusions. The effects of fortifying condiments and seasonings with iron should continue to be examined in populations consuming them through well-designed studies....

What factors influence a person's willingness to take part in a vaccine trial during an epidemic or pandemic? What is the aim of this review? Vaccines are important for reducing the spread of infectious diseases during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Clinical trials test these vaccines to make sure that they are safe and effective. But it can be challenging to find enough people who are willing to take part in a vaccine trial for a pandemic or epidemic disease. The aim of this Cochrane Review of qualitative research (or 'qualitative evidence synthesis') was to find out what influences a...

What are the benefits and risks of different corticosteroid treatments delivered intravenously for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants born prematurely? Key messages · In this review, we used network meta-analysis (NMA), a relatively new tool that allows comparisons between all relevant treatment options, including those that have not been directly compared with each other in previous clinical trials. · NMA was able to add a small amount of information to the existing data, most notably with comparisons between the effects of different corticosteroid doses for the...

Are interventions for fatigue effective among people with kidney failure requiring dialysis? What is the issue? Fatigue is a frequent and debilitating symptom that can limit life participation in people receiving dialysis. Fatigue is linked to impaired quality of life, cardiovascular disease, death and depression in people on dialysis. Several potential interventions, including drugs or other non-pharmacological treatments (e.g. exercise, diet, massage, aromatherapy, acupressure), have been evaluated for their effect on fatigue in people on dialysis. What did we do? We evaluated whether...

Early versus late discontinuation of caffeine administration in preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of early versus late discontinuation of caffeine administration in preterm infants. This is a protocol....

Sucrose for analgesia (pain relief) in newborn infants undergoing heel lance Key messages - Sucrose, compared to control interventions, probably reduces pain for a single painful event (heel lance). - There were a few minor immediate adverse events, such as gagging, that resolved without intervention. - We need studies that assess the effect of repeated sucrose administration on immediate (pain intensity) and long-term (neurodevelopmental) outcomes. - We need to assess how sucrose affects neonates who are extremely preterm, unstable, or ventilated (or a combination of these factors). What is...

Can lay health workers effectively identify and treat wasting in children? The aim of this Cochrane Review was to find out whether lay health workers were more or less effective than health professionals at identifying and treating children with wasting. Key messages The results of this review suggest that children who receive care from lay health workers for severe wasting may have similar or slightly poorer results than children who receive care from health professionals. What is wasting? Childhood wasting refers to children being too thin for their height. Wasting happens when the child...

Exercise therapy for treating acute non-specific low back pain Review question We reviewed the evidence on the effect of exercise therapy in adults with low back pain lasting six weeks or less. Background Low back pain is common and disabling, causing a significant burden on the individuals affected and on society. Low back pain often leads to reduced quality of life, time lost from work, and substantial medical expenses. Exercise therapy consists of planned or structured physical activity aimed at improving or maintaining one or more aspects of physical fitness. A range of healthcare...

Which remotely-delivered psychological approaches help people with long-term chronic pain to improve symptoms? Key messages • Online cognitive behavioural therapy represents the most common remotely-delivered psychological therapy. It may improve pain and disability in individuals experiencing chronic pain. • It is largely unclear whether remotely-delivered psychological therapies improve quality of life or cause harmful effects due to limited evidence, of often limited quality. • We need more and better studies to investigate remotely-delivered psychological therapies. Future studies should...

Colchicine for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of low-dose colchicine in the prevention of cardiovascular events in adults with a history of stable CVD or following myocardial infarction or stroke. This is a protocol....

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors for people with chronic kidney disease and diabetes This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to assess the benefits and harms of DPP-4 inhibitors in people with CKD and type 2 diabetes. This is a protocol....

Tumour-treating fields for high-grade glioma This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness of tumour-treating field therapy for treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent high-grade glioma. To prepare a summary of available economic evaluations relevant to this review topic. This is a protocol....