Prognostic factors for return to work following knee arthroplasty This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: We will examine four prognostic factors for return to work that can be used to manage patient expectations, enhance shared decision-making, and improve timely, multidisciplinary, work-directed care. The research question Which of the following four prognostic factors, categorised according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework, are associated with return to work after primary knee...

Botulinum toxins for sleep bruxism This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxins as an intervention to reduce the negative consequences of sleep bruxism in adults. This is a protocol....

Pharmacological treatments for adults with overweight and obesity without diabetes This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the comparative efficacy and safety of weight-loss drugs, provided in addition to lifestyle modification, for weight management in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes. To obtain a ranking of pharmacological interventions for weight loss amongst the various available options through a network meta-analysis. This is a protocol....

Antibiotics for relapses of protracted bacterial bronchitis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of antibiotics for protracted bacterial bronchitis in children who have suffered a relapse. This is a protocol....

Serious adverse events associated with systemic treatments for psoriasis: a network meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the safety of current systemic treatments for moderate-to-severe psoriasis in adults, using a network meta-analysis that includes both randomised and non-randomised trials. This is a protocol....

What are the benefits and risks of treating preterm infants at risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia with corticosteroids? Key messages Treatment with dexamethasone after the first week of life is, at present, the only effective treatment in babies at high risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Giving corticosteroids directly into the windpipe, together with surfactant, might be a promising treatment in the future. Treatment with dexamethasone in the first week of life and treatment with hydrocortisone at any time after birth are ineffective or possibly unsafe. What is bronchopulmonary...

Does releasing Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes prevent dengue infection? Key messages – People living in areas where Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes have been released are less likely to contract dengue than people living in areas with no release. – People living in areas where Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes have been released are less likely to be admitted to hospital due to dengue than people living in areas with no release. What is dengue? Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by certain mosquitoes that is found in over 100 countries, with 3.9 billion people at risk of infection....

Antiviral treatment for the prevention of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus infection This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of antiviral drugs for prevention of transmission of hepatitis B virus infection from mother to child. This is a protocol....

Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety in patients with heart disease Do psychological interventions reduce depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation compared to no psychological intervention? Key messages - Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety probably result in a moderate reduction in depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure. - Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety may result in a moderate improvement in mental health-related quality of life,...

Dipyrone for the acute treatment of migraine attacks in children and adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of dipyrone for the acute treatment of migraine headache in children and adults. This is a protocol....

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the efficacy, safety profile, and potential harms of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with or without biologics (e.g. anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor), given sequentially before or after neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in people undergoing resection for locally advanced rectal cancer compared with no neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This is a protocol....

Exercise therapy for the treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of exercise therapy for the treatment of delirium in critically ill adults in the intensive care unit. This is a protocol....

What are the effects of endoscopic sphincterotomy for adults with biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction? Key messages – We do not know if endoscopic sphincterotomy compared with sham operation or dual endoscopic sphincterotomy benefits adults with biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, or changes serious or non-serious unwanted effects, quality of life, and liver function. – We have no data comparing endoscopic sphincterotomy with sham operation, endoscopic papillary balloon dilation,or dual endoscopic sphincterotomyon deaths, non-serious unwanted effects, and hospital stay. – No trial...

What do people think of strategies to identify cases of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries? What is active case finding? Active case finding (ACF) involves health workers going out into communities to identify people with tuberculosis who otherwise might not have sought help in clinics (e.g. because they live too far from health facilities or cannot afford to get there). The aim of ACF is to find people who have tuberculosis and provide them with treatment, in order to reduce the spread of disease and improve the health of infected people. What did we want to find out? We aimed...

Exposure to nitrate and nitrite in drinking water and cancers This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prototype). The objectives are as follows: To assess the association between nitrate and nitrite in drinking water and cancers in observational studies This is a protocol....

Prebiotics for treatment of ulcerative colitis Key messages We found that prebiotics may not differ from placebo in preventing relapses of ulcerative colitis. For adults in remission, prebiotics may result in more side effects than placebo. The evidence was of poor quality for remission, improvement in disease activity, inflammation, and quality of life, therefore we could not reach any conclusions for these outcomes. There needs to be more high-quality research on this topic before any firm conclusions can be reached. What is ulcerative colitis? Ulcerative colitis is one of the two main...

Are psychological therapies effective in reducing depression in older adults living in long-term care? Key messages – Psychological therapies (sometimes known as talking therapies) may treat symptoms of depression better than non-therapy approaches in older adults living in long-term care (LTC) facilities (for example, nursing or residential homes and assisted-living facilities). – Psychological therapies may also be better than non-therapy approaches for increasing quality of life and psychological well-being (an individual's emotional health and overall functioning) in the short term. –...

Identifying the most clinically effective exercise prescription for people with intermittent claudication (MAXIMISE): a component network meta-analysis with concurrent cost-effectiveness analysis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To conduct a component network meta-analysis (CNMA) comparing different SEP combinations to identify the most clinically effective exercise prescription for people with IC. To conduct an economic evaluation comparing different SEP combinations for people with IC to identify which are cost-effective. This is a...

Is face-down positioning better than other positioning after vitrectomy and gas tamponade for macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachments? Key messages - There is not enough high-quality information to say whether face-down positioning should be recommended to people after surgery for retinal detachments affecting the center of the retina (the macula). - Overall, evidence from studies suggests that face-down positioning after surgery may lead to fewer complications, with less postoperative retinal displacement, outer retinal folds, and binocular diplopia (double vision with both eyes...

Does the use of antibiotics prevent leptospirosis? Key message – Antibiotics probably do not reduce the chance of developing leptospirosis infection and may cause non-serious adverse events. The evidence is very limited, so our findings may change if there are more quality trials published. What is leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is a zoonotic (that is,infection that can be transmitted naturally from animals with a backbone to humans or from humans to animals with a backbone)and waterborne disease that occurs worldwide. Humans are infected when they come into contact with water, soil, or food...