Placebo versus no treatment for people with schizophrenia This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the effects of placebo versus no treatment in people with schizophrenia. This is a protocol....

Stimulating the baby's scalp as a test of the baby's well-being in labour We set out to look for evidence from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness and safety of stimulating the baby's scalp as a second-line test of well-being when there are concerns about the baby's heart rate monitoring. What is the issue? Women with complicated pregnancies are recommended continuous monitoring of the baby's heart rate using an electronic recorder called a CTG. Babies commonly demonstrate abnormal features on the CTG during labour. In some cases the abnormal features are of...

Chances of developing blood clots for people who have COVID-19 and are taking hormonal birth control compared to people not taking hormonal birth control Review question We reviewed the evidence about the effects of hormonal birth control on developing blood clots, including heart attack or stroke, or other severe outcomes for people with COVID-19 disease. We wanted to look at people using combined forms of birth control (containing both an estrogen and a progestin hormone) compared to people using no hormonal birth control or people using birth control containing only the progestin hormone....

Are exercises for strengthening breathing muscles effective for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Key messages • Exercise combined with specific exercises to strengthen breathing muscles may not improve breathlessness, physical fitness and life quality. Strength of breathing muscles and endurance increased but not enough to make a difference to patients. • Specific exercises to strengthen breathing muscles compared to no exercise may improve breathlessness, physical fitness and life quality. Strength of breathing muscles and endurance increased, but we don't know if this...

Artificial intelligence for diagnosing exudative age-related macular degeneration This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) as a triaging tool for exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD). Secondary objectives To compare the performance of different AI algorithms with respect to eAMD diagnosis. To explore potential causes of heterogeneity in diagnostic performance according to the following: index test methodology (core AI method); sources of input to train algorithms...

Physical exercise for people with Parkinson's disease: what type of exercise works best? Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that mostly affects people over 60. Symptoms begin gradually and include movement issues, such as trembling, stiffness, slowness of movement and balance, and coordination issues. People with PD can also have emotional and mood problems, fatigue, sleep problems, and thinking difficulties. The disorder cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be relieved, for example, with medicine or surgery. Moreover, people with PD may...

Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years of age This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of vitamin A supplements for preventing acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years of age. This is a protocol....

Non-medicine interventions for sleep problems in dementia What are sleep problems in people with dementia? People with dementia frequently have sleep problems including an increase in the length and number of awakenings and an increased amount of light sleep. These cause a number of problems for the affected person, their relatives, and carers, possibly leading to carer distress and the admission of people with dementia to nursing homes or long-term care homes. Can non-medicine interventions help? As we do not know if medicines can help improve sleep in people with dementia, non-medicine...

Methods of induction of labour: a network meta-analysis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the effectiveness and safety profiles for the different methods of cervical ripening and labour induction at or beyond term labour using network meta-analysis, and to provide rankings of the available treatments according to their effectiveness and safety profile. This is a protocol....

Low protein diets for adults with diabetic kidney disease What is the issue? For people with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) not requiring dialysis, it may be recommended to limit the amount of protein in the diet to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, uncertainty remains about how much protein should be consumed. What did we do? We reviewed the evidence about the effect of low protein diets on the progression of kidney disease in adult patients with DKD, not on dialysis. The evidence is current to 17 November 2022. All studies were combined, provided that they compared a...

What are the benefits and risks of silicone gel sheeting for treating keloid scars? Key messages We are uncertain whether silicone gel sheeting improves a scar's appearance more than: - no treatment; - treatment with a dressing similar to silicone gel sheeting that does not contain silicone; - injections of triamcinolone acetonide (a medication) directly into a lesion or below the skin. We are uncertain about the effect of silicone gel sheeting on pain compared with no treatment. We do not know if silicone gel sheeting has an effect on pain compared with non-silicone gel sheeting or...

C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate for the diagnosis of lower urinary tract infection in older people This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: Secondary objectives To assess the influence of patient and study characteristics on the diagnostic accuracy of the index tests. To assess the influence of different reference standards for UTI on the diagnostic accuracy of the index tests. This is a protocol....

LipiFlow for the treatment of dry eye disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness of the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System on dry eye signs and symptoms compared to placebo or other commercially available treatments for meibomian gland dysfunction in adults. This is a protocol....

First aid training for laypeople This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Main objective To assess the effects of first aid training for laypeople, compared to no training or other training on: (1) the helping behaviour of the persons providing first aid, (2) the quality of the first aid provided, and (3) the health outcomes of the people receiving first aid. Secondary objectives To assess the effects of first aid training for laypeople on first aid-related knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, willingness to help, and adverse effects. This is a...

Adverse events associated with minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) including bleb-forming microstent surgeries This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To obtain a comprehensive review of harms following MIGS reported in randomised and non-randomised studies, clinical study reports submitted to regulatory organisations for approval or postmarketing surveillance and registries. We will also examine the design characteristics, risk of bias, and reporting adequacy of pivotal MIGS trials submitted to the US and EU regulatory organisations...

Pharmacological interventions for the management of pain and discomfort during lumbar puncture in newborn infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms, including pain, discomfort, and success rate, of any pharmacological intervention during lumbar puncture in newborn infants, compared to placebo, no intervention, non-pharmacological interventions, or other pharmacological interventions. This is a protocol....

Vena caval filters for the prevention of pulmonary embolism in people at high risk of, or with established venous thromboembolism This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of vena caval filters (VCFs) in preventing acute pulmonary embolism (APE) in people with established venous thromboembolism (VTE), or those at high risk of developing APE. This is a protocol....

Care involving families for Indigenous early childhood well-being Key messages There was a small improvement on the overall health and well-being of Indigenous children and their families when they participated in family-centred care programmes at a primary healthcare service, but we have very low confidence in the overall evidence. All studies used community engagement strategies, which is an important aspect of working with Indigenous communities. Further adequately powered studies are likely to provide better estimates of the effects of family-centred care. What is family-centred care?...

Exercise therapy for fatigue in multiple sclerosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objectives The primary objectives of this review are as follows. 1.1 To determine the immediate (i.e. postintervention; 1.1a) and long-term (i.e. follow-up; 1.1b) benefits of exercise therapy, when compared to a control group, on self-reported fatigue in people with MS; and 1.2 To specifically determine the immediate and long-term benefits of exercise therapy, when compared to a control group, on self-reported fatigue when only clinical trials are...

Fluid restriction for treatment of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of fluid restriction for symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. To determine if fluid restriction (parenterally, enterally, or both) with or without diuretics reduces morbidity and mortality in preterm infants with a symptomatic PDA. This is a protocol....