Probiotics for the management of functional abdominal pain disorders in children Probiotics for stomach pain in children Key messages Probiotics may be better than placebo (dummy treatment) at improving stomach pain for children with functional abdominal pain. Synbiotics may be better than placebo (dummy treatment) at improving stomach pain for children with functional abdominal pain. What is functional abdominal pain? Functional abdominal pain is a common problem in children. The term functional abdominal pain is used when no cause can be found for the symptoms. These symptoms include...

Aripiprazole versus brexpiprazole for people with schizophrenia This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of aripiprazole compared to brexpiprazole in people diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like psychosis. This is a protocol....

Interventions to slow the progression of short-sightedness in children Key messages • Medications such as atropine, given as eye drops, can slow the progression of short- or near-sightedness (myopia) in children, and also reduce elongation of the eyeball due to myopia. Higher doses of atropine are most effective. We are uncertain about the effects of lower doses of atropine. • Several treatments, including special types of lenses in eye glasses as well as contact lenses, may slow the progression of short-sightedness, but their effect is still uncertain and there is insufficient information...

Stem cell-based interventions for the treatment of stroke in newborn infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of stem cell-based interventions for the treatment of stroke in newborn infants compared to control (placebo or no treatment) or stem-cell based interventions of a different type or source. This is a protocol....

Routine decompression by nasogastric tube after oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of routine nasogastric decompression as compared to no nasogastric decompression after oesophagectomy. In the case of routine decompression, we will also aim to assess the effects of early versus late removal of the nasogastric tube. This is a protocol....

Interventions for alcohol cessation in people with atrial fibrillation This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of interventions for alcohol cessation compared to usual treatment for people with atrial fibrillation. This is a protocol....

Factors that influence the provision of home- based rehabilitation services for people needing rehabilitation: a qualitative evidence synthesis The aim of this Cochrane qualitative evidence synthesis was to explore factors that influence rehabilitation services that are delivered in people’s own homes. The synthesis looked at services that were delivered in person as well as services that were delivered through telerehabilitation. To answer this question, we analysed 53 qualitative studies. Key messages Home-based rehabilitation, delivered in-person or through telerehabilitation, can be...

Pharmacological interventions to treat adults with cancer-related fatigue This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions aimed at treating cancer-related fatigue in adults, compared to a) no intervention, placebo, or b) each other. This is a protocol....

Antibiotics for children with a neurodisability and long-term lung infection 'Neurodisability' refers to a group of conditions that result primarily from a neurological problem (e.g. cerebral palsy), neuromuscular problem (e.g. a muscular dystrophy) or developmental problems (e.g. developmental impairment, Down syndrome). Children and young people with these conditions may have similar problems with mobility, feeding and coughing. Chest and breathing problems (including lung infections) are commonly experienced by children and young people with neurodisabilities and are often a cause for...

Do services to support the education of children and teenagers with chronic health conditions help to engage them more in school activities and improve learning outcomes? Key Messages - We are still unclear of the effect of education support interventions on school engagement, learning outcomes and the likelihood of students to return to school (during periods of wellness). - There is some evidence that education support interventions may improve mental health slightly, as measured in two studies as self-esteem, but quality of life was not measured in the studies. - We need more good quality...

Can combined mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation reduce the risk of complications after scheduled colon or rectal resections compared with purely mechanical, purely oral antibiotic or no bowel preparation? Key messages - A combined mechanical (using laxatives) and oral antibiotic bowel preparation probably reduces the occurrence of infections of the surgical site (wound infections and infections in the abdominal cavity) as well as the likelihood of anastomotic leakage (leakage of the suture connection of the bowel) compared with mechanical bowel preparation alone. - Oral...

Clinical effectiveness of telepharmacy services in patients with non‐communicable diseases in ambulatory care settings This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the clinical effectiveness of telepharmacy services on clinical outcomes and medication adherence in patients with non-communicable diseases in ambulatory care settings. This is a protocol....

Do digital technologies help people with cystic fibrosis stick to their inhaled treatments? Key messages In the short term, technology may help people with cystic fibrosis (CF) adhere (or 'stick to') their inhaled treatments, but have little or no effect on lung function or pulmonary exacerbations (flare-ups of disease). In the medium term, combining digital monitoring with tailored support via an online platform probably encourages people to adhere to inhaled treatment and reduces treatment burden (demands on people with CF made by their healthcare needs and the impact this has on their...

Antiepileptic drugs for treating seizures in people with brain tumours This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) taken as monotherapy or add-on therapy for seizures in people with brain tumours. This is a protocol....

What are the benefits and risks of erythromycin given before endoscopy for people with intestinal bleeding? Key messages • Erythromycin may improve the quality of visualisation of the stomach and may also slightly reduce the need for blood transfusion. • Larger, well-designed studies are needed to give better estimates of the benefits and potential harms of different doses of erythromycin in people with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Introduction to the review topic The upper gastrointestinal tract includes the oesophagus (food pipe), stomach, and duodenum (first part of the small...

Local steroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome Key messages Corticosteroid injection into the wrist probably improves symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (compression of a nerve in the wrist) and function of the hand for up to six months. Quality of life assessments, and tests of nerve conduction measured up to three months after injection, may also improve. Corticosteroid injection may reduce the need for surgery, assessed at one-year follow-up. Side effects appear to be rare. However, spontaneous improvement without treatment can occur in up to a third of people. What is carpal tunnel...

Liver and spleen stiffness for the diagnosis of oesophageal varices in adults with chronic liver disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of liver stiffness and spleen stiffness, separately or in combination, as measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) in detection of any oesophageal varices in adults with chronic liver disease. We will regard a combination of tests as positive when at least one is positive. To compare the diagnostic accuracy of individual tests (liver stiffness and...

Immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This protocol is for two separate reviews to assess the effects (benefits and harms) of immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatments for the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Targeted treatments To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of targeted immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatments for the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: dermatomyositis (DM, including juvenile dermatomyositis, jDM), immune...

Endovascular treatment for thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease) This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of endovascular treatment for thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease). This is a protocol....

Calcium and vitamin D for improving bone health in healthy premenopausal women Key messages The evidence suggests that calcium, vitamin D, or calcium plus vitamin D supplementation has no effect on bone mineral density at any site (hip or spine) in healthy premenopausal women. What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is characterised by low levels of calcium and other types of minerals in the bones (called bone mineral density). This causes holes to form inside the bones and the outer walls of the bone to become thin making the bones more fragile, which may lead to increased fractures and breaks....