Electrical stimulation of the motor system after stroke This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess if cyclical electrical stimulation (CES) is effective at increasing voluntary strength, and functional electrical stimulation (FES) is effective at improving activity after stroke. This is a protocol....

Are antipsychotic medicines safe and effective for treating people who have schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonic symptoms? Key messages - We could not answer whether antipsychotic medicines are safe and effective for schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonic symptoms because we found only one study including a small number of people and a brief duration of treatment, leaving us with very low confidence in the results. - We did find that in the only included study both an antipsychotic medicine (risperidone) and electroconvulsive therapy may improve catatonic and positive...

How should we give taxane as a single chemotherapy agent to women with relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer? Background There are a variety of options for chemotherapy treatment of relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer. Decisions at relapse include not just what drug, but also what dose and timing of administration. Taxanes can be given in once-weekly (at a lower dose) or three-weekly (at a higher dose) regimens, which may lead to differences in the severity of side effects and effectiveness. As relapsed disease suggests incurable disease; it is all the more important to consider side effects and...

Dialysis versus conservative management for stage 5 chronic kidney disease in the elderly This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of dialysis and conservative management in elderly patients with stage 5 CKD. This is a protocol....

How accurate is duplex ultrasound (DUS) imaging for diagnosing carotid artery stenosis in symptomatic patients? Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a narrowing of the lumen (the inside space) of the carotid artery (usually due to cholesterol deposits called plaque). CAS is responsible for 8% of all strokes due to a blocked blood vessel (ischemic strokes) and is associated with a high chance of recurrence. In such circumstances, the treatment is to re-establish adequate blood flow (by surgery or other approaches to open the artery) to prevent further neurologic episodes. Duplex ultrasound (DUS)...

Diuretics for preventing and treating acute kidney injury This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to explore the benefits and harms of diuretics in the prevention and treatment of AKI. This is a protocol....

Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 5 to 11 years old This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The overall aim of the review is to determine the effectiveness of interventions to prevent obesity in 5 to 11-year-old children. The four objectives are: to evaluate the effects of interventions that aim to modify dietary intake on changes in zBMI score, BMI and serious adverse events among children; to evaluate the effects of interventions that aim to modify physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, play and/or structured exercise...

How can communication about the end of life and care in the last 12 months of life be improved? Key messages We did not find enough good quality evidence to be able to say which ways of communicating about end of life (EoL) are best for the people involved. One study of a family conference intervention found that communication interventions might increase the length of EoL discussions between families and health professionals in some situations, and one other found that an intervention which used a structured conversation guide might lead to earlier discussions between patients, carers, and...

Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 12 to 18 years old This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The overall aim of the review is to determine the effectiveness of interventions to prevent obesity in 12 to 18-year-old children and adolescents. The four objectives are: to evaluate the effects of interventions that aim to modify dietary intake on changes in zBMI score, BMI and serious adverse events among children and adolescents; to evaluate the effects of interventions that aim to modify physical activity, sedentary behaviour,...

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in treating adults with PTSD. This is a protocol....

Child protection training for professionals to improve reporting of child abuse and neglect Key messages - Due to a lack of strong evidence, it is unclear whether child protection training is better than no training or alternative training (e.g. cultural sensitivity training) at improving professionals’ reporting of child abuse and neglect. - Larger, well-designed studies are needed to assess the effects of training with a wider range of professional groups. - Future research should compare face-to-face with e-learning interventions. Why do we need to improve the reporting of child abuse and...

Mobility training for increasing mobility and functioning in older people who are frail Background Frailty is common in older people. Frailty leads to an increased likelihood of falling, difficulty moving (e.g. walking) and functioning, admissions to hospital, and mortality. It is estimated that 21% of the community-dwelling population over 65 years are frail. Mobility training involves controlled movements of your body to perform specific tasks. Examples of mobility training included practicing standing up and sitting down, walking along a walking track, or going up and down stairs....

Early versus late surgical start times for on-pump cardiac surgery This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of early versus late surgical start times for on-pump cardiac surgery on mortality, cardiac outcomes, and quality of life. This is a protocol....

Uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy for patients with gastric carcinoma. This is a protocol....

Certolizumab pegol for the treatment of maintaining inactive Crohn's disease What was the aim of this review? This Cochrane Review aimed to find out if long-term use of certolizumab pegol (CZP) is an effective and safe treatment for people with Crohn's disease (CD) compared to placebo. We collected and analyzed all relevant studies to answer this question. What is Crohn's disease? CD is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract such as the small and large intestines. The common symptoms of CD are chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss....

Spontaneous breathing activity in COVID-19-related lung failure Is early spontaneous breathing beneficial in the treatment of lung failure in individuals with COVID-19? People with severe COVID-19 can present with lung failure, which is called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This requires invasive mechanical ventilation through a breathing tube. It is possible to allow breathing, triggered by the patient (called spontaneous breathing), whilst being on a ventilator. However, it is unclear whether this is beneficial for such individuals, especially in the early phase of...

What are the benefits and harms of physical activity for people with irritable bowel syndrome Key messages – Physical activity interventions of between six and 24 weeks may improve symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome but the evidence is very uncertain. – There is probably little or no difference between physical activity interventions and usual care for quality of life and abdominal pain. – There was not enough evidence to assess adverse effects associated with physical activity interventions due to a lack of reporting in trials. What are physical activity interventions?...

Purse-string skin closure versus linear skin closure in people undergoing stoma reversal This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the effects of purse-string skin closure (PSSC) and linear skin closure (LSC) techniques on surgical site infection (SSI) and patient satisfaction in people undergoing stoma reversal. Secondary objectives To compare the effects of PSSC and LSC techniques on anastomotic leak, incisional hernia, intestinal obstruction, operative time and length of hospital stay in people undergoing stoma reversal. This is a...

Neuroprotective effect of sulfonylurea drugs for people with ischemic stroke This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of sulfonylurea drugs for people with ischemic stroke. This is a protocol....

Colchicine for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the clinical benefit and harms of colchicine as primary prevention of cardiovascular outcomes in the general population. This is a protocol....