Is taking an immunostimulant on top of standard medications beneficial for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, or both? Key messages 1. In people with chronic bronchitis or COPD, immunostimulants probably reduce the likelihood of a person having an exacerbation and of requiring antibiotics for an exacerbation. 2. We are uncertain about the effect of immunostimulants on reducing the risk of death, improving quality of life, or on reducing the duration of flare-ups or hospital stays. 3. Immunostimulants are not associated with an increased risk of side...

Vitamin B12 supplementation for growth, development, and cognition in children This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effects of oral vitamin B12 supplementation on growth, development, and cognition in children under 12 years of age. This is a protocol....

Drugs to manage pain and sedation during cooling in newborns following poor brain oxygenation at birth (hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy) Review question Do drugs save lives, or improve pain and sedation, in newborns who have poor brain oxygenation at birth ('hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy') and who are undergoing cooling? Background Lack of oxygen at birth may damage the brain of the newborn. Babies with less severe brain damage may make a full recovery or only have mild problems. For other babies with more serious damage, this may lead to death or to problems later in life. For instance,...

Interventions for helping people recognise early signs of recurrence in bipolar disorder This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness of EWS plus TAU or EWS plus psychological therapy versus TAU alone or psychological treatment (without EWS) independently on time to recurrence of any bipolar episode and hospitalisation, and other clinically relevant outcome measures. To evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent medication used on recognition of EWS without continued mood-stabilising medication versus TAU involving...

En bloc versus standard transurethral resection of bladder tumors for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of en bloc resection compared with conventional transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (conventional TURBT) in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This is a protocol....

Volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents for malaria prevention This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness of volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents (VPSRs) for preventing new cases of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria. This is a protocol....

Drug treatments for the prevention of attacks of hereditary angioedema What is hereditary angioedema and how is it treated? Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that causes acute (sudden onset) attacks of swelling, pain and reduced quality of life. Several new medicines have been developed to treat acute attacks and prevent attacks from occurring. Some medicines are taken by mouth, whereas others are injected under the skin, or given by a vein directly into the blood. The medicines currently given for preventing HAE attacks are human C1 esterase...

Immunomodulators and immunosuppressants for progressive multiple sclerosis: a network meta-analysis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: We will perform a network meta-analysis to assess the relative effectiveness and safety of immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive treatments for people with multiple sclerosis in progressive forms of the condition. This is a protocol....

Prognostic factors for predicting progression of open angle glaucoma in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To identify prognostic risk factors for progression of functional visual outcomes of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXFG) in adults. Table 1. PICOTS of the primary objective Population Adults ≥ 18 years of age of any ethnicity with open angle glaucoma (restricted to POAG and PXFG types) diagnosed as having open angle and evidence of glaucomatous damage. We will exclude studies...

Interventions for preventing haemodialysis dysequilibrium syndrome This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to look at the benefits and harms of interventions for preventing HD DDS. This is a protocol....

Effects of different weight loss programmes on oncological outcomes following curative resection of digestive tract cancers This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect of different weight loss programmes on oncological outcomes following curative resection of GI tract cancers. This is a protocol....

Interventions for improving adherence to dietary salt and fluid restrictions in people with chronic kidney disease (stage 4 and 5) This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to look at the benefits and harms of non-pharmacological interventions to improve adherence to dietary salt and fluid restriction in people with CKD (stages 4 and 5). This is a protocol....

Health policymakers’ views and experiences of knowledge translation approaches to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making: a qualitative evidence synthesis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: The aim of this review is to synthesise the qualitative evidence on health policymakers’ views and experiences of knowledge translation approaches to facilitate evidence-informed decision-making. The specific objectives are to: explore health policymakers’ views and experiences of knowledge translation approaches to facilitate evidence-informed...

Treatment of inflammatory conditions of the eye with medications What was the aim of this review? In this systematic review, we studied the available evidence on the effectiveness and safety of several medications used to treat a specific subset of inflammatory conditions of the back part of the eye. Key message We found that the medication methotrexate may be slightly more effective than mycophenolate. Otherwise, there was no strong evidence to suggest one medication is more effective or safe than the others. What did we study in this review? Non-infectious intermediate, posterior, and...

Interventions for maintenance therapy for granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of different immunosuppressive treatments used for maintenance therapy in people who have granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis. This is a protocol....

Personal protective equipment for preventing asbestos exposure in workers This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of personal protective equipment, including donning and doffing procedures and individual hygienic behaviour, compared to no such equipment or alternative equipment, on asbestos exposure in workers exposed to asbestos in demolition and repair work. This is a protocol....

Local anesthetics for intrauterine device placement This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To examine the effectiveness of local anesthetics for routine intrauterine device (IUD) placement on patient (e.g. pain, side effects, satisfaction) and provider outcomes (e.g. ease of placement, need for adjunctive placement measures, placement success) compared with placebo or no treatment. This is a protocol....

Antidepressants for osteoarthritis Background Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints characterised by reduced cartilage and narrowing of the space between the joints. It may result in pain, deformity and disability. Antidepressant medicines are thought to affect pain by modulating nerve pathways in the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits and harms of antidepressants for knee and hip osteoarthritis pain. Study characteristics This review is current to January 2021. We included nine clinical trials with 2122 participants comparing antidepressants to placebo (a...

What are the benefits and harms of topical corticosteroids for treating dry eye? What is dry eye? Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when a person's tears cannot lubricate their eyes sufficiently. Tears can be inadequate and unstable for many reasons. For example, dry eye may occur when tear production is reduced or when the tear quality is poor. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage of the eye's surface. Dry eye is uncomfortable. People with dry eye often feel stinging or burning and sometimes experience blurred vision. How is it treated? Many treatment options are...

Sympathetic nerve blocks for persistent pain in adults with inoperable abdominopelvic cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of neurolytic sympathetic nerve blocks for persistent visceral pain in adults with inoperable abdominopelvic cancer compared to standard care or placebo and comparing single blocks to combination blocks. This is a protocol....