Control interventions in randomised trials for people with a mental health disorder This systematic review assesses the effects of different control interventions in randomised trials including patients with a mental health disorder. In randomised trials, patients are assigned by chance to one of two or more groups – usually an experimental intervention and a control intervention. There are many types of control interventions in mental health intervention research. Some of the most common are different types of placebos that lack what is assumed to be the active component in the experimental...

Prophylactic cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor drugs to prevent morbidity and mortality in preterm infants Review question Among the available cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor (COX-I) drugs (indomethacin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen), which one is the safest and most effective in preventing death and poor outcomes in preterm infants when given prophylactically without the prior knowledge of the presence of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) within the first 72 hours after birth? Background A PDA is a common complication in preterm or low-birth weight infants. PDA is an open vascular channel between the lungs...

Are patient outcomes superior after endovascular or open surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms? Background A thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) is a widening or swelling of a blood vessel 50% greater than the original vessel diameter, affecting the thoracic and abdominal aorta simultaneously. A TAAA greater than 6.0 cm to 6.5 cm in diameter (depending on the gender of the patient, or the presence of an underlying inherited weakness in the aortic wall), or a TAAA expanding faster than 1 cm per year, is regarded as a life-threatening condition if left untreated, and...

Step-by-step (algorithm-based) pain management for people with dementia living in nursing homes What is the aim of this review? We were interested in how nurses can best manage pain in people with dementia living in nursing homes. Pain management involves measuring pain and providing pain treatment if necessary. We aimed to find out whether step-by-step guidance (an algorithm) for nurses on how to manage pain can reduce pain or behaviours that may indicate someone is in distress (such as hitting, shouting or wandering). What was studied in the review? People with dementia in nursing homes...

Follow-up approaches after abortion at 14 gestation weeks or later This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of alternative follow-up care approaches compared to routine, in-person follow-up for abortions occurring at 14 weeks or later gestation. This is a protocol....

Interventions for treating catheter-related bloodstream infections in people receiving maintenance haemodialysis What is the issue? Patients with kidney failure require kidney replacement therapy (KRT) to sustain life. Among KRT options, haemodialysis (HD) is the primary method of dialysis. Patients receiving HD via an indwelling catheter have a higher risk of developing bloodstream infections. There are several options for treating these bloodstream infections. These include lock solutions (the infusion of high doses of antibiotic inside each of the catheter ports between the dialysis...

The timing of treatment for broken bones in the legs and arms that also have open wounds Key messages We are uncertain whether the different timings of treatments (antibiotics, wound cleaning and whether to do all the surgery in one operation or more) might affect how well people recover from open long bone fractures. We found very few studies, and they did not provide reliable evidence. What is an open fracture? Some broken bones include open skin wounds around the break. These are called open fractures and are most common in high impact injuries such as road traffic accidents or falls from...

Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To conduct component network meta-analyses (cNMAs) to investigate the comparative effectiveness, safety and tolerability of different smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and electronic cigarettes (EC), singly and combined, when helping people to stop smoking tobacco. To investigate: how the different characteristics of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and EC interventions (e.g....

Antibiotics for preventing infection following surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence in women Review question Are antibiotics safe and effective for preventing infection in women with stress urinary incontinence who are undergoing continence surgery? Background Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is defined as uncontrolled leakage of urine when the pressure inside the abdomen increases suddenly, such as during coughing, sneezing or laughing. Continence surgery is one treatment for SUI. There are two types of procedures: open surgery, such as colposuspension (an incision in the abdomen...

Probiotics for treatment of chronic constipation in children What is the aim of this review? The aim of this Cochrane Review was to find out whether probiotics can be used to treat chronic constipation without a physical explanation in children (aged 0 to 18 years). We analysed data from 14 studies to answer this question. Key messages We were unable to draw conclusions when comparing probiotics to placebo for frequency of defecation in children treated for chronic constipation without a physical explanation. There may be no difference in treatment success between the two groups. There may...

Prebiotics for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of prebiotics for the induction of remission in people with active ulcerative colitis. This is a protocol....

Government lockdown and mental health outcomes in the general population This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: This Cochrane review aims to evaluate the impact of government lockdown (i.e. stay-at-home order or movement control order) during an emerging infectious disease outbreak on mental health in the general population. This is a protocol....

Antiseizure medications for neonates with seizures This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess whether any anti-seizure medication (ASM) is more or less effective than an alternative ASM (both ASMs used as first-, second- or third-line treatment) in achieving seizure control and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with seizures. We will analyse EEG-confirmed seizures and clinically-diagnosed seizures separately. To assess maintenance therapy with ASM compared to no maintenance therapy after achieving seizure control. We will...

Perinatal internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for preventing postnatal depression This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for preventing postnatal depression. This is a protocol....

Electronic cigarettes and subsequent cigarette smoking in young people This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the evidence on the relationship between the use and availability of e-cigarettes and subsequent cigarette smoking in young people (aged 29 years or less), and whether the relationship differs by socioeconomic status, gender, or other demographic characteristics. This is a protocol....

Ventilation tubes (grommets) for otitis media with effusion (OME) in children This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of ventilation tubes (grommets) for otitis media with effusion in children. This is a protocol....

How accurate are asking about symptoms and doing a chest X-ray to screen for tuberculosis of the lungs among adults who are HIV-negative or with unknown HIV status? Why is improving screening for tuberculosis of the lungs important? Systematic screening in settings where tuberculosis is common is a recommended strategy for early detection of tuberculosis. Screening helps identify people who are more likely to have tuberculosis so they can have confirmatory testing. These are additional tests to confirm the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Asking...

Adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for the treatment of people with resected stage I to III non-small-cell lung cancer and EGFR mutation This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of adjuvant EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with resected stage I to III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring an activating EGFR mutation. This is a protocol....

Clinical rating scales for assessing pain in newborn infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (methodology). The objectives are as follows: To systematically review the current literature describing the development, content, and measurement properties of clinical rating scales for the assessment of pain in newborn infants. This is a protocol....

Non-pharmacological interventions for prophylaxis of vestibular migraine This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of non-pharmacological treatments used for prophylaxis of vestibular migraine. This is a protocol....