Point-of-care tests for detecting high viral load in people living with HIV attending healthcare facilities Why is improving the diagnosis of high HIV viral load infection important? It helps to monitor the HIV virus levels in people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). High virus levels indicate that the medications are failing to suppress the virus, a condition known as ART treatment failure, which has a risk of severe illness and death. Rapid diagnostic tests that detect high HIV virus levels quickly near the patient (point-of-care) can increase access...

Are inhaled corticosteroids an effective treatment for people with mild COVID-19? Key messages Inhaled corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory medicines) given via the oral inhaled route are evaluated for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We identified three published studies for people with mild disease. Inhaled corticosteroids probably reduce the risk of people going to hospital or death (admission to hospital or death before hospital admission). Inhaled corticosteroids may lower the number of days people have symptoms of mild COVID-19 and probably increase resolution of...

Stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences of factors influencing the commissioning, delivery, and uptake of general health checks: a qualitative evidence synthesis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: To identify, appraise, and synthesise qualitative studies that explore the perceptions and experiences of healthcare managers or policy-makers, healthcare providers and clients with general health checks To identify how stakeholders understand, name, describe, and experience influencing factors relevant to the commissioning, delivery and uptake...

Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy procedure versus conventional two-stage hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) procedure versus conventional two-stage hepatectomy in people with colorectal liver metastases This is a protocol....

Physical environmental designs in residential care to improve quality of life of older people What is the aim of the review? There is an increasing older population worldwide and an increase in the numbers of people living with dementia. It has been suggested that improving lived area designs may improve quality of life, mood, and ability to perform daily living activities of aged care residents. The aim of this Cochrane review was to examine the effects of different physical environmental design changes in residential aged care to determine the effect on quality of life for the residents....

Exercise for fatigue in people with cancer during and after active treatment This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Based on this single protocol, we will conduct five separate reviews, each on one of the following types of exercise. Aerobic exercise Anaerobic exercise Combined (aerobic and anaerobic) exercise Aerobic versus anaerobic exercise Yoga The primary aims of these reviews are to: evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise on CRF in people with cancer; evaluate the effects of anaerobic exercise on CRF in people with cancer; evaluate the...

Macrolides for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm neonates This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine if macrolide antibiotics are effective in the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm neonates compared to no intervention. To determine if one particular macrolide is more efficacious at preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm neonates compared to other macrolides. This is a protocol....

Exercise and physical therapy for systemic sclerosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of exercise and physical therapies in people with systemic sclerosis. This is a protocol....

Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee disease Background Degenerative knee disease (osteoarthritis in the knee which affects the joint lining and menisci) is the most common cause of knee pain, swelling and stiffness in the knee joint which leads to difficulty in walking. The cartilage in the knee joint is damaged, resulting in friction in the joint surfaces and formation of new bone in severe cases. Arthroscopic knee surgery removes damaged cartilage and loose tissue and smooths the knee joint surfaces. Study characteristics We included 16 randomised trials (2105 participants)...

What are the benefits and risks of topical medications for treating epidemic keratoconjunctivitis? What is epidemic keratoconjunctivitis? Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is inflammation of conjunctiva, the membrane covering the sclera (white outer coating of the eye) and inside of the eyelids, usually caused by specific strains of a group of common viruses known as adenoviruses. The infection can spread easily within households, healthcare settings, and the community. In some individuals, the inflammation leads to scarring of the cornea ('infiltrates') and conjunctiva, which causes persistent...

Periodic change of body position under phototherapy in term and preterm neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia Review question Does changing babies’ position improve the results of light therapy for full-term and premature babies with jaundice? Key messages In this systematic review, we evaluated studies comparing scheduled repositioning and no scheduled repositioning of full-term and premature babies having light therapy for jaundice. These two positioning strategies resulted in little or no difference in the length of time light therapy lasted or the rate at which bilirubin levels fell....

Comparing different methods of determining whether gliomas are missing arms 1p and 19q of the chromosomes Why is improving the detection of 1p/19q codeletion in glioma important? Gliomas are a type of brain tumour (cancer). There are different types of glioma, with different changes in their genetic material. One of the possible genetic changes is the loss of parts of two of our 23 chromosomes. When both a specific part of chromosome 1 and a specific part of chromosome 19 are missing, it is known as '1p/19q codeletion'. 1p/19q codeletion is used to diagnose a glioma known as an...

Do synbiotics prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants? Background Very preterm (born more than eight weeks early) and very low birth weight (less than 1.5 kg) infants are at risk of developing necrotising enterocolitis, a severe condition where some of the lining of the infant's bowel becomes inflamed, and the cells of this tissue die. This condition is associated with death, serious infection, and long-term disability, as well as developmental problems. What did we want to find out? One way to help prevent necrotising enterocolitis may be to add...

Cannabis-based medicines for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicines, compared to placebo or an alternative treatment strategy, for preventing nausea and vomiting during the postoperative period among adults undergoing elective surgery. This is a protocol....

Sex and gender as predictors for allograft and patient-relevant outcomes after kidney transplantation This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the prognostic effect of the recipient's (i) sex and gender separately (ii) gender as an independent predictor of patient-relevant outcomes at any time period following kidney or SPK transplantation (Table 1) and explore sources of heterogeneity. We aim to evaluate this prognostic effect by (a) clearly defining the relationship between recipient sex/gender and post-transplantation outcomes, which...

Antibiotic prophylaxis for leptospirosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of antibiotics for the prevention of leptospirosis This is a protocol....

Extended-release methylphenidate for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults Review question This review investigated the positive and negative effects of methylphenidate and compared them to placebo or to other medications in adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We particularly focused on effects on daily functioning, such as the number of days a person is absent from work, and the effects on ADHD symptoms and quality of life assessed by the patients themselves, and also by a doctor or a researcher. Background ADHD is a psychiatric...

Effects of a gluten-reduced or gluten-free diet for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease Background Cardiovascular diseases are disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including acute coronary and cerebrovascular events (such as myocardial infarction and stroke). Approximately 50% of disabilities resulting from cardiovascular disease are associated with a suboptimal diet. In particular, dietary gluten (a protein found in certain cereal grain) has been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. For example, different gastrointestinal symptoms (such as malabsorption or...

Treatments to manage rapid breathing in babies (transient tachypnoea of the newborn) Review question Do drugs and other treatments in babies with abnormally rapid breathing (known as transient tachypnoea of the newborn) improve lung function and reduce the need for breathing support (i.e. mechanical ventilation) and/or duration of symptoms? Background Transient tachypnoea of the newborn is characterised by rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute) and signs of respiratory distress (difficulty in breathing). It typically appears within the first two hours of life in babies born at or...

Cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis for adults with cancer pain This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of cannabis-based medicines, including medical cannabis, for treating pain and other symptoms in adults with cancer. This is a protocol....