What are the benefits and risks of stem cell injections for knee osteoarthritis? Key messages • Compared with placebo injection, stem cell injection for people with knee osteoarthritis may slightly improve pain and function. • We are uncertain whether stem cell injection slows down the progression of the disease, improves quality of life or the chance of treatment success, or whether stem cell injections are safe. What is osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints. The joint loses cartilage and other changes to the structure of the joint may occur. This can lead to pain and...

Welche Wirkungen hat das Absetzens von blutdrucksenkenden Medikamenten bei älteren Menschen? Kernaussagen - Die derzeitige Evidenz reicht nicht aus, um den Nutzen und die Risiken eines Absetzens von blutdrucksenkenden Medikamenten bei älteren Menschen, die diese zur Behandlung von Bluthochdruck oder zur Primärprävention von Herzerkrankungen einnehmen, verlässlich beurteilen zu können. - Zukünftige Forschungen zu den Auswirkungen des Absetzens von blutdrucksenkenden Medikamenten sollten sich vorrangig auf ältere Menschen mit einem besonders hohen Risiko für Nebenwirkungen konzentrieren. Das...

Erhöhen Amphetamine den Blutdruck? Kernaussagen - Amphetamine sind Substanzen, die die Aktivität im Gehirn und dem zentralen Nervensystem steigern. Die tägliche orale Einnahme über einen Zeitraum von mindestens 8 Wochen erhöht den Blutdruck und die Herzfrequenz. - In Studien, in denen Teilnehmende Amphetamine oder ein Placebo (eine inaktive Substanz) erhielten, brachen mehr Personen, denen Amphetamine verabreicht wurden, die Studien aufgrund unerwünschter oder schädlicher Wirkungen ab als Personen, die ein Placebo erhielten. Was sind Amphetamine, und wofür werden sie verschrieben?...

Mucolytics (drugs that break down mucus) for children with chronic suppurative lung disease Key messages - Due to a lack of robust evidence, it is unclear if mucolytics are helpful for children with chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD). We found only one small study with design limitations. - Larger, well-designed studies are needed to assess the benefits and potential harms of mucolytic medications in children with CSLD. What is chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD)? Chronic suppurative lung diseases are conditions associated with chronic infection and inflammation of the airways with...

What are the effects of ultrasound versus anatomic landmark guidance for percutaneous common femoral artery access? Key messages • Ultrasound guidance may lead to a higher first-attempt success rate and improved time to successful common femoral artery (CFA) access, while reducing the venipuncture rate (unintentionally accessing the vein instead of the targeted artery) and number of access attempts, compared to anatomic landmark guidance. • Further research is needed to increase our confidence in the evidence. What is the condition, and how is it treated? Percutaneous (through the skin)...

Do amphetamines increase blood pressure? Key messages • Amphetamines are substances that increase activity in the brain and central nervous system. Taking them every day by mouth for at least 8 weeks increases blood pressure and heart rate. • In studies that gave participants amphetamines or placebo medicine (an inactive substance), more people given amphetamines quit the studies due to unwanted or harmful effects than people given placebo. What are amphetamines, and what are they prescribed for? Amphetamines are medicines that have a stimulant effect on the brain. They can make you more...

What are the effects of oral decongestants on blood pressure? Key messages – We found no evidence that taking oral decongestants (medicine taken by mouth to relieve a stuffy nose) daily for a week or more changes blood pressure or heart rate or causes people to stop taking them due to unwanted effects. – There were only a few studies, and they were not well designed. More well-conducted studies are needed. – Given that oral decongestants are sometimes taken daily for weeks or months, and have the potential to increase blood pressure, people should consider this potential risk alongside the...

What are the likely benefits and harms of non-medicine and non-surgical treatments for non-specific low back pain? Key messages For acute low back pain (pain lasting less than 6 weeks) • Advice to stay active probably reduces pain and improves function compared to advice to rest in bed. For subacute low back pain (pain lasting from 6 to 12 weeks) • Multidisciplinary therapies probably reduce pain compared to usual care. • Spinal manipulation probably does not improve function compared to placebo (a 'sham' or 'dummy' treatment designed to resemble the actual treatment but lacking active...

Can antibiotics clear or suppress infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis? Key messages There is a lack of evidence to inform guidelines about antibiotic treatment for non-tuberculous mycobacteria in people with cystic fibrosis. Larger and more standardised studies looking at both laboratory results and symptoms are needed before we can make meaningful comparisons between different antibiotic treatments. What is cystic fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition (when both parents pass the cystic fibrosis gene to their children) and people...

Anpassung der Therapie basierend auf Ergebnissen der Bildgebung bei Menschen mit Hodgkin-Lymphom Hauptergebnisse - Die Wirkungen der Therapieanpassung hängen vom Ergebnis der während der Behandlung durchgeführten Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie (PET) und dem Krebsstadium des Hodgkin-Lymphoms (HL) des Betroffenen ab. - Während die Wirkung einer Reduzierung der Therapie auf der Grundlage eines negativen PET-zwischen-Scans bei HL im Frühstadium ungewiss ist, hat sie bei HL im mittleren Stadium möglicherweise nur geringe bis gar keine Auswirkungen auf das Gesamtüberleben und das...

Quelle est la précision des échelles GAD-7 et GAD-2 pour la détection des troubles anxieux ? Principaux messages - Les échelles GAD-7 et GAD-2 ne permettent pas à eux seuls de diagnostiquer ou d'exclure un trouble anxieux. - Cependant, ils donnent une indication sur la présence éventuelle d'un trouble anxieux. - L'interprétation d'un résultat "négatif" ou "positif" d'un questionnaire pour un individu dépend du contexte. Que sont que les troubles anxieux ? Le terme "trouble anxieux" est un terme générique qui fait référence à des troubles psychiques, notamment (mais pas exclusivement) : - le...

Wie genau sind die Fragebögen GAD-7 und GAD-2 bei der Feststellung von Angststörungen? Kernaussagen - Die Fragebögen GAD-7 und GAD-2 können allein nicht verwendet werden, um eine Angststörung zu diagnostizieren oder auszuschließen. - Sie geben jedoch einen Hinweis darauf, ob eine Angststörung vorliegen könnte. - Die Interpretation eines "negativen" oder "positiven" Fragebogenergebnisses zu einer Person hängt vom jeweiligen Kontext ab. Was sind Angststörungen? „Angststörung" ist ein Oberbegriff, der sich auf eine Gruppe von psychischen Erkrankungen bezieht. Dazu gehören unter anderem die: -...

What are the benefits and risks of using a combination of treatments to manage cachexia (disease-related wasting)? Key messages: • We do not know if combinations of two or more treatments (of medication, diet, and exercise) benefit people who have or are at risk of developing cachexia (disease-related wasting). This is because there are currently not enough robust studies in this area. • We need future research to increase our confidence in the evidence by conducting better designed and larger studies. What is cachexia? Cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome that occurs in people with...

Perceptions and experiences of the prevention, identification and management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia: a qualitative evidence synthesis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: The overall objective of this qualitative evidence synthesis is to describe and explore the perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders who have experience with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia or its prevention, identification, or management. The key stakeholders are women who have experienced pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, people in the community, lay health workers, and...

How accurate are GAD-7 and GAD-2 questionnaires for detecting anxiety disorders? Key messages • The GAD-7 and GAD-2 questionnaires alone cannot be used to diagnose or rule out an anxiety disorder. • However, they provide an indication of whether an anxiety disorder may be present. • The interpretation of a "negative" or "positive" questionnaire finding of an individual depends on the context. What are anxiety disorders? 'Anxiety disorder' is an umbrella term which refers to mental health conditions including (but not limited to): • generalised anxiety disorder: when someone experiences...

Kann eine gezielte Therapie, die auf Gentests basiert, bei Menschen mit fortgeschrittenem Krebs das Leben verlängern oder das Fortschreiten der Krankheit verlangsamen? Kernaussagen Bei Menschen mit fortgeschrittener Krebserkrankung, die eine zielgerichtete Therapie – allein oder in Kombination mit Standardbehandlungen – erhalten, bleibt die Krankheit wahrscheinlich länger unter Kontrolle als bei jenen, die ausschließlich Standardtherapien erhalten. Die Evidenz dazu, ob diese Therapien das Gesamtüberleben verlängern, ist jedoch uneinheitlich. Es bedarf weiterer Informationen zu den möglichen...

How accurate are Truenat assays for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults and adolescents? Key messages – Truenat MTB Plus was more accurate than Truenat MTB for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis. Truenat MTB misidentified many people as having tuberculosis when they did not, which raises concern. – Xpert Ultra was more accurate than Truenat MTB. – Evidence on the accuracy of Truenat assay for detecting rifampicin was limited. What is pulmonary tuberculosis? Pulmonary tuberculosis is a lung disease caused by a bacterium (a germ) that spreads through the air via...

Does selecting targeted therapies based on genetic testing of an individual's cancer prolong their life or delay disease progression in people with advanced cancer? Key messages People with advanced cancers who received matched targeted therapies, either alone or in combination with standard treatments, experienced longer periods of disease control compared to those receiving standard treatments alone. However, the evidence on whether these therapies extend overall survival remains inconsistent. Further information is needed on the potential harms of matched targeted therapy and whether...

Mitral repair with annuloplasty for moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation in people undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of mitral repair with annuloplasty for moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation in people undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. This is a protocol....

Perioperative glucocorticoid supplementation in pituitary surgery This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects, including benefits and harms, of perioperative glucocorticoid supplementation in people undergoing surgery for pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) with a preoperatively intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is a protocol....