Antibiotics for preventing wound infections after snakebite This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of antibiotics for the prevention of wound infections in people with snakebite. This is a protocol....

Stimulant and non-stimulant drug therapy for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and epilepsy What is the aim of this review? The aim of this Cochrane Review was to find out if stimulant and non-stimulant medications are effective and safe in treating people with both Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. Cochrane Review authors collected and analysed all relevant studies to answer this question. Background Epilepsy is a disease where the brain is predisposed to generating seizures. ADHD is a condition where daily life is affected by inattention,...

Anti-interferon therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of anti-interferon therapy in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This is a protocol....

Antithrombotic therapy to prevent cognitive decline in people with small vessel disease on neuroimaging but without dementia Background Disruption of blood flow to the brain can cause problems with memory and thinking. In the condition called 'cerebral small vessel disease', there is damage to the smallest blood vessels that run deep in the brain. This damage can cause stroke but can also be seen on brain scans in people with no obvious stroke symptoms. Cerebral small vessel disease usually gets worse over time, and in some people can cause a decline in memory and thinking. If this decline...

Natalizumab for multiple sclerosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To estimate the benefits and harms of: Natalizumab compared with placebo or other disease-modifying therapies (DMT) as first‐choice treatment for people with any form of multiple sclerosis (MS); Natalizumab compared with placebo or other DMT for all forms of MS, when switching from another DMT. This is a protocol....

Group cognitive behavioural therapy for schizophrenia Review question Is group cognitive behavioural therapy (talking therapy) that targets psychoses (CBTp) more effective than standard care (the care a person would normally receive) or other forms of talking therapies (for example, counselling, supportive therapy; either group or individual) for people with schizophrenia? What is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a disabling serious mental illness. It is characterised by delusions (bizarre beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), negative symptoms (social...

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....