Microsurgical versus complex physical decongestive therapy for chronic breast cancer-related lymphoedema This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of microsurgery versus complex physical decongestive therapy in people with chronic breast cancer-related lymphoedema. This is a protocol....

Graded activity for chronic low back pain This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of graded activity compared to placebo, sham, or no treatment for pain and function in adults with chronic non-specific low back pain. This is a protocol....

Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To investigate whether acupuncture is more effective than 'sham' (placebo) acupuncture, no preventative treatment or routine care only, or other interventions, in reducing headache frequency in people with episodic migraine. This is a protocol....

Can self-management programs improve the quality of life in adults with low vision? Key messages Self-management programs (types of education or training that help people learn how to manage their own health) may not improve health-related or vision-related quality of life measures in adults with low vision. The evidence is uncertain, and more research is needed to confirm these findings. What is visual impairment? Visual impairment refers to a condition where a person's eyesight is reduced and cannot be corrected using eye glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. This leads to difficulties in...

Is ‘prophylactic transarterial embolization’ (blocking blood vessels as a precaution) effective to prevent a peptic (stomach) ulcer bleeding again following earlier successful endoscopic treatment (with a tube through the mouth into the stomach)? Key messages - Prophylactic transarterial embolization (blocking blood supply to the ulcer as a precaution) may make little to no difference in reducing rebleeding, need for reoperation, or death for people whose bleeding peptic ulcer had been successfully treated with endoscopy (a tube through the mouth into the stomach), but length of stay in...

What are the effects of colchicine in preventing cardiovascular events before they ever occur? Key messages • The benefits and harms of colchicine in preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease before it ever occurs remain unclear. • Further research is needed before any strong conclusions can be made. Colchicine and cardiovascular disease Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD), a condition marked by lipid accumulation (buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances) on the artery walls, which is often made worse by chronic inflammation disorders, is a major cause of death...

Prognostic value of blood eosinophils for predicting survival and treatment outcomes in people with non-small cell lung cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: To assess the prognostic value of measuring pretreatment baseline blood eosinophil levels in adults receiving systemic treatment for any stage of non-small cell lung cancer. This is a protocol....

Radiofrequency treatment for chronic knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of radiofrequency treatment of the genicular nerves in people with chronic knee pain due to knee osteoarthritis. This is a protocol....

Education and training interventions for healthcare workers to prevent sexual harassment This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness of education and training interventions on improving knowledge and skills for managing sexual harassment, and to assess their impact on the incidence of sexual harassment towards healthcare workers in healthcare settings. We will include all forms of sexual harassment committed by patients, visitors, and co-workers. This is a protocol....

Penetrating versus non-penetrating mesh fixation in laparoscopic groin hernia repair­ This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of penetrating versus non-penetrating mesh fixation in adults receiving laparoscopic groin hernia repair. This is a protocol....

Psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation in people with coronary heart disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To examine the benefits and harms of different types of psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation in people with CHD. Secondary objectives To examine the benefits and harms of psychosocial interventions aimed solely at smoking cessation compared with multi-risk factor interventions for smoking cessation in people with CHD. To examine the benefits and harms of brief (duration of < one month)...

What are the benefits and harms of transfusions of blood and blood products for managing postpartum haemorrhage? Key messages The best time for women to begin receiving an allogeneic blood transfusion (where blood from a donor is injected into the woman's bloodstream through a vein) to reduce complications from excessive blood loss within 24 hours of birth (postpartum haemorrhage) is unknown. The effect of blood products (substances produced from whole blood) instead of, or in addition to, whole blood transfusion on reducing complications of postpartum haemorrhage is largely uncertain. What...

What are the effects of precision nutrition-based interventions for managing obesity in children and adolescents? Key messages • It is unclear if precision nutrition (diets or foods tailored to people based on characteristics related to individual biology and environment) has an effect on weight change measured as body weight or body mass index (BMI) (a percentile measure of someone's weight relative to the average for a given age) in children and adolescents with obesity. • Further research, including large studies, is needed to understand the effects of precision nutrition-based...

Antidepressants for generalised anxiety disorder Key messages – Antidepressants are more effective than placebo (pretend tablet) at improving treatment response and have similar acceptability to placebo. Fewer participants dropped out due to a lack of effectiveness in the antidepressant group compared to the placebo group and more participants dropped out due to unwanted effects in the antidepressant group compared to placebo. – Future studies may be more transparent with their methods and outcome reporting. Future reviews may also include people with co-occurring medical conditions...

What are the benefits and risks of diuretics for preventing and treating acute kidney injury? Key messages • For prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI; a condition where the kidneys suddenly lose their ability to filter waste from the blood), compared to control, diuretics probably reduce the need for any dialysis and may reduce the risk of developing AKI and death. Diuretics may result in little or no difference in the need for permanent dialysis, hypotension (low blood pressure), low blood potassium, or serum creatinine (a measure of kidney function). The effect of diuretics on irregular...

What are the effects of interventions on sales of antimicrobial drugs without prescription in community pharmacies? Key messages • There is no clear evidence that the single-component interventions targeted at pharmacists and non-pharmacists in community pharmacies and drugstores are effective. • When multicomponent interventions are used, the sale of antimicrobial drugs without a prescription may not be reduced, but we are very uncertain about the results. • Better-quality studies are needed to fully look at this topic. What is antimicrobial resistance? Antimicrobial drugs kill...

Is continuing chronic blood thinners better than stopping them near or during surgical heart rhythm device implantation? Key message Stopping blood thinners before or during surgery for a CIED may result in little to no difference in undesirable outcomes such as blood clots or bleeding events when compared to taking them continuously. What are cardiac implantable electronic devices? Sometimes, people's hearts do not beat at a normal rhythm. This can make it hard for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. It can also increase the chance of getting blood clots. To fix this problem,...

Home visiting for postpartum depression This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits of home visiting models for postpartum depression amongst mothers of young children, where either the mothers or the children are enrolled in early childhood home visiting programs or interventions. To identify core components essential for a home visiting program to effectively address postpartum depression in mothers of young children. The hypothesized core components of such a program include the priority level given to PPD intervention,...

Dexmedetomidine for analgesia and sedation for procedural pain or discomfort in newborn infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of dexmedetomidine compared with opioids, non-opioids and placebo in providing sedation and analgesia for procedural pain in newborn infants. This is a protocol....

What are the benefits and risks of using caesarean myomectomy in pregnant women with fibroids in the womb? Key messages The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of caesarean myomectomy (surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths) on the requirement for blood transfusion, risk of bleeding, length of hospitalisation, length of operation, risk of major surgery, and risk of postpartum fever (high temperature in the days following delivery), so it is not possible to generate any meaningful conclusions. The authors do not know the effect of caesarean myomectomy on...