Does weekly dosing of paclitaxel improve survival, compared with tri-weekly dosing of paclitaxel in the initial treatment of ovarian cancer? Background Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Treatment consists of a combination of surgery and chemotherapy (most commonly including paclitaxel and carboplatin), with the aim to reduce or delay the return of the cancer (known as progression-free survival (PFS)), and improve chances for cancer survival (known as overall survival (OS)). Several clinical trials (studies) have investigated whether the dosing schedule (timing) of...

Legal banning of asbestos for preventing asbestos exposure This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect of a legal ban of asbestos on the time trend of production, import and use of asbestos and exposure to asbestos among workers or the general population, compared to the time trend when there was not such a ban. This is a protocol....

Community views on mass drug administration for filariasis: a qualitative evidence synthesis What was studied in this synthesis? Mass drug administration (MDA) involves the regular delivery of treatment medicines to whole populations, regardless of whether an individual has the disease or not, and aims to prevent onward transmission (passing from one person to another). It is currently recommended for some disease control programmes in low- and middle-income countries, including the parasitic disease lymphatic filariasis, which can result in swollen limbs and disability. For governments and...

Do pressure redistributing static chairs help to prevent pressure ulcers? Key messages Despite a comprehensive search, we did not find any studies that looked at whether pressure redistributing static chairs help to prevent or manage pressure ulcers. This is an important topic area and high quality research is needed to determine whether or not such chairs benefit people at risk of developing pressure ulcers. What are pressure ulcers? Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue that can be caused by prolonged pressure. Sitting can be an important part of a person's...

Prognostic factors for return to work in breast cancer survivors This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: The primary objective is to systematically review and synthesise the literature on the association between sociodemographic, breast cancer-related, other health-related, personal, and work-related factors and return to work in the first 24 months after breast cancer diagnosis among those survivors having paid work at diagnosis. This is a protocol....

Which are the best treatments for hip fractures in older adults? Why is this question important? A hip fracture is a break at the top of the leg bone. We included people with a break just below the ball and socket joint. These types of broken hip are common in older adults whose bones may be fragile because of a condition called osteoporosis. They often happen after a fall from a standing or sitting position. The broken hip can be treated in different ways, and we don't know whether some treatments are better than others. What are the treatments? - Replacing the broken hip with an artificial...

Interventions for hyperhidrosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness and safety of interventions for hyperhidrosis. This is a protocol....

Hip replacement surgery in adults This review assessed evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs, on the benefits and harms of different types of hip replacement used to treat hip fracture in adults. Background A hip fracture is a break at the top of the leg bone. These types of breaks are common in older adults whose bones may be fragile because of a condition called osteoporosis. One method of treatment is to replace the broken hip with an artifical one. This can be done using a hemiarthroplasty (HA), which replaces part of the hip joint (the ball part of the joint)....

Sealants for preventing tooth decay in baby teeth Review question Can putting sealants over the biting surfaces of baby teeth in the back of the mouth prevent tooth decay forming in them? Background Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases of childhood that can affect the overall well-being of the child. The most commonly affected teeth are the back teeth whose biting surfaces are not flat and have grooves (pits and fissures) that can retain food debris and bacteria, leading to formation of cavities (decay). In addition, the opening of these grooves is so small that a toothbrush...

Which are the best treatments for hip fractures in older adults? Key messages - There is no 'best treatment' for this type of broken hip. - More people needed additional surgery on their broken hip after treatment with condylocephalic nails (where a nail is inserted upwards from the knee towards the hip joint) or static fixed angle plates (where pins or screws attach a plate to the broken bone). - There may be no difference between a short cephalomedullary nail (where a nail is inserted downwards from the hip joint towards the knee) and a dynamic fixed angle plate (where the pins or screws...

Nutritional therapy for reducing disability and improving activities of daily living in people after stroke This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of nutritional therapy on disability and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients. This is a protocol....

Statins for people with intracerebral hemorrhage This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the safety and efficacy of statin treatment in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Secondary objectives include exploring the effects of dosage and timing (including continuation, discontinuation, and initiation of statins). This is a protocol....

Medicines for preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Why is this review important? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and disabling condition which may develop in people exposed to traumatic events. Such events can have long-lasting negative repercussions on the lives of those who have experienced them, as well as on the lives of loved ones. Research has shown that there are some alterations in how the brain works in people with PTSD. Some researchers have thus proposed using medicines to target these alterations soon after a traumatic event, as a way to prevent the...

Interventions for the treatment of persistent post-viral olfactory dysfunction This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of interventions that have been used to treat post-viral olfactory dysfunction. This is a protocol....

Folic acid supplementation and malaria susceptibility and severity among people taking antifolate antimalarial drugs in endemic areas This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To examine the effects of folic acid supplementation, at various doses, on malaria susceptibility (risk of infection) and severity among people living in areas with various degrees of malaria endemicity. We will examine the interaction between folic acid supplements and antifolate antimalarial drugs. Specifically, we will aim to answer the following. Among uninfected people...

Low-carbohydrate diets or balanced-carbohydrate diets: which works better for weight loss and heart disease risks? Key messages • There is probably little to no difference in the weight lost by people following low-carbohydrate weight-reducing diets (also known as 'low-carb diets') compared to the weight lost by people following balanced-carbohydrate weight-reducing diets, for up to two years. • Similarly, there is probably little to no difference between the diets for changes in heart disease risks, like diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar...

Are medicines that block interleukin‐1 (a protein involved in immune responses) effective treatments for COVID‐19 and do they cause unwanted effects? Key messages • Overall, we did not find sufficient evidence to show that medicines that block interleukin-1 (a protein involved in immune responses) are effective treatments for people with COVID-19, or whether they cause unwanted effects. • We found 16 studies with unpublished results. We will update this review when new data are available. • In future, we need high-quality studies to evaluate medicines that block interleukin-1 to treat...

Preoperative combined mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation for preventing complications in elective colorectal surgery This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The aim of this review is to assess the evidence for the use of combined mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation for preventing complications in elective colorectal surgery. This is a protocol....

Esketamine for treatment-resistant depression in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The main aim of this Cochrane review is to assess the efficacy and tolerability of esketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Secondary aims are to assess the risk of specific adverse events during esketamine treatment, and its acceptability. This is a protocol....

Cuffed versus uncuffed endotracheal tubes for neonates Background: newborn babies rarely need a tube placed in the windpipe; however, this may occur before a procedure or to help with breathing. The tube may or may not have a cuff. The standard of care in newborn babies is a tube without a cuff. Cuffed tubes are used more frequently in older babies and children to reduce leaks of gas around the tube, the risk of aspiration (breathing food, saliva, or stomach contents into the airways or lungs), the need to change the tube, or the tube coming out. Review question: in this review, we evaluated...