Electroconvulsive therapy for preventing relapse and recurrence in people with depression This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of ECT for preventing relapse and recurrence of depression in children, adolescents, adults, and older people with major depressive disorder. This is a protocol....

Antithrombotics after infra-inguinal peripheral endovascular treatment This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effects of antithrombotic agents compared with each other, with placebo, or with no treatment, in people with infra-inguinal (below the anatomical level of the inguinal ligament) peripheral arterial disease who are undergoing peripheral endovascular treatment. This is a protocol....

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the safety and efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. This is a protocol....

Lifestyle and dietary interventions for Ménière’s disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of lifestyle interventions for Ménière's disease. This is a protocol....

Do heated tobacco products help people to quit smoking, are they safe for this purpose, and have they led to falls in smoking rates? Key messages Heated tobacco probably exposes people to fewer toxins than cigarettes, but possibly more than not using any tobacco. Falls in cigarette sales appeared to speed up following the launch of heated tobacco in Japan, but we are uncertain whether this is caused by people switching from cigarettes to heated tobacco. We need more independently funded research into whether heated tobacco helps people stop smoking, whether it results in unwanted effects,...

Improving the outcome of people with primary brain tumours and their carers using early palliative interventions Why this question is important Brain tumours can have a significant impact on people and their carers. Brain tumours can impair people's physical, neurocognitive, and social functioning, which can affect the whole family, particularly informal caregivers, who often receive inadequate support. There is evidence in other cancers that providing access to palliative support in the early stages of a person's illness can help to improve their, and their caregivers', quality of life....

Long term antibiotics taken at regular intervals by people with bronchiectasis Background Bronchiectasis is a common condition arising from a cycle of repeated chest infections that damage the airways, leaving them susceptible to further infection. Typical symptoms include persistent cough and phlegm production. The main aim of treatment is to reduce lung infections and improve quality of life. Long term antibiotics aim to break this cycle of reinfection but this must be balanced against increased risk of developing resistance to antibiotics. Antibiotics may be taken at intervals to reduce...

Preoperative coronary interventions for preventing acute myocardial infarction in the perioperative period of major open vascular or endovascular surgery This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of preoperative coronary interventions for preventing acute myocardial infarction in the perioperative period of major open vascular or endovascular surgery. This is a protocol....

Low levels of sugar to prevent cardiovascular disease Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels and the number one cause of death worldwide. It is important to detect modifiable risk factors and find strategies to prevent CVD. There are several established modifiable risk factors for developing CVD, one of them being eating an unhealthy diet rich in sugar. Sugar can be divided in two categories; sugars naturally occurring in food and sugars that are added to food. A high level of added sugar intake is suggested to cause weight gain...

What are the benefits and risks of percutaneous blood clot removal (thrombectomy) and dissolution of blood clot accelerated by ultrasound waves (ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis) for treating acute limb ischaemia? Key messages Because of a lack of robust evidence, the benefits and risks of percutaneous blood clot removal (the removal of a blood clot via a needle puncture in the skin, known as percutaneous thrombectomy) or ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis (where ultrasound waves are sent by a specific device into the blood vessel to accelerate the dissolution of a blood clot) for the...

The combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation and thermal ablation versus TACE alone for hepatocellular carcinoma Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (a common kind of liver cancer) is the sixth most common cancer in the world. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) (injecting agents into the feeding vessels of the tumour to reduce the blood supply to the tumour and kill the tumour) is the most common therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma, but the clinical outcome is poor. In recent years, the combination of TACE plus thermal ablation (killing the tumour cell by...

Thermal stability and storage of human insulin This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prototype). The objectives are as follows: To analyse the effects of storing human insulin above or below the manufacturers' recommended insulin temperature storage range or advised usage time, or both, after dispensing human insulin to people with diabetes. This is a protocol....