Do proton pump inhibitors prevent ulcers and stomach discomfort caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs? Key messages Compared to a placebo (dummy or inactive treatment), proton pump inhibitors probably reduce the development of new ulcers. They also slightly decrease symptoms of dyspepsia (indigestion). They may reduce ulcer complications and probably slightly improve quality of life. They may have little to no harmful effects, but the evidence is very uncertain. Compared to histamine 2-receptor antagonists (also known as H2-blockers; medications that help reduce stomach acid),...

Pain and sedation management for screening or treatment of retinopathy of prematurity This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of pain and sedation management for screening or treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants compared to placebo, no intervention, or other interventions. This is a protocol....

Which factors are related to return to work in breast cancer survivors? Key messages Breast cancer survivors who are older and who receive chemotherapy may be at higher risk of not returning to work. Results regarding educational level were inconclusive. Further research is warranted to identify those breast cancer survivors who are at higher risk of not returning to work, so that they can receive timely support. What is breast cancer? What is return to work, and why is it important? Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women around the world and many people diagnosed with...

Motor interventions initiated prior hospital discharge to prevent neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of motor interventions initiated prior hospital discharge to prevent neurodevelopmental and motor impairment in preterm infants compared to standard care, post-discharge motor interventions, and different modalities of the same motor intervention. This is a protocol....

Socio-economic equity in the impact of population-based interventions to reduce alcohol consumption This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the differential effects of public health interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption in the general population across SEP as defined by education, occupation, or income. Outcomes will be evaluated using the RE-AIM framework, considering dimensions of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. This is a protocol....

Which type of sleep study is better for diagnosing people with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea? Key messages – The diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea using limited channel sleep studies is less cumbersome than polysomnography and can be performed at the person's home rather than in a hospital laboratory. – Using limited channel sleep studies results in little to no difference in sleepiness. – However, much of the evidence is uncertain, in particular for Level IV studies. What is obstructive sleep apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and...

Weight-neutral interventions for people with obesity and the perspective of patients, carers and healthcare professionals: a mixed methods review This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prototype). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of weight-neutral interventions for managing obesity in children and adults (quantitative data). To explore the views, perspectives and experiences of children and adults receiving the intervention, their close family members or, if appropriate, carers, and healthcare personnel who recommend or deliver weight-neutral interventions to determine...

Does the DASH diet help people with or at risk of cardiovascular diseases? Key messages - We do not have enough evidence to say that the DASH diet prevents heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from heart disease. - The DASH diet may produce little to no harmful effects, but we are unsure about this due to the limited evidence. - We need bigger and longer studies to find out if the DASH diet can truly prevent serious heart problems and to check if it’s safe in the long run. What is cardiovascular disease? Cardiovascular disease is a term for conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. It...

Psychological therapies for post‐traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects (i.e. benefits and harms) of psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents. This is a protocol....

Clinical outcomes of out-of-office versus in-office blood pressure monitoring in adults with hypertension This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of out-of-office compared to in-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring for improving clinical outcomes in adults with hypertension. This is a protocol....

Do typhoid conjugate vaccines prevent acute typhoid fever and are they safe? Key messages Compared to a control (no vaccine, placebo ('dummy') or vaccine for another disease), typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) may result in a large decrease in acute typhoid fever cases. We are uncertain whether TCVs, compared to other typhoid vaccines, decrease acute typhoid cases. There may be little to no difference in death from any cause, and unwanted effects, when TCVs are compared to a control, a non-conjugated typhoid vaccine or a different TCV. There is a slight decrease in serious unwanted effects...

For cancer patients, what are the benefits and risks of taking the hormone melatonin? Key messages Due to a lack of robust evidence, the effects of melatonin on quality of life and sleep quality in people receiving treatment for cancer are unclear. Melatonin might not increase the risk of adverse events, but the available evidence is not strong enough for us to be certain. Well designed studies using melatonin over a period of up to three months are needed to give better estimates of the benefits and risks. What is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body to regulate the daily...

Multi-level factors affecting adolescent and youth engagement in HIV-research in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: To explore the views and experiences of adolescents and youth who engaged with (i.e. were approached for participation) or participated in HIV research in low-and middle-income countries. To develop a logic model or visual representation that depicts the variety of factors affecting adolescent and youth engagement in HIV-related research, and how these factors...

Higher initial doses of surfactant for the prevention or treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of higher − compared with standard − initial doses of surfactant in high‐risk preterm infants and preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome. This is a protocol....

Perioperative enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for non-malignant gynaecological conditions This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of perioperative ERAS protocols compared to traditional perioperative care for women undergoing surgery due to non-malignant gynaecological conditions and to review the availability and key findings of health economic evaluations of ERAS, summarising their principal conclusions. This is a protocol....

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor maintenance therapy after stem cell transplantation for FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of FLT3 TKIs as maintenance therapy compared to no maintenance therapy or alternative strategies for participants with FLT3-mutated AML after allo-HSCT. This is a protocol....

Do supplements (like lutein and zeaxanthin) reduce illnesses and death in preterm infants? Key messages • Lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation probably reduces severe eye disease in preterm infants. • We found no evidence of any other clear beneficial or harmful effects of the interventions in reducing gut (stomach/digestive system) or brain problems in preterm babies. However, all five studies were conducted in Italy and the USA. • Future studies should be conducted in a variety of countries and settings. These studies should evaluate major outcomes such as death, gut or brain problems,...

Exercise interventions for treating work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of exercise interventions for work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS) in adults. The outcomes of interest are pain, function, work outcomes, adverse events, quality of life, healthcare use and injury recurrence. This is a protocol....

Do different ways of giving blood or blood products to treat bleeding affect the risk of death or the risk of developing a blood clot in people who are bleeding heavily after a traumatic injury? Key messages - No particular transfusion strategy (method of giving blood products) seems to change the overall chance of a patient dying or getting a blood clot. - We found 18 studies that tested different ways of giving blood transfusions. This variety made it difficult to combine the results and means we do not have clear answers to our questions. What is traumatic injury? A traumatic injury is a...

For those receiving a procedure to open up vessels after an ischaemic stroke, is clot-busting medicine better than no clot-busting medicine? Key messages For people who received a procedure to open up blood vessels after a stroke, adding a clot-busting medicine: did not make a difference, on average, in their ability to perform daily activities on their own with slight or moderate disability, in the number of deaths, or in bleeding inside the brain with or without symptoms. resulted in a higher flow of blood that could be seen going through the previously blocked blood vessels. What is acute...