What are the benefits and risks of topical medications for treating epidemic keratoconjunctivitis? What is epidemic keratoconjunctivitis? Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is inflammation of conjunctiva, the membrane covering the sclera (white outer coating of the eye) and inside of the eyelids, usually caused by specific strains of a group of common viruses known as adenoviruses. The infection can spread easily within households, healthcare settings, and the community. In some individuals, the inflammation leads to scarring of the cornea ('infiltrates') and conjunctiva, which causes persistent...

Periodic change of body position under phototherapy in term and preterm neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia Review question Does changing babies’ position improve the results of light therapy for full-term and premature babies with jaundice? Key messages In this systematic review, we evaluated studies comparing scheduled repositioning and no scheduled repositioning of full-term and premature babies having light therapy for jaundice. These two positioning strategies resulted in little or no difference in the length of time light therapy lasted or the rate at which bilirubin levels fell....

Comparing different methods of determining whether gliomas are missing arms 1p and 19q of the chromosomes Why is improving the detection of 1p/19q codeletion in glioma important? Gliomas are a type of brain tumour (cancer). There are different types of glioma, with different changes in their genetic material. One of the possible genetic changes is the loss of parts of two of our 23 chromosomes. When both a specific part of chromosome 1 and a specific part of chromosome 19 are missing, it is known as '1p/19q codeletion'. 1p/19q codeletion is used to diagnose a glioma known as an...

Do synbiotics prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants? Background Very preterm (born more than eight weeks early) and very low birth weight (less than 1.5 kg) infants are at risk of developing necrotising enterocolitis, a severe condition where some of the lining of the infant's bowel becomes inflamed, and the cells of this tissue die. This condition is associated with death, serious infection, and long-term disability, as well as developmental problems. What did we want to find out? One way to help prevent necrotising enterocolitis may be to add...

Cannabis-based medicines for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicines, compared to placebo or an alternative treatment strategy, for preventing nausea and vomiting during the postoperative period among adults undergoing elective surgery. This is a protocol....

Sex and gender as predictors for allograft and patient-relevant outcomes after kidney transplantation This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the prognostic effect of the recipient's (i) sex and gender separately (ii) gender as an independent predictor of patient-relevant outcomes at any time period following kidney or SPK transplantation (Table 1) and explore sources of heterogeneity. We aim to evaluate this prognostic effect by (a) clearly defining the relationship between recipient sex/gender and post-transplantation outcomes, which...

Antibiotic prophylaxis for leptospirosis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of antibiotics for the prevention of leptospirosis This is a protocol....

Extended-release methylphenidate for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults Review question This review investigated the positive and negative effects of methylphenidate and compared them to placebo or to other medications in adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We particularly focused on effects on daily functioning, such as the number of days a person is absent from work, and the effects on ADHD symptoms and quality of life assessed by the patients themselves, and also by a doctor or a researcher. Background ADHD is a psychiatric...

Effects of a gluten-reduced or gluten-free diet for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease Background Cardiovascular diseases are disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including acute coronary and cerebrovascular events (such as myocardial infarction and stroke). Approximately 50% of disabilities resulting from cardiovascular disease are associated with a suboptimal diet. In particular, dietary gluten (a protein found in certain cereal grain) has been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. For example, different gastrointestinal symptoms (such as malabsorption or...

Treatments to manage rapid breathing in babies (transient tachypnoea of the newborn) Review question Do drugs and other treatments in babies with abnormally rapid breathing (known as transient tachypnoea of the newborn) improve lung function and reduce the need for breathing support (i.e. mechanical ventilation) and/or duration of symptoms? Background Transient tachypnoea of the newborn is characterised by rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute) and signs of respiratory distress (difficulty in breathing). It typically appears within the first two hours of life in babies born at or...

Cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis for adults with cancer pain This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of cannabis-based medicines, including medical cannabis, for treating pain and other symptoms in adults with cancer. This is a protocol....

Cradle hold versus alternate positions for bottle feeding preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of infant position during bottle feeding for feeding tolerance and growth in preterm infants. This is a protocol....

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)....