Medicine that kills bacteria (antibiotics) or surgery: which works better to treat appendicitis? Key messages – Medicine that kills bacteria (antibiotics) may result in unsuccessful treatment of symptoms for a few people. – Antibiotics may reduce wound infection but increase time spent at the hospital slightly. – One third of people with appendicitis initially treated with antibiotics underwent surgery for appendicitis within one year. Put another way, two-thirds of people avoided surgery within one year. What is appendicitis? Appendicitis (painful swelling in the finger-shaped pouch that...

Treatments to reduce alcohol use during pregnancy Key messages We found that among pregnant women who report alcohol use during pregnancy, brief psychosocial interventions (BIs) may increase the number of continuously abstinent women when compared to treatment as usual (TAU). There may be no difference between groups in the number of drinks per day, but the evidence is very uncertain. Receiving a BI compared to TAU probably results in little to no difference in the number of women who completed treatment. What are the consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy? Alcohol use during pregnancy...

Can injection of platelet-rich plasma in the womb or ovaries of infertile women undergoing assisted reproduction help them to become pregnant? Key messages • We do not know if platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in the womb is better than no treatment or dummy treatment in terms of live birth (or ongoing pregnancy), miscarriage, clinical pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy. PRP injection in the womb may increase the risk of preterm birth. We have insufficient information about other potential unwanted effects of PRP. • We have insufficient information about the use of PRP...

Prognostic factors for return to work following knee arthroplasty This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: We will examine four prognostic factors for return to work that can be used to manage patient expectations, enhance shared decision-making, and improve timely, multidisciplinary, work-directed care. The research question Which of the following four prognostic factors, categorised according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework, are associated with return to work after primary knee...

Botulinum toxins for sleep bruxism This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxins as an intervention to reduce the negative consequences of sleep bruxism in adults. This is a protocol....

Pharmacological treatments for adults with overweight and obesity without diabetes This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the comparative efficacy and safety of weight-loss drugs, provided in addition to lifestyle modification, for weight management in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes. To obtain a ranking of pharmacological interventions for weight loss amongst the various available options through a network meta-analysis. This is a protocol....

Antibiotics for relapses of protracted bacterial bronchitis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of antibiotics for protracted bacterial bronchitis in children who have suffered a relapse. This is a protocol....

Serious adverse events associated with systemic treatments for psoriasis: a network meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the safety of current systemic treatments for moderate-to-severe psoriasis in adults, using a network meta-analysis that includes both randomised and non-randomised trials. This is a protocol....

What are the benefits and risks of treating preterm infants at risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia with corticosteroids? Key messages Treatment with dexamethasone after the first week of life is, at present, the only effective treatment in babies at high risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Giving corticosteroids directly into the windpipe, together with surfactant, might be a promising treatment in the future. Treatment with dexamethasone in the first week of life and treatment with hydrocortisone at any time after birth are ineffective or possibly unsafe. What is bronchopulmonary...

Does releasing Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes prevent dengue infection? Key messages – People living in areas where Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes have been released are less likely to contract dengue than people living in areas with no release. – People living in areas where Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes have been released are less likely to be admitted to hospital due to dengue than people living in areas with no release. What is dengue? Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by certain mosquitoes that is found in over 100 countries, with 3.9 billion people at risk of infection....

Antiviral treatment for the prevention of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus infection This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of antiviral drugs for prevention of transmission of hepatitis B virus infection from mother to child. This is a protocol....

Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety in patients with heart disease Do psychological interventions reduce depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation compared to no psychological intervention? Key messages - Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety probably result in a moderate reduction in depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure. - Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety may result in a moderate improvement in mental health-related quality of life,...

Dipyrone for the acute treatment of migraine attacks in children and adults This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the efficacy and safety of dipyrone for the acute treatment of migraine headache in children and adults. This is a protocol....

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the efficacy, safety profile, and potential harms of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with or without biologics (e.g. anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor), given sequentially before or after neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in people undergoing resection for locally advanced rectal cancer compared with no neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This is a protocol....

Exercise therapy for the treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of exercise therapy for the treatment of delirium in critically ill adults in the intensive care unit. This is a protocol....

What are the effects of endoscopic sphincterotomy for adults with biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction? Key messages – We do not know if endoscopic sphincterotomy compared with sham operation or dual endoscopic sphincterotomy benefits adults with biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, or changes serious or non-serious unwanted effects, quality of life, and liver function. – We have no data comparing endoscopic sphincterotomy with sham operation, endoscopic papillary balloon dilation,or dual endoscopic sphincterotomyon deaths, non-serious unwanted effects, and hospital stay. – No trial...

What do people think of strategies to identify cases of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries? What is active case finding? Active case finding (ACF) involves health workers going out into communities to identify people with tuberculosis who otherwise might not have sought help in clinics (e.g. because they live too far from health facilities or cannot afford to get there). The aim of ACF is to find people who have tuberculosis and provide them with treatment, in order to reduce the spread of disease and improve the health of infected people. What did we want to find out? We aimed...

Exposure to nitrate and nitrite in drinking water and cancers This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prototype). The objectives are as follows: To assess the association between nitrate and nitrite in drinking water and cancers in observational studies This is a protocol....

Prebiotics for treatment of ulcerative colitis Key messages We found that prebiotics may not differ from placebo in preventing relapses of ulcerative colitis. For adults in remission, prebiotics may result in more side effects than placebo. The evidence was of poor quality for remission, improvement in disease activity, inflammation, and quality of life, therefore we could not reach any conclusions for these outcomes. There needs to be more high-quality research on this topic before any firm conclusions can be reached. What is ulcerative colitis? Ulcerative colitis is one of the two main...

Are psychological therapies effective in reducing depression in older adults living in long-term care? Key messages – Psychological therapies (sometimes known as talking therapies) may treat symptoms of depression better than non-therapy approaches in older adults living in long-term care (LTC) facilities (for example, nursing or residential homes and assisted-living facilities). – Psychological therapies may also be better than non-therapy approaches for increasing quality of life and psychological well-being (an individual's emotional health and overall functioning) in the short term. –...