What are the benefits and risks of different immunotherapy drugs for treating glioblastoma (a cancerous brain tumour)? Key messages • A form of immunotherapy known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which uses the body's immune system to fight disease, has shown encouraging results in the treatment of some cancers. • Seven studies looked at the ICI anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) for the treatment of adults with glioblastoma. Six of them showed no benefit. One small trial showed an improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival, but the evidence is very...

Psychological interventions for depression in people with diabetes mellitus This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the effects of psychological interventions for depression in people with diabetes mellitus. This is a protocol....

Is a procedure to induce tolerance for aspirin an effective treatment for adults with a hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)? Key messages • Due to a lack of robust evidence, the benefits and harms of aspirin after desensitisation (ATAD) (a procedure to induce tolerance to aspirin by exposing an individual to the drug gradually) as a treatment option for people with a hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain unclear. • Treatment with ATAD may lead to a better quality of life, although the evidence comes from small studies. •...

Yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect and safety of yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. This is a protocol....

Are virtual reality interventions more effective than an alternative or no intervention for the rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis? Key messages - Virtual reality might improve balance and postural control, upper limb function, and participation and quality of life, but the overall quality of the evidence is limited. - Since these results are based on few studies of lower quality, they should be interpreted with caution. What is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurological disease in young adults. People with multiple sclerosis can have a variety of...

Injury prevention programmes (IPPs) for preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of injury prevention programmes on anterior cruciate ligament injuries. This is a protocol....

Oocyte activation for women following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) Does performing an additional step of artificial oocyte activation improve the success of intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment (ICSI) in women undergoing assisted reproduction? Key messages We are uncertain about the effect of artificial oocyte activation on the live birth rate and miscarriage rate amongst women with a mix of reasons for undergoing ICSI treatment. In couples undergoing ICSI treatment who have a history of low or no fertilization, performing artificial oocyte activation may help improve the...

Air versus supplemental oxygen for resuscitation of term or late preterm infants at birth This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To assess the benefits and harms of air compared with supplemental oxygen for resuscitation of term or late preterm infants at birth in reducing rates of mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Secondary objectives To assess whether the benefits and harms of air compared with supplemental oxygen differ according to different oxygen concentrations, gestational age (GA), whether...

Are actions taken in schools, colleges and universities to prevent self-harm and suicide in young people up to the age of 25 effective? Key messages • We found 51 studies to answer our question, but we remain uncertain about the impact of interventions in education settings to reduce self-harm. • There are some encouraging findings, but we need large studies to confirm them, and studies that examine the combination of different intervention approaches that are co-designed with young people, can be delivered in a safe environment and implemented over a long period of time. How are self-harm...

What are the benefits and risks of using cell salvage during birth? Key messages Use of cell salvage may reduce the need for additional blood transfusions, may reduce blood loss, and may increase postpartum haemoglobin on day one in women who have a caesarean birth. Cell salvage possibly makes little to no difference to the risk of sepsis and probably makes little to no difference to the risk of haemorrhage. We are not confident in the evidence regarding the effect of cell salvage on the risk of transfusion-related adverse (unwanted or harmful) reactions, length of operation, and length of...

How accurate are cognitive assessment tools, that are completed by people themselves, at detecting dementia? Key messages - The evidence suggests that cognitive assessment tools that are completed by people themselves could be used in the detection and diagnosis of dementia. - There is not enough evidence to recommend one type of assessment tool over another. - Further research on the use of these assessment tools in different settings, such as clinics or people's homes, and the scores that indicate dementia is needed. Why is improving the detection of dementia important? The number of...

What are the effects of sex and gender on outcomes after kidney transplantation? Key messages • There may be no differences in the loss of a transplanted kidney (a surgical procedure where a kidney is transferred from one person - the donor - to another person - the recipient), death, acute or chronic rejection (the body's immune system attacking the transplanted kidney), or the incidence of cancer between male and female kidney transplant recipients (the definition of “male” or “female” based on biological differences). • Only one study investigated gender (defined as the sociocultural...

Are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) effective for treating symptomatic uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women? Key messages • Compared to antibiotics (medicines used to treat a wide range of infections or diseases caused by bacteria), NSAIDs (medicines that reduce inflammation, pain and fever) probably result in less short-term resolution of urinary tract infection symptoms (1 to 4 days), and may result in less medium-term resolution of symptoms (5 to 10 days). • NSAIDs may result in a longer duration of symptoms and probably result in more women needing antibiotic...

Clustering of care activities for promoting development and preventing morbidity in hospitalized preterm infants This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of clustering of care activities for promoting development and preventing morbidity in preterm infants. This is a protocol....

What are the advantages and disadvantages of restricting fluids in babies who are born premature and with a patent ductus arteriosus? Key Messages: There is no evidence for or against reducing fluids as a treatment option for patent ductus arteriosus in premature babies. We need randomized controlled trials that answer our question to help inform clinical decisions. What is patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)? The ductus arteriosus is an extra blood vessel that runs between the heart and lungs in babies before birth and just after. In order for the heart and lungs to work properly after birth,...

Peer-supported interventions for people with spinal cord injury This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To assess the effects of peer-supported interventions on quality of life and self-management compared with control (i.e. usual care, no intervention, or other supportive or psychosocial interventions) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondary objective To assess the effects of peer-supported interventions on health service utilisation, secondary health conditions, mood disorders, and social participation compared...

Financial incentives for family members of hospitalized neonates for improving family presence This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of financial incentives for improving family engagement on family members of neonates receiving hospitalized care. This is a protocol....

GALAD, or des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin compared with alpha-foetoprotein for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in people with chronic liver disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (diagnostic). The objectives are as follows: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, GALAD (Gender, Age, Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP, AFP and DCP), and alpha-foetoprotein for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma of any size, and at any stage, in adults with chronic liver disease, in either a surveillance programme or a clinical setting. We acknowledge...

Dose reduction and discontinuation of biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for people with psoriatic arthritis in remission or low disease activity This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of dose reduction or discontinuation of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in adults with psoriatic arthritis who are in remission or a low disease activity state. This is a protocol....

How accurate are different types of sample collection for diagnosing COVID-19 infection? Key messages • When used with RT-PCR tests (a molecular test that detects genetic material in COVID-19 using a technique called reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction), self-collected gargle and deep throat saliva samples have a similar sensitivity compared to trained healthcare worker-collected nasopharyngeal samples (taken from the back of the throat through the nose) in detecting COVID-19. • When used with RT-PCR, samples collected from the nose, oropharynx (throat via the mouth), oral...