Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Tartrazine is the best known and one of the most commonly used food additives. Food colorants are also used in many medications as well as foods. There has been conflicting evidence as to whether tartrazine causes exacerbations of asthma with some studies finding a positive association especially in individuals with cross-sensitivity to aspirin. ⋯ Due to the paucity of available evidence, it is not possible to provide firm conclusions as to the effects of tartrazine on asthma control. However, the six RCTs that could be included in this review all arrived at the same conclusion. Routine tartrazine exclusion may not benefit most patients, except those very few individuals with proven sensitivity.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewHelium-oxygen mixture for nonintubated acute asthma patients.
Helium and oxygen mixtures (heliox), have been used sporadically in respiratory medicine for decades. Their use in acute respiratory emergencies such as asthma has been the subject of considerable debate. Despite the lapse of more than 60 years since it was first proposed, the role of heliox in treating patients with acute severe asthma is unclear. ⋯ The existing evidence does not provide support for the administration of helium-oxygen mixtures to patients presenting to the emergency department with moderate to severe acute asthma. Heliox treatment does not have a role in the initial treatment of patients with acute asthma. These conclusions are based upon between-group comparisons and small studies. Additional research in this setting may be warranted.
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Acute psychotic illness, especially when associated with agitated or violent behaviour, requires urgent pharmacological tranquillisation or sedation. Clotiapine, a dibenzothiazepine neuroleptic, is being used for this purpose in several countries. ⋯ We found no significant evidence to support the use of clotiapine rather than other 'standard' or 'non-standard' treatments for the management of acute psychotic illness. The trials included in this review all present important methodological flaws. We do not wish to discourage clinicians from using clotiapine in the psychiatric emergency, we would just like to point out the fact that good quality controlled trials are needed on this subject.
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Illness-related malnutrition has been reported in 10-55% of people in hospital and in ill people in the community in areas of food sufficiency. It has been suggested that dietary counseling to encourage the use of energy- and protein-rich foods should be used in preference to oral nutritional supplements in the management of illness-related malnutrition. ⋯ This review highlights the lack of evidence for the provision of dietary advice in the management of illness-related malnutrition. The available data suggest that oral nutritional supplements have a greater role than dietary advice in the improvement of body weight and energy intake. A large adequately powered randomised controlled trial is needed to compare the efficacy of different forms of therapy to increase dietary intake in people with illness-related malnutrition and to examine the impact of this on clinical function and survival.
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Aphasia describes language impairment associated with a brain lesion. ⋯ The main conclusion of this review is that drug treatment with piracetam may be effective in the treatment of aphasia after stroke. Further research is needed to explore the effects of drugs for aphasia, in particular piracetam. If a trial is done, this must be large enough to have adequate statistical power. The safety of the drug should be of primary interest. Researchers should examine the long term effects of this treatment, and whether it is more effective than speech and language therapy.