Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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The use of muscle relaxants in the management of non-specific low back pain is controversial. It is not clear if they are effective, and concerns have been raised about the potential adverse effects involved. ⋯ Muscle relaxants are effective in the management of non-specific low back pain, but the adverse effects require that they be used with caution. Trials are needed that evaluate if muscle relaxants are more effective than analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
Review Meta AnalysisFluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.
Fluoride mouthrinses have been used extensively as a caries-preventive intervention in school-based programmes and individually at home. ⋯ This review suggests that the supervised regular use of fluoride mouthrinse at two main strengths and rinsing frequencies is associated with a clear reduction in caries increment in children. In populations with caries increment of 0.25 D(M)FS per year, 16 children will need to use a fluoride mouthrinse (rather than a non-fluoride rinse) to avoid one D(M)FS; in populations with a caries increment of 2.14 D(M)FS per year, 2 children will need to rinse to avoid one D(M)FS. There is a need for complete reporting of side effects and acceptability data in fluoride mouthrinse trials.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
Review Meta AnalysisNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for primary dysmenorrhoea.
Dysmenorrhoea is a common gynaecological complaint consisting of painful cramps accompanying menstruation, which in the absence of any underlying abnormality is known as primary dysmenorrhoea. Research has shown that women with dysmenorrhoea have high levels of prostaglandins, hormones known to cause cramping abdominal pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are drugs which act by blocking prostaglandin production. ⋯ NSAIDs are an effective treatment for dysmenorrhoea, though women using them need to be aware of the significant risk of adverse effects. There is insufficient evidence to determine which (if any) individual NSAID is the most safe and effective for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewCaudal epidural block versus other methods of postoperative pain relief for circumcision in boys.
Circumcision is a commonly performed surgical procedure in boys and caudal analgesia is frequently used to minimize discomfort of penile surgery postoperatively. For humanitarian and physiological reasons pain should be anticipated and effectively controlled while ensuring patient safety. Several non-caudal analgesic techniques can be used including: penile block, systemic opioids and topical local anaesthetic cream,emulsion or gel. ⋯ Few studies compare caudal analgesia with other commonly available methods of analgesia in boys having circumcision surgery. Although the need for rescue analgesia is reduced in the early postoperative period when caudal is compared with parenteral analgesia,evidence from trials may no longer reflect current practice and is limited by small numbers and poor methodology. There is a need for properly designed trials to study the relative efficacy of caudal epidural with other methods such as penile block, morphine, simple analgesics and topical local anaesthetic cream,emulsions or gel.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewPlatelet-rich-plasmapheresis for minimising peri-operative allogeneic blood transfusion.
Concerns regarding the safety of transfused blood have generated considerable enthusiasm for the use of technologies intended to reduce the use of allogeneic blood (blood from an unrelated donor). Platelet-rich plasmapheresis (PRP) offers an alternative approach to blood conservation. ⋯ Although the results suggest that PRP is effective in reducing allogeneic RBC transfusion in adult patients undergoing elective surgery, there was considerable heterogeneity in treatment effects and the trials were of poor methodological quality. As the majority of trials were unblinded, transfusion practices may have been influenced by knowledge of the patient's allocation status, potentially exaggerating the true magnitude of the beneficial effect of PRP. The available studies provided inadequate data for firm conclusions to be drawn regarding the impact of PRP on clinically important endpoints.