Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisIschaemic preconditioning for liver transplantation.
Ischaemic preconditioning is a mechanism for reducing organ ischaemia reperfusion injury by a brief period of organ ischaemia. ⋯ There is currently no evidence to support or refute the use of ischaemic preconditioning in donor liver retrievals. Further studies are necessary to identify the optimal ischaemic preconditioning stimulus. Further randomised clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the role of ischaemic preconditioning in donor liver retrievals involving a period of warm reperfusion, following ischaemic preconditioning during donor liver retrieval.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisGamma and other cephalocondylic intramedullary nails versus extramedullary implants for extracapsular hip fractures in adults.
Two types of implants used for the surgical fixation of extracapsular hip fractures are cephalocondylic intramedullary nails, which are inserted into the femoral canal proximally to distally across the fracture, and extramedullary implants (e.g. the sliding hip screw). ⋯ Given the lower complication rate of the SHS in comparison with intramedullary nails, SHS appears superior for trochanteric fractures. Further studies are required to determine if different types of intramedullary nail produce similar results, or if intramedullary nails have advantages for selected fracture types (for example, subtrochanteric fractures).
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Pain is a global public health problem affecting the lives of large numbers of patients and their families. Touch therapies (Healing Touch (HT), Therapeutic Touch (TT) and Reiki) have been found to relieve pain, but some reviews have suggested there is insufficient evidence to support their use. ⋯ Touch therapies may have a modest effect in pain relief. More studies on HT and Reiki in relieving pain are needed. More studies including children are also required to evaluate the effect of touch on children.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisPsychotherapy for depression among incurable cancer patients.
The most common psychiatric diagnosis among cancer patients is depression; this diagnosis is even more common among patients with advanced cancer. Psychotherapy is a patient-preferred and promising strategy for treating depression among cancer patients. Several systematic reviews have investigated the effectiveness of psychological treatment for depression among cancer patients. However, the findings are conflicting, and no review has focused on depression among patients with incurable cancer. ⋯ Evidence from RCTs of moderate quality suggest that psychotherapy is useful for treating depressive states in advanced cancer patients. However, no evidence supports the effectiveness of psychotherapy for patients with clinically diagnosed depression.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2008
Review Meta AnalysisTherapeutic exercise for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or motor neuron disease.
Despite the high incidence of muscle weakness in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or motor neuron disease (MND), the effects of exercise in this population are not well understood. ⋯ The only studies detected were too small to determine to what extent strengthening exercises for people with ALS are beneficial, or whether exercise is harmful. There is a complete lack of randomised or quasi-randomised clinical trials examining aerobic exercise in this population. More research is needed.