Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2009
Review Meta AnalysisInterventions for preventing late postnatal mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Worldwide, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) represents the most common means by which children acquire HIV infection. Efficacious and effective interventions to prevent in utero and intrapartum transmission of HIV infection have been developed and implemented. However, a large proportion of MTCT of HIV occurs postnatally, through breast milk transmission. ⋯ Complete avoidance of breastfeeding is efficacious in preventing MTCT of HIV, but this intervention has significant associated morbidity (e.g., diarrheal morbidity if formula is prepared without clean water). If breastfeeding is initiated, two interventions 1). exclusive breastfeeding during the first few months of life; and 2) chronic antiretroviral prophylaxis to the infant (nevirapine alone, or nevirapine with zidovudine) are efficacious in preventing transmission.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2009
Review Meta AnalysisIndividual patient education for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease which is associated with significant premature mortality and morbidity. Although patient education is an integral component of diabetes care, there remain uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of different methods and modes of education. ⋯ This systematic review suggests a benefit of individual education on glycaemic control when compared with usual care in a subgroup of those with a baseline HbA1c greater than 8%. However, overall there did not appear to be a significant difference between individual education and usual care. In the small number of studies comparing group and individual education, there was an equal impact on HbA1c at 12 to 18 months. Additional studies are needed to delineate these findings further.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2009
Review Comparative StudyIntrarectal quinine versus intravenous or intramuscular quinine for treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
In children with falciparum malaria, a proprietary quinine preparation (adjusted to make it less acidic) administered rectally may be easier to use and less painful than intramuscular or intravenous administration. However, rectal quinine may be less effective. ⋯ We detected no difference in the effect on parasites and clinical illness for intrarectal quinine, but most trials were small. Pain may be less with intrarectal proprietary, buffered quinine preparations (made less acidic by adjustment of the pH to 4.5). Further larger trials in patients with severe malaria and in adults are required before the intrarectal route can be recommended.
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Hypothermia has been used in the treatment of head injury for many years. Encouraging results from small trials and laboratory studies led to renewed interest in the area and some larger trials. ⋯ Hypothermia may be effective in reducing death and unfavourable outcomes for traumatic head injured patients, but significant benefit was only found in low quality trials. Low quality trials have a tendency to overestimate the treatment effect. The high quality trials found some statistically non-significant benefit of hypothermia which could be due to the play of chance. Hypothermia may increase the risk of pneumonia. Due to uncertainties in its effects, hypothermia should only be given to patients taking part in a randomised controlled trial with good allocation concealment.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2009
ReviewInterventions for treating painful sickle cell crisis during pregnancy.
Sickle cell disease is a group of genetic haemoglobin disorders. All over the world, about 300,000 children with these disorders are born each year. Acute sickle cell pain episodes are the most common cause of hospitalisation. Pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease is associated with an increased incidence of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The painful crisis is a severe complication of this illness, and it requires several interventions: packed red cell transfusion, fluid replacement therapy, analgesic drugs, oxygen therapy and steroids; but the approach is not standardised. ⋯ This review found no randomised clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of interventions for treating painful sickle cell crisis during pregnancy. The effects of interventions need to be tested in randomised clinical trials.