Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2009
Review Meta AnalysisAdvocacy interventions to reduce or eliminate violence and promote the physical and psychosocial well-being of women who experience intimate partner abuse.
Intimate partner abuse is common in all societies and damages the health of survivors and their children in the short and long term. Advocacy may decrease the impact of this abuse on women's health. ⋯ Based on the evidence reviewed, it is possible that intensive advocacy for women recruited in domestic violence shelters or refuges reduces physical abuse one to two years after the intervention but we do not know if it has a beneficial effect on their quality of life and mental health. Similarly, there is insufficient evidence to show if less intensive interventions in healthcare settings for women who still live with the perpetrators of violence are effective.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2009
ReviewWITHDRAWN: Insulin-sensitising drugs for polycystic ovary syndrome.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by anovulation, hyperandrogaenemia and insulin resistance. Hyperinsulinaemia is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk and the development of diabetes mellitus. If insulin sensitising agents such as metformin are effective in treating features of PCOS, then they could have wider health benefits than just treating the symptoms of the syndrome. ⋯ In agreement with the previous review, metformin is still of benefit in improving ovulation and pregnancy rates. However, metformin does not improve live birth whether it is used alone or in combination with clomiphene. In addition, metformin has limited effect on metabolic parameters, especially in obese women with PCOS. Therefore, the use of metformin in improvement of reproductive outcomes or in reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in women with PCOS appears to be limited.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2009
ReviewFamily support for reducing morbidity and mortality in people with HIV/AIDS.
Care and support play a critical role in assisting people who are HIV-positive to understand the need for prevention and to enable them to protect others. As the HIV/AIDS pandemic progresses and HIV-seropositive individuals contend with devastating illness, it seemed timely to inquire if they receive support from family members. It also was important to develop a normative idea of how much family support exists and from whom it emanates. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to bring out the effect of family support in reducing the morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected persons in developing countries. This review has highlighted the dearth of high-quality quantitative research about family support. There is a clear need for rigorous studies of the clinical effects of family support on people with HIV in developing countries.
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The steroid hormone, progesterone, inhibits contractions of the pregnant uterus at all gestations. Antiprogestins (including mifepristone) have been developed to antagonise the action of progesterone, and have a recognised role in medical termination of early or mid-trimester pregnancy. Animal studies have suggested that mifepristone may also have a role in inducing labour in late pregnancy. ⋯ There is insufficient information available from clinical trials to support the use of mifepristone to induce labour. However, the studies suggest that mifepristone is better than placebo in reducing the likelihood of caesarean sections being performed for failed induction of labour; therefore, this may justify future trials comparing mifepristone with the routine cervical ripening agents currently in use. There is little information on effects on the baby.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2009
Review Meta AnalysisSingle dose oral etodolac for acute postoperative pain in adults.
Etodolac is a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, with evidence of efficacy in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Its analgesic efficacy in postoperative pain has not been clearly established. There are no systematic reviews on Etodolac's use in this condition. ⋯ Etodolac 200 mg may be a useful analgesic in postoperative pain, with efficacy similar to paracetamol 1000 mg and celecoxib 200 mg. Higher doses may provide analgesia equivalent to more commonly used drugs, such as ibuprofen 400 mg, naproxen 500 mg and diclofenac 50 mg.