Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2011
Review Meta AnalysisCreatine and creatine analogues in hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
The creatine kinase system, the central regulatory system of cellular energy metabolism, provides ATP in situ at ATP-ases involved in ion transport and muscle contraction. Furthermore, the enzyme system provides relative protection from tissue ischaemia and acidosis. The system could therefore be a target for pharmacologic intervention. ⋯ This review found inconclusive evidence to decide on the use of creatine analogues in clinical practice. In particular, it is not clear whether there is an effect on mortality, progression of myocardial infarction and ejection fraction, while there is some evidence that dysrhythmia and dyspnoea might improve. However, it is not clear which analogue, dose, route of administration, and duration of therapy is most effective. Moreover, given the small sample size of the discussed trials and the heterogeneity of the population included in these reports, larger clinical studies are needed to confirm these observations.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2011
Review Meta AnalysisSurgical interventions for the early management of Bell's palsy.
Bell's palsy is an acute paralysis of one side of the face of unknown aetiology. Bell's palsy should only be used as a diagnosis in the absence of all other pathology. As the proposed pathophysiology is swelling and entrapment of the nerve, some surgeons suggest surgical decompression of the nerve as a possible management option. ⋯ There is only very low quality evidence from randomised controlled trials and this is insufficient to decide whether surgical intervention is beneficial or harmful in the management of Bell's palsy.Further research into the role of surgical intervention is unlikely to be performed because spontaneous recovery occurs in most cases.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2011
Review Meta AnalysisSingle dose intravenous propacetamol or intravenous paracetamol for postoperative pain.
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the most commonly prescribed analgesic for the treatment of acute pain. It may be administered orally or intravenously. The efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) formulations of paracetamol, IV paracetamol and IV propacetamol, compared with placebo and other analgesics, is unclear. ⋯ A single dose of both IV propacetamol and IV paracetamol provides around four hours of effective analgesia for about 37% of patients with acute postoperative pain. Both formulations are associated with few adverse events, although patients receiving IV propacetamol have a higher incidence of pain on infusion than both placebo and IV paracetamol.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2011
Review Meta AnalysisSingle or double-level anterior interbody fusion techniques for cervical degenerative disc disease.
The number of surgical techniques for decompression and solid interbody fusion as treatment for cervical spondylosis has increased rapidly, but the rationale for the choice between different techniques remains unclear. ⋯ When the working mechanism for pain relief and functional improvement is fusion of the motion segment, there is low quality evidence that iliac crest autograft appears to be the better technique. When ignoring fusion rates and looking at complication rates, a cage has a weak evidence base over iliac crest autograft, but not over discectomy alone. Future research should compare additional instrumentation such as screws, plates, and cages against discectomy with or without autograft.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2011
ReviewPharmacological treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with comorbid tic disorders.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent of the comorbid psychiatric disorders that complicate tic disorders. Medications commonly used to treat ADHD symptoms include the stimulants methylphenidate and amphetamine; nonstimulants, such as atomoxetine; tricyclic antidepressants; and alpha agonists. Due to the impact of ADHD symptoms on the child with tic disorder, treatment of ADHD is often of greater priority than the medical management of tics. However, for many decades clinicians have been reluctant to use stimulants to treat children with ADHD and tics for fear of worsening their tics. ⋯ Methylphenidate, clonidine, guanfacine, desipramine and atomoxetine appear to reduce ADHD symptoms in children with tics. Although stimulants have not been shown to worsen tics in most people with tic disorders, they may nonetheless exacerbate tics in individual cases. In these instances, treatment with alpha agonists or atomoxetine may be an alternative. Although there is evidence that desipramine is effective for both tics and ADHD in children, safety concerns will likely continue to limit its use in this population.