Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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This is an update of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 2, 2007. Some antiepileptic medicines have a place in the treatment of neuropathic pain (pain due to nerve damage). This updated review adds five new additional studies looking at evidence for Lamotrigine as an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain. ⋯ The additional studies tripled participant numbers providing data for analysis, and new, more stringent criteria for outcomes and analysis were used; conclusions about lamotrigine's lack of efficacy in chronic pain did not change. Given availability of more effective treatments including antiepileptics and antidepressant medicines, lamotrigine does not have a significant place in therapy based on available evidence.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Feb 2011
Review Meta AnalysisShengmai (a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) for heart failure.
Heart failure is a major public health problem worldwide. Shengmai (a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) has long been used as a complementary treatment for heart failure in China. ⋯ Shengmai may be beneficial for heart failure compared to placebo or plus usual treatment compared to usual treatment alone. However, long-term and more high quality studies are needed to provide clear evidence for the future use of Shengmai.
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Levodopa plus dopamine decarboxylase inhibitor is a common treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS). ⋯ Levodopa is efficacious for the short-term treatment of RLS. Augmentation, the clinically most relevant adverse event, was not investigated sufficiently.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Feb 2011
Review Meta AnalysisModification of the home environment for the reduction of injuries.
Injury in the home is common, accounting for approximately a third of all injuries. The majority of injuries to children under five and people aged 75 and older occur at home. Multifactorial injury prevention interventions have been shown to reduce injuries in the home. However, few studies have focused specifically on the impact of physical adaptations to the home environment and the effectiveness of such interventions needs to be ascertained. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to determine whether interventions focused on modifying environmental home hazards reduce injuries. Further interventions to reduce hazards in the home should be evaluated by adequately designed randomised controlled trials measuring injury outcomes. Recruitment of large study samples to measure effect must be a major consideration for future trials. Researchers should also consider using factorial designs to allow the evaluation of individual components of multifactorial interventions.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Feb 2011
Review Meta AnalysisSingle dose oral fenoprofen for acute postoperative pain in adults.
Fenoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), available in several different countries, but not widely used. ⋯ Oral fenoprofen 200 mg is effective at treating moderate to severe acute postoperative pain, based on limited data for at least 50% pain relief over 4 to 6 hours. Efficacy of other doses, other efficacy outcomes, and safety and tolerability could not be assessed.