Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Analgesic medication is the most frequently prescribed treatment for low back pain (LBP), of which paracetamol (acetaminophen) is recommended as the first choice medication. However, there is uncertainty about the efficacy of paracetamol for LBP. ⋯ We found that paracetamol does not produce better outcomes than placebo for people with acute LBP, and it is uncertain if it has any effect on chronic LBP.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jun 2016
Review Meta AnalysisCombination inhaled steroid and long-acting beta₂-agonist in addition to tiotropium versus tiotropium or combination alone for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The long-acting bronchodilator tiotropium and single-inhaler combination therapy of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists (ICS/LABA) are commonly used for maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Combining these treatments, which have different mechanisms of action, may be more effective than administering the individual components. ⋯ In this update, we found new moderate-quality evidence that combined tiotropium + LABA/ICS therapy compared with tiotropium plus placebo decreases hospital admission. Low-quality evidence suggests an improvement in disease-specific quality of life with combined therapy. However, evidence is insufficient to support the benefit of tiotropium + LABA/ICS for mortality and exacerbations (moderate- and low-quality evidence, respectively). Of note, not all participants enrolled in the included studies would be candidates for triple therapy according to current international guidance.Compared with the use of tiotropium plus placebo, tiotropium + LABA/ICS-based therapy does not increase undesirable effects such as adverse events or serious non-fatal adverse events.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jun 2016
Review Meta AnalysisHypertonic salt solution for peri-operative fluid management.
Fluid excess may place people undergoing surgery at risk for various complications. Hypertonic salt solution (HS) maintains intravascular volume with less intravenous fluid than isotonic salt (IS) solutions, but may increase serum sodium. This review was published in 2010 and updated in 2016. ⋯ HS reduces the volume of intravenous fluid required to maintain people undergoing surgery but transiently increases serum sodium. It is not known if HS affects survival and morbidity, but this should be examined in randomized controlled trials that are designed and powered to test these outcomes.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jun 2016
Review Meta AnalysisBiologic interventions for fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.
Fatigue is a common and potentially distressing symptom for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with no accepted evidence-based management guidelines. Evidence suggests that biologic interventions improve symptoms and signs in RA as well as reducing joint damage. ⋯ Treatment with biologic interventions in patients with active RA can lead to a small to moderate improvement in fatigue. The magnitude of improvement is similar for anti-TNF and non-anti-TNF biologics. However, it is unclear whether the improvement results from a direct action of the biologics on fatigue or indirectly through reduction in inflammation, disease activity or some other mechanism.
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Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is an uncommon disease with an incidence of 10.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. It occurs mainly in older individuals and is evenly distributed among both sexes. There are no signs or symptoms indicative of the presence of the disease. Progressive but unpredictable enlargement of the dilated aorta is the natural course of the disease and can lead to rupture. Open chest surgical repair using prosthetic graft interposition has been a conventional treatment for TAAs. Despite improvements in surgical procedures perioperative complications remain significant. The alternative option of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) is considered a less invasive and potentially safer technique, with lower morbidity and mortality compared with conventional treatment. Evidence is needed to support the use of TEVAR for these patients, rather than open surgery. This is an update of the review first published in 2009. ⋯ Stent grafting of the thoracic aorta is technically feasible and non-randomised studies suggest reduction of early outcomes such as paraplegia, mortality and hospital stay. High quality randomised controlled trials assessing all clinically relevant outcomes including open-conversion, aneurysm exclusion, endoleaks, and late mortality are needed.