Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a syndrome expressed by chronic widespread body pain which leads to reduced physical function and frequent use of health care services. Exercise training is commonly recommended as a treatment. This is an update of a review published in Issue 2, 2002. ⋯ There is 'gold' level evidence (www.cochranemsk.org) that supervised aerobic exercise training has beneficial effects on physical capacity and FMS symptoms. Strength training may also have benefits on some FMS symptoms. Further studies on muscle strengthening and flexibility are needed. Research on the long-term benefit of exercise for FMS is needed.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2007
Review Meta AnalysisEffectiveness of intermediate care in nursing-led in-patient units.
The Nursing led inpatient Unit (NLU) is one of a range of services that have been considered in order to manage more successfully the transition between hospital and home for patients with extended recovery times. This is an update of an earlier review published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 3, 2004. ⋯ There is some evidence that patients discharged from a NLU are better prepared for discharge but it is unclear if this is simply a product of an increased length of inpatient stay. No statistically significant adverse effects were noted but the possibility of increased early mortality cannot be discounted. More research is needed.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2007
Review Meta AnalysisLung protective ventilation strategy for the acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute lung injury require mechanical ventilatory support. Acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute lung injury are further complicated by ventilator-induced lung injury. Lung-protective ventilation strategies may lead to improved survival. ⋯ Clinical heterogeneity, such as different lengths of follow up and higher plateau pressure in control arms in two trials, make the interpretation of the combined results difficult. Mortality is significantly reduced at day 28 and at the end of hospital stay. The effects on long-term mortality are unknown, although the possibility of a clinically relevant benefit cannot be excluded.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2007
Review Meta AnalysisElective high frequency oscillatory ventilation versus conventional ventilation for acute pulmonary dysfunction in preterm infants.
Respiratory failure due to lung immaturity is a major cause of mortality in preterm infants. Although the use of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) in neonates with respiratory failure saves lives, its use is associated with lung injury and chronic lung disease (CLD). Conventional IPPV is provided at 30-80 breaths per minute, while a newer form of ventilation called high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) provides 'breaths' at 10 - 15 cycles per second. This has been shown to result in less lung injury in experimental studies. ⋯ There is no clear evidence that elective HFOV offers important advantages over CV when used as the initial ventilation strategy to treat preterm infants with acute pulmonary dysfunction. There may be a small reduction in the rate of CLD with HFOV use, but the evidence is weakened by the inconsistency of this effect across trials and the overall borderline significance. Future trials on elective HFOV should target those infants who are at most risk of CLD (extremely preterm infants), compare different strategies for generating HFOV and CV, and report important long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2007
Review Meta AnalysisTopical anaesthesia alone versus topical anaesthesia with intracameral lidocaine for phacoemulsification.
Cataract is defined as loss of transparency of the natural lens and is usually an age-related phenomenon. The only recognized treatment available for cataract involves surgery. An ideal anaesthetic should allow for pain-free surgery with no systemic or local complications. It should be cost effective and should facilitate a stress-free procedure for surgeon and patient alike. Topical anaesthesia involves applying anaesthetic eye drops to the surface of the eye prior to and during surgery. This has found large acceptance especially in the USA where it is used by 61% of cataract surgeons. Many surgeons who perform cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia also use intraoperative supplementary intracameral lidocaine (injected directly into the anterior chamber of the eye). The benefits and possible risks of intracameral lidocaine have been assessed by a number of randomized controlled trials, but the results have been conflicting and many of the endpoints have been heterogeneous. ⋯ The use of intracameral unpreserved 1% lidocaine is an effective and safe adjunct to topical anaesthesia for phacoemulsification cataract surgery.