Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2005
Review Meta AnalysisIntra-operative mitomycin C for glaucoma surgery.
Trabeculectomy is performed as a treatment for glaucoma to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP). Mitomycin C (MMC) is an antimetabolite used during the initial stages of a trabeculectomy to prevent excessive postoperative scarring and thus reduce the risk of failure. ⋯ Intraoperative MMC reduces the risk of surgical failure in eyes that have undergone no previous surgery and in eyes at high risk of failure. Compared to placebo it reduces mean IOP at 12 months in all groups of participants in this review. Apart from an increase in cataract formation following MMC, there was insufficient power to detect any increase in other serious side effects such as endophthalmitis.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2005
Review Meta AnalysisOptimal timing for intravenous administration set replacement.
Administration of intravenous therapy is a common occurrence within the hospital setting. Routine replacement of administration sets has been advocated to reduce intravenous infusion contamination. If decreasing the frequency of changing intravenous administration sets does not increase infection rates, a change in practice could result in considerable cost savings. ⋯ It appears that administration sets that do not contain lipids, blood or blood products may be left in place for intervals of up to 96 hours without increasing the incidence of infection. There was no evidence to suggest that administration sets which contain lipids should not be changed every 24 hours as currently recommended.
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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was the main form of treatment in China for psychiatric illnesses until the development of antipsychotic drugs in the 1950's. Antipsychotic drugs have become the primary intervention for schizophrenia, although herbal medicines can still form part of the treatment. ⋯ Chinese herbal medicines, given in a Western biomedical context, may be beneficial for people with schizophrenia when combined with antipsychotics. Traditional Chinese medicine is also under-evaluated, but results from one pioneering study that attempted to evaluate TCM should encourage further trials.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2005
Review Meta AnalysisChemotherapy, radiotherapy and combined modality for Hodgkin's disease, with emphasis on second cancer risk.
Second malignancies (SM) are a major late effect of treatment for Hodgkin's disease (HD). Reliable comparisons of SM risk between alternative treatment strategies are lacking. ⋯ CRT seems to be optimal for most early stage (I-II) HD patients. For advanced stages (III-IV), CRT better prevents progression/relapse but CT alone seems to cause less SM. RT alone gives a higher overall SM risk than CRT due to increased need for salvage therapy. Reduced SM risk after IF-RT instead of EF-RT could not be demonstrated. Due to the large number of studies excluded because no IPD were received, to the inclusion of many outdated treatments and to the limited amount of long-term data, one must be cautious in applying these results to current therapies.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2005
Review Meta AnalysisArtemether-lumefantrine (six-dose regimen) for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
The World Health Organization recommends artemether-lumefantrine for treating uncomplicated malaria. We sought evidence of superiority of the six-dose regimen over existing treatment regimens as well as its effectiveness in clinical situations. ⋯ The six-dose regimen of artemether-lumefantrine appears more effective than antimalarial regimens not containing artemisinin derivatives.