Cochrane Db Syst Rev
-
Hepatitis B virus infection is a serious health problem worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely used to treat chronic liver diseases, and many controlled trials have been done to investigate their efficacy. ⋯ Some Chinese medicinal herbs may work in chronic hepatitis B. However, the evidence is too weak to recommend any single herb. Rigorously designed, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are required.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewPreoperative chemotherapy for resectable thoracic esophageal cancer.
Carcinoma of the esophagus is a relatively uncommon but lethal cancer that continues to kill over 90% of its victims within 5 years. Surgery is the treatment of choice for most localized esophageal cancer patients. However, despite curative resection, the 5-year survival rate ranges from 15% to 39%. The failure of surgery to cure clinically localized esophageal cancer is because of the advanced state of the disease before symptoms occur, high frequency of lymph node involvement, and the common occurrence of submucosal spread and extension to surrounding structures. Preoperative chemotherapy has been used in an attempt to decrease tumour activity, increase resectability, and improve disease-free and overall survival. A number of studies have investigated whether preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery leads to an improvement in cure rates, but the individual reports have not been encouraging. The role of preoperative chemotherapy in the treatment of resectable thoracic esophageal cancer remains undefined. ⋯ The results of this review suggest that there is no strong evidence to recommend preoperative chemotherapy in the treatment of surgically resectable carcinomas of the thoracic esophagus. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
-
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia in pregnancy worldwide. Iron treatment can be given by mouth, intramuscular or intravenous injection. Alternatively, blood transfusions and recombinant erythropoietin are also used. ⋯ This review provides inconclusive evidence on the effects of treating iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy due to the shortage of good quality trials.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2001
ReviewDiuretic therapy for newborn infants with posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation.
Intraventricular hemorrhage remains a serious complication of premature birth and post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus still has no satisfactory treatment. Acetazolamide and furosemide, which both reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid, have been suggested as non-invasive therapies to reduce hydrocephalus and the need for ventriculo-peritoneal (V-P) shunting. ⋯ Acetazolamide and furosemide therapy is neither effective nor safe in treating post hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation. Acetazolamide and furosemide cannot be recommended as therapy for post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus.
-
Obstructive sleep apnoeas are due to transient closure of the upper airway during sleep and merge into hypopnoeas in which the airway narrows, but some airflow continues. They are due to the forces compressing the airway overcoming those which stabilise its patency. The commonest association is obesity in which fatty tissue is deposited around the airway. Exercise has been recommended as a method of losing weight, but other techniques which achieve this are also thought to improve symptoms due to sleep apnoeas. Sleep hygiene may alter the sleep structure and the control of the upper airway during sleep and thus promote its patency. ⋯ There is a need for randomised controlled trials of these commonly used treatments in obstructive sleep apnoeas. These should identify which sub groups of patients with sleep apnoeas benefit most from each type of treatment and they should have clear and standardised outcome measures.