Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To investigate whether acupuncture is more effective than 'sham' (placebo) acupuncture, no preventative treatment or routine care only, or other interventions, in reducing headache frequency in people with episodic migraine. This is a protocol....

How effective are different physical rehabilitation approaches in the recovery of function, balance, and walking after stroke? Key messages For people who have had a stroke: - Physical rehabilitation may improve daily activities, moving legs, balance, and walking, when compared to no physical rehabilitation. There may be greater benefits when more than 2.5 hours/week of physical rehabilitation is delivered. - Extra physical rehabilitation, given in addition to 'usual' physical rehabilitation, may also improve outcomes. The greater the amount of extra physical rehabilitation, the greater the...

Is ‘prophylactic transarterial embolization’ (blocking blood vessels as a precaution) effective to prevent a peptic (stomach) ulcer bleeding again following earlier successful endoscopic treatment (with a tube through the mouth into the stomach)? Key messages - Prophylactic transarterial embolization (blocking blood supply to the ulcer as a precaution) may make little to no difference in reducing rebleeding, need for reoperation, or death for people whose bleeding peptic ulcer had been successfully treated with endoscopy (a tube through the mouth into the stomach), but length of stay in...

Does giving chemotherapy before surgery improve survival or quality of life in women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer? Key messages There is little difference in how long women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) survive, whether they have chemotherapy or surgery first. There is probably little difference in how long it takes for EOC to return after treatment. Giving chemotherapy prior to surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval cytoreductive surgery (ICRS)) probably reduces some of the risks of surgery; probably halves the risk of needing the bowel removed...

Can self-management programs improve the quality of life in adults with low vision? Key messages Self-management programs (types of education or training that help people learn how to manage their own health) may not improve health-related or vision-related quality of life measures in adults with low vision. The evidence is uncertain, and more research is needed to confirm these findings. What is visual impairment? Visual impairment refers to a condition where a person's eyesight is reduced and cannot be corrected using eye glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. This leads to difficulties in...

What are the effects of colchicine in preventing cardiovascular events before they ever occur? Key messages • The benefits and harms of colchicine in preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease before it ever occurs remain unclear. • Further research is needed before any strong conclusions can be made. Colchicine and cardiovascular disease Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD), a condition marked by lipid accumulation (buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances) on the artery walls, which is often made worse by chronic inflammation disorders, is a major cause of death...

Radiofrequency treatment for chronic knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of radiofrequency treatment of the genicular nerves in people with chronic knee pain due to knee osteoarthritis. This is a protocol....

Prognostic value of blood eosinophils for predicting survival and treatment outcomes in people with non-small cell lung cancer This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: To assess the prognostic value of measuring pretreatment baseline blood eosinophil levels in adults receiving systemic treatment for any stage of non-small cell lung cancer. This is a protocol....

What is the best therapy for women who produce too many eggs when having fertility treatment? Key messages – We do not know if in vitro maturation (growing immature eggs outside the body until they are mature enough for fertilisation) is better than in vitro fertilisation (treatment where eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory) in increasing live births and pregnancies in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (where the ovaries do not produce eggs properly) who undergo fertility treatment. – In vitro maturation increases miscarriage and reduces ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome...

Psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation in people with coronary heart disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primary objective To examine the benefits and harms of different types of psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation in people with CHD. Secondary objectives To examine the benefits and harms of psychosocial interventions aimed solely at smoking cessation compared with multi-risk factor interventions for smoking cessation in people with CHD. To examine the benefits and harms of brief (duration of < one month)...

How useful is it to deliver asthma education to children, or their caregivers, or both, in the home? Key messages – There is limited evidence that home-based education improves quality of life compared with education delivered out of the home, and reduces admissions to hospital compared with a less-intensive education. – There is not enough evidence to show whether education delivered in the home is better or worse than education delivered outside the home for exacerbations (worsening of asthma) requiring an emergency department visit, treatment with oral corticosteroids (medicine used to...

What are the benefits and harms of transfusions of blood and blood products for managing postpartum haemorrhage? Key messages The best time for women to begin receiving an allogeneic blood transfusion (where blood from a donor is injected into the woman's bloodstream through a vein) to reduce complications from excessive blood loss within 24 hours of birth (postpartum haemorrhage) is unknown. The effect of blood products (substances produced from whole blood) instead of, or in addition to, whole blood transfusion on reducing complications of postpartum haemorrhage is largely uncertain. What...

Education and training interventions for healthcare workers to prevent sexual harassment This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness of education and training interventions on improving knowledge and skills for managing sexual harassment, and to assess their impact on the incidence of sexual harassment towards healthcare workers in healthcare settings. We will include all forms of sexual harassment committed by patients, visitors, and co-workers. This is a protocol....

Penetrating versus non-penetrating mesh fixation in laparoscopic groin hernia repair­ This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of penetrating versus non-penetrating mesh fixation in adults receiving laparoscopic groin hernia repair. This is a protocol....

Antidepressants for generalised anxiety disorder Key messages – Antidepressants are more effective than placebo (pretend tablet) at improving treatment response and have similar acceptability to placebo. Fewer participants dropped out due to a lack of effectiveness in the antidepressant group compared to the placebo group and more participants dropped out due to unwanted effects in the antidepressant group compared to placebo. – Future studies may be more transparent with their methods and outcome reporting. Future reviews may also include people with co-occurring medical conditions...

What are the effects of precision nutrition-based interventions for managing obesity in children and adolescents? Key messages • It is unclear if precision nutrition (diets or foods tailored to people based on characteristics related to individual biology and environment) has an effect on weight change measured as body weight or body mass index (BMI) (a percentile measure of someone's weight relative to the average for a given age) in children and adolescents with obesity. • Further research, including large studies, is needed to understand the effects of precision nutrition-based...

What are the effects of interventions on sales of antimicrobial drugs without prescription in community pharmacies? Key messages • There is no clear evidence that the single-component interventions targeted at pharmacists and non-pharmacists in community pharmacies and drugstores are effective. • When multicomponent interventions are used, the sale of antimicrobial drugs without a prescription may not be reduced, but we are very uncertain about the results. • Better-quality studies are needed to fully look at this topic. What is antimicrobial resistance? Antimicrobial drugs kill...

Can electronic cigarettes help people stop smoking, and do they have any unwanted effects when used for this purpose? What are electronic cigarettes? Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are handheld devices that work by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine and flavourings. E-cigarettes allow users to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke. Because they do not burn tobacco, e-cigarettes, in general, do not expose users to the same levels of chemicals that can cause diseases in people who use conventional cigarettes. Using an e-cigarette is commonly known as 'vaping'. Many...

What are the benefits and risks of diuretics for preventing and treating acute kidney injury? Key messages • For prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI; a condition where the kidneys suddenly lose their ability to filter waste from the blood), compared to control, diuretics probably reduce the need for any dialysis and may reduce the risk of developing AKI and death. Diuretics may result in little or no difference in the need for permanent dialysis, hypotension (low blood pressure), low blood potassium, or serum creatinine (a measure of kidney function). The effect of diuretics on irregular...

Home visiting for postpartum depression This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits of home visiting models for postpartum depression amongst mothers of young children, where either the mothers or the children are enrolled in early childhood home visiting programs or interventions. To identify core components essential for a home visiting program to effectively address postpartum depression in mothers of young children. The hypothesized core components of such a program include the priority level given to PPD intervention,...