Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewGeneral versus spinal/epidural anaesthesia for surgery for hip fractures in adults.
The majority of hip fracture patients are treated surgically, requiring anaesthesia. ⋯ Regional anaesthesia and general anaesthesia appear to produce comparable results for most of the outcomes studied. Regional anaesthesia may reduce short-term mortality but no conclusions can be drawn for longer term mortality.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewFetal electrocardiogram plus heart rate recording for fetal monitoring during labour.
It is thought that adding fetal electrocardiography (ECG) to cardiotocography (CTG) alone may provide better information about fetal heart activity. ⋯ Analysis of the fetal electrocardiographic waveform during labour may be associated with reduced obstetric intervention without jeopardising fetal outcome.
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Since the introduction of the Swedish back school in 1980, the content of back schools has changed and appears to vary widely today. Back schools are frequently used in the treatment of low back pain patients. ⋯ Back schools may be effective for patients with recurrent and chronic low back pain in occupational settings, but little is known about the cost-effectiveness of back schools.
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The majority of patients with epilepsy have a good prognosis and their seizures are well controlled by a single antiepileptic drug, but up to 30% develop refractory epilepsy, especially those with partial seizures. In this review we summarise the current evidence regarding a new antiepileptic drug, gabapentin, when used as an add-on treatment for drug-resistant partial epilepsy. ⋯ Gabapentin has efficacy as an add-on treatment in patients with drug-resistant partial epilepsy. However, trials reviewed were of relatively short duration, and provide no evidence for the long term efficacy of gabapentin. Results cannot be extrapolated to monotherapy or patients with other epilepsy types.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewAnti-epileptic drugs for preventing seizures following acute traumatic brain injury.
Seizure activity in the early post-traumatic period following head injury may cause secondary brain damage as a result of increased metabolic demands, raised intracranial pressure and excess neurotransmitter release. ⋯ Prophylactic anti-epileptics are effective in reducing early seizures, but there is no evidence that treatment with prophylactic anti-epileptics reduces the occurrence of late seizures, or has any effect on death and neurological disability. Insufficient evidence is available to establish the net benefit of prophylactic treatment at any time after injury.