Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Two recent epidemiological studies have reported that children using non-feather pillows suffered from more frequent episodes of wheeze than those using feather pillows ⋯ Whilst recent epidemiological studies suggest that feather bedding is associated with less frequent wheeze than man-made fibre fillings, the evidence currently available is insufficient to assess the clinical benefits of feather bedding in the management of asthma.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewClozapine versus typical neuroleptic medication for schizophrenia.
Long-term drug treatment of schizophrenia with conventional antipsychotics has limitations: 25-33% of patients have illnesses that are treatment-resistant. Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug, which is claimed to have superior efficacy and to cause fewer motor adverse effects than typical drugs for people with treatment-resistant illnesses. Clozapine carries a significant risk of serious blood disorders, which necessitates mandatory weekly blood monitoring at least during the first months of treatment. ⋯ This systematic review confirms that clozapine is convincingly more effective than typical antipsychotic drugs in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia, producing clinically meaningful improvements and postponing relapse. Patients were more satisfied with clozapine treatment than with typical neuroleptic treatment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
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Induction of labour after prelabour rupture of membranes may reduce the risk of neonatal infection. ⋯ Induction of labour by oxytocin may decrease the risk of maternal and neonatal infection compared to expectant management. Induction of labour with oxytocin does not appear to increase the rate of caesarean section, although it may increase use of pain relief and internal fetal heart rate monitoring.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewPharmacotherapy for hypertension in women of different races.
To assess whether the relative and absolute benefit of hypertension treatment in women varies with age or race. ⋯ Hypertension treatment lowers the relative and absolute risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women ages 55 years and older, and in African American women of all ages. A greater effort should be made to increase awareness and treatment in these groups of women. Although relative risk reductions for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events are similar for younger and older women, the NNT of younger women is at least 4 times higher. Decisions for treatment of hypertension in younger white women should be influenced by the individual patient's absolute risk of cardiovascular disease.
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This review was performed to test the hypothesis that presymptomatic diagnosis, for example by newborn screening, and early treatment may prevent or reduce irreversible organ damage and thereby improve outcome and quality of life in patients with cystic fibrosis. ⋯ There are few randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of neonatal screening in cystic fibrosis. From the data available at this time, there is little evidence suggesting benefit from screening for cystic fibrosis in the neonatal period, although there is similarly little evidence of harm. This systematic review has identified the need for individual patient data from both included studies. Although we have not been able to perform a meta-analysis, this review provides a summary of all the information currently available from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of neonatal screening for cystic fibrosis.