Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Scabies is an intensely itchy parasitic infection of the skin caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. It is a common public health problem with an estimated global prevalence of 300 million cases. Serious adverse effects have been reported for some drugs used to treat scabies. ⋯ Topical permethrin appears to be the most effective treatment for scabies. Ivermectin appears to be an effective oral treatment. More research is needed on the effectiveness of malathion, particularly when compared to permethrin, and on the management of scabies in an institutional setting and at a community level.
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Eletriptan (Relpax) is a new triptan soon to be made available by prescription for the treatment of acute migraine. Currently five triptans are available by prescription and more are under development. In light of the many drugs for treating acute migraine, there is a need for evidence-based assessments to help determine the relative efficacy and harm of these treatments. ⋯ Eletriptan 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg are effective for the treatment of an acute migraine attack. Effectiveness is dose-related, with statistically significant differences between doses for pain-free response and 24-hour outcomes. Eletriptan compares well with other triptans available for outcomes measured up to 2 hours and provides meaningful relief for 24 hours. Taken as a single dose, eletriptan was well tolerated and caused no major harm. The incidence of minor harm was dose-dependent, with 80 mg giving significantly more adverse effects than 40 mg.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2007
ReviewWITHDRAWN: Pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence in women.
Pelvic floor muscle training is the most commonly recommended physical therapy treatment for women with stress leakage of urine. It is also used in the treatment of women with mixed incontinence, and less commonly for urge incontinence. Adjuncts, such as biofeedback or electrical stimulation, are also commonly used with pelvic floor muscle training. The content of pelvic floor muscle training programmes is highly variable. ⋯ Pelvic floor muscle training appeared to be an effective treatment for adult women with stress or mixed incontinence. Pelvic floor muscle training was better than no treatment or placebo treatments. The limitations of the evidence available mean that is difficult to judge if pelvic floor muscle training was better or worse than other treatments. Most trials to date have studied the effect of treatment in younger, premenopausal women. The role of pelvic floor muscle training for women with urge incontinence alone remains unclear. Many of the trials were small with poor reporting of allocation concealment and masking of outcome assessors. In addition there was a lack of consistency in the choice and reporting of outcome measures that made data difficult to combine. Methodological problems limit the confidence that can be placed in the findings of the review. Further, large, high quality trials are necessary.
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Endometriosis is the finding of endometrial glands or stroma in sites other than the uterine cavity. Endometriosis appears to be an oestrogen dependent condition. This hormonal dependency has prompted the therapeutic use of ovulation suppression agents, in an effort to improve subsequent fertility. ⋯ There is no evidence of benefit in the use of ovulation suppression in subfertile women with endometriosis who wish to conceive.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2007
ReviewWITHDRAWN: Calcium supplementation on bone loss in postmenopausal women.
Although calcium is one the simplest and least expensive strategies for preventing osteoporotic fractures calcium supplementation is nevertheless not without controversy (Kanis 1989; Nordin 1990). The Food and Drug Administration in the US has permitted a bone health claim for calcium-rich foods, and the NIH in its Consensus Development Process approved a statement that high calcium intake reduces the risk of osteoporosis. ⋯ Calcium supplementation alone has a small positive effect on bone density. The data show a trend toward reduction in vertebral fractures, but it is unclear if calcium reduces the incidence of non vertebral fractures.