Cochrane Db Syst Rev
-
Combination injectable contraceptives provide a highly effective, reversible method of preventing pregnancy, and they do not require daily administration or use at the time of coitus. Although they are used in many countries, their acceptability could be limited by method characteristics, such as the need to obtain a monthly injection or bleeding pattern changes. ⋯ While discontinuation rates can be viewed as a measure of method acceptability, the findings should be interpreted with caution since discontinuation depends on many factors. Future research should be directed toward interventions to improve the acceptability of combination injectable contraceptives, such as providing injections in settings more convenient than clinics, methods for women to administer their own injections, and counseling about possible bleeding pattern changes.
-
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disease of the oral cavity which is more commonly found in patients in the Asian subcontinent and the Far East. It is characterised by the progressive build up of constricting bands of collagen in the cheeks and adjacent structures of the mouth which can severely restrict mouth opening and tongue movement and cause problems with speech and swallowing. ⋯ The lack of reliable evidence for the effectiveness of any specific interventions for the management of oral submucous fibrosis is illustrated by the paucity, and poor methodological quality, of trials retrieved for this review.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2008
ReviewSurgical versus conservative management for odontoid fractures.
Fractures of the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra can result in instability, neurological damage and death. Treatment includes conservative management (external immobilisation devices) or surgical treatment (internal fixation by posterior fusion or anterior screw fixation). ⋯ There is no evidence available from adequately controlled trials to inform the decision on whether the surgical treatment of odontoid fractures gives a better outcome. A sufficiently powered good quality multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing surgery versus conservative treatment is warranted.
-
The long-term effects of radiotherapy on mortality from breast cancer and other causes remain uncertain. ⋯ Radiotherapy regimens able to produce the two-thirds reduction in local recurrence seen in these trials, but without long-term hazard, would be expected to produce an absolute increase in 20-year survival of about 2-4% (except for women at particularly low risk of local recurrence). The average hazard seen in these trials would, however, reduce this 20-year survival benefit in young women and reverse it in older women.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Oct 2008
Review Meta AnalysisInhaled sodium cromoglycate for asthma in children.
Sodium cromoglycate has been recommended as maintenance treatment for childhood asthma for many years. Its use has decreased since 1990, when inhaled corticosteroids became popular, but it is still used in many countries. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to be sure about the efficacy of sodium cromoglycate over placebo. Publication bias is likely to have overestimated the beneficial effects of sodium cromoglycate as maintenance therapy in childhood asthma.