Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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The common cold is a major and recurrent cause of morbidity, on average affecting children and adults two or more times each year. Nasal congestion is its commonest symptom and many therapies are marketed for its relief. There is no meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials on the effects of nasal decongestants in the common cold. ⋯ A single oral dose of nasal decongestant in the common cold is modestly effective for the short term relief of congestion in adults, and these drugs also provide benefit in some individuals after regular use over three to five days. Adverse events in adults are rare and mild. There is insufficient data on the use of these medications in children and therefore they are not recommended for use in children younger than 12 years of age with the common cold.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Interventions for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in individuals with jet lag and shift work disorder.
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of interventions for preventing injuries caused by impaired alertness in persons with jet lag or shift work disorder.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Review Meta AnalysisOsteotomy, compression and other modifications of surgical techniques for internal fixation of extracapsular hip fractures.
Many different surgical techniques have been described for the internal fixation of extracapsular hip fractures. ⋯ There is inadequate evidence to support the use of osteotomy for internal fixation of a trochanteric hip fracture. Similarly, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of the other techniques examined in the trials included in this review.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Review Meta AnalysisStimulation of the wrist acupuncture point P6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common complications following surgery and anaesthesia. Drugs to prevent PONV are only partially effective. An alternative approach is to stimulate the P6 acupoint on the wrist. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2004. ⋯ P6 acupoint stimulation prevented PONV. There was no reliable evidence for differences in risks of postoperative nausea or vomiting after P6 acupoint stimulation compared to antiemetic drugs.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Review Meta AnalysisEscitalopram versus other antidepressive agents for depression.
Although pharmacological and psychological interventions are both effective for major depression, antidepressant drugs remain the mainstay of treatment in primary and secondary care settings. During the last 20 years, antidepressant prescribing has risen dramatically in western countries, mainly because of the increasing consumption of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and newer antidepressants, which have progressively become the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Escitalopram is the pure S-enantiomer of the racemic citalopram. ⋯ Some statistically significant differences favouring escitalopram over other antidepressive agents for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found, in terms of efficacy (citalopram and fluoxetine) and acceptability (duloxetine). There is insufficient evidence to detect a difference between escitalopram and other antidepressants in early response to treatment (after two weeks of treatment). Cost-effectiveness information is also needed in the field of antidepressant trials. Furthermore, as with most standard systematic reviews, the findings rely on evidence from direct comparisons. The potential for overestimation of treatment effect due to sponsorship bias should also be borne in mind.