Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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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 AnalysisSingle dose oral diclofenac for acute postoperative pain in adults.
Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), available as a potassium salt (immediate-release) or sodium salt (delayed-release). This review updates an earlier review published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Issue 2, 2004) on 'Single dose oral diclofenac for postoperative pain'. ⋯ Oral diclofenac is an effective single-dose treatment for moderate to severe postoperative pain. Significantly more participants experienced at least 50% pain relief over 4 to 6 hours with diclofenac potassium than with diclofenac sodium. There was no significant difference between diclofenac and placebo in the incidence of adverse events.
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Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological agent, based on delivering low voltage electrical currents to the skin. TENS is used for the treatment of a variety of pain conditions. ⋯ Due to insufficient extractable data in the studies included in this review, we are unable to make any definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of TENS as an isolated treatment for acute pain in adults.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Review Meta AnalysisNebulised hypertonic saline for cystic fibrosis.
Impaired mucociliary clearance characterises lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF). Hypertonic saline (HS) enhances mucociliary clearance in vitro and may lessen the destructive inflammatory process in the airways. ⋯ Treatment with 7% HS for 48 weeks showed a small improvement in FEV1 at four weeks; however, this was not sustained at 48 weeks (primary outcome measure of the only long-term trial). Unlike RhDNAse, HS can't, in the long term, be said to improve lung function. However, it did improve quality of life and reduce pulmonary exacerbations. Delivered following a bronchodilator, HS appears inexpensive and safe with no increased infection risk.We believe there is sufficient evidence to recommend using HS in CF; qualifying this we highlight that the only long-term trial failed to demonstrate a significant difference in its primary outcome (lung function) with improvements only in secondary outcomes.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Apr 2009
Review Meta AnalysisSerenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate, can lead to obstructive and irritative lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The pharmacologic use of plants and herbs (phytotherapy) for the treatment of LUTS associated with BPH is common. The extract of the berry of the American saw palmetto, or dwarf palm plant, Serenoa repens (also known by its botanical name of Sabal serrulatum), is one of several phytotherapeutic agents available for the treatment of BPH. ⋯ Serenoa repens was not more effective than placebo for treatment of urinary symptoms consistent with BPH.