Cochrane Db Syst Rev
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisNewer generation antidepressants for depressive disorders in children and adolescents.
Depressive disorders are common in young people and are associated with significant negative impacts. Newer generation antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are often used, however evidence of their effectiveness in children and adolescents is not clear. Furthermore, there have been warnings against their use in this population due to concerns about increased risk of suicidal ideation and behaviour. ⋯ Caution is required in interpreting the results given the methodological limitations of the included trials in terms of internal and external validity. Further, the size and clinical meaningfulness of statistically significant results are uncertain. However, given the risks of untreated depression in terms of completed suicide and impacts on functioning, if a decision to use medication is agreed, then fluoxetine might be the medication of first choice given guideline recommendations. Clinicians need to keep in mind that there is evidence of an increased risk of suicide-related outcomes in those treated with antidepressant medications.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisRecombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease.
Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I) is a possible disease modifying therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, which is also known as motor neuron disease (MND)). ⋯ Meta-analysis revealed a significant difference in favour of rhIGF-I treatment; however, the quality of the evidence from the two included trials was low. A third study showed no difference between treatment and placebo. There is no evidence for increase in survival with IGF1. All three included trials were at high risk of bias.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Nov 2012
ReviewRole of chemotherapy additional to high-dose methotrexate for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).
Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a variant of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that accounts for about 2% to 5% of all primary intracranial tumours with immunocompetent patients. It appears at a median age of 62 years. A standard of care for PCNSL patients has not been defined yet, but high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is considered to be a beneficial chemotherapy in PCNSL treatment. Currently, HD-MTX is combined with numerous other chemotherapy drugs to improve outcomes of HD-MTX monotherapy. However, the impact of additional chemotherapy remains unclear, as there is evidence of a higher risk of adverse events (AEs) such as infective complications. ⋯ Owing to the small number of included trials and patients, the findings in this review remain uncertain. In summary, the presently available evidence (one small trial) showed a benefit in terms of PFS, ORR and CRR but no statistically significant difference regarding OS for patients with PCNSL treated with HD-MTX plus cytarabine compared to HD-MTX alone. However, the risk of severe infections and toxicity was significantly higher in patients treated with combined chemotherapy. More RCTs with additional chemotherapy to HD-MTX therapy with higher numbers of patients and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm the results of this review and determine whether the PFS benefit will translate into an OS advantage. At least the one included study shows that RCTs of moderate quality and with valuable outcomes for this malignant disease are feasible.
-
Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Nov 2012
ReviewPush versus gravity for intermittent bolus gavage tube feeding of premature and low birth weight infants.
Many small, sick and premature infants are unable to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing, and therefore, require gavage feeding. In gavage feeding, milk feeds are delivered through a tube passed via the nose or mouth into the stomach. Intermittent bolus milk feeds may be administered using a syringe to gently push milk into the infant's stomach (push feed). Alternatively, milk can be poured into a syringe attached to the tube and allowed to drip in by gravity (gravity feed). ⋯ There was one small cross-over study that was included in this review. There is insufficient evidence to recommend either method of gavage feeding. A randomised trial is needed to evaluate the benefits and harms of push versus gravity bolus tube feeding in preterm infants. Infants should be stratified by gestational age at birth (above and below 32 weeks) or birth weight (above and below 1500 grams) and respiratory support (ventilated versus non-ventilated) and the sample size should be of sufficient size to evaluate the primary outcomes outlined in this review (time to establish full tube feeds and feeding intolerance).