Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Ingrowing toenails are a common problem in which part of the nail penetrates the skinfold alongside the nail, creating a painful area. Different non-surgical and surgical interventions for ingrowing toenails are available, but there is no consensus about a standard first-choice treatment. ⋯ Surgical interventions are more effective than non-surgical interventions in preventing the recurrence of an ingrowing toenail.In the studies comparing a surgical intervention to a surgical intervention with the application of phenol, the addition of phenol is probably more effective in preventing recurrence and regrowth of the ingrowing toenail. Because there is only one study in which the surgical interventions in both study arms were equal, more studies have to be done to confirm these outcomes.Postoperative interventions do not decrease the risk of postoperative infection, postoperative pain, or healing time.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisProphylactic antibiotics to prevent surgical site infection after breast cancer surgery.
Surgery has been used as part of breast cancer treatment for centuries; however any surgical procedure has the potential risk of infection. Infection rates for surgical treatment of breast cancer are documented at between 3% and 15%, higher than average for a clean surgical procedure. Pre- and perioperative antibiotics have been found to be useful in lowering infection rates in other surgical groups, yet there is no consensus on the use of prophylactic antibiotics for breast cancer surgery. ⋯ Prophylactic antibiotics administered preoperatively reduce the risk of SSI in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Further studies involving patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction are needed as studies have identified this group as being at higher risk of infection than those who do not undergo immediate breast reconstruction.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisConservative management for postprostatectomy urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is common after both radical prostatectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Conservative management includes pelvic floor muscle training with or without biofeedback, electrical stimulation, extra-corporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI), compression devices (penile clamps), lifestyle changes, or a combination of methods. ⋯ The value of the various approaches to conservative management of postprostatectomy incontinence after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. It seems unlikely that men benefit from one-to-one pelvic floor muscle training therapy after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Long-term incontinence may be managed by external penile clamp, but there are safety problems.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisElectromagnetic therapy for treating pressure ulcers.
Pressure ulcers are defined as areas "of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear, friction and/or the combination of these". Electromagnetic therapy (EMT), in which electrodes produce an electromagnetic field across the wound, may improve healing of chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers. ⋯ The results provide no strong evidence of benefit in using EMT to treat pressure ulcers. However, the possibility of a beneficial or harmful effect cannot be ruled out because there were only two included trials, both with methodological limitations and small numbers of participants. Further research is recommended.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisInterventions for improving outcomes in patients with multimorbidity in primary care and community settings.
Many people with chronic disease have more than one chronic condition, which is referred to as multimorbidity. While this is not a new phenomenon, there is greater recognition of its impact and the importance of improving outcomes for individuals affected. Research in the area to date has focused mainly on descriptive epidemiology and impact assessment. There has been limited exploration of the effectiveness of interventions for multimorbidity. ⋯ This review highlights the paucity of research into interventions to improve outcomes for multimorbidity with the focus to date being on co-morbid conditions or multimorbidity in older patients. The limited results suggest that interventions to date have had mixed effects but have shown a tendency to improve prescribing and medication adherence, particularly if interventions can be targeted at risk factors or specific functional difficulties in people with co-morbid conditions or multimorbidity. There is a need for clear definitions of participants, consideration of appropriate outcomes, and further pragmatic studies based in primary care settings.