Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Epilepsy is a common neurological condition characterised by recurrent seizures. Most patients respond to conventional antiepileptic drugs, however, around 30% will continue to experience seizures despite multiple antiepileptic drugs. Sulthiame is a widely used antiepileptic drug in Europe and Israel. We present a summary of the evidence for the use of sulthiame as add-on therapy in epilepsy. ⋯ Sulthiame may lead to a cessation of seizures when used as an add-on therapy to pyridoxine in patients with West syndrome. The included study was small and had a significant risk of bias which limits the impact of the evidence. No conclusions can be drawn on the occurrence of adverse drug effects, change in quality of life or mean reduction in seizure frequency. No evidence exists for the use of sulthiame as an add-on therapy in patients with epilepsy outside West syndrome. Large, multi-centre randomised controlled trials are necessary to inform clinical practice if sulthiame is to be used as an add-on therapy for epilepsy.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2013
ReviewInterventions to improve professional adherence to guidelines for prevention of device-related infections.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major threat to patient safety, and are associated with mortality rates varying from 5% to 35%. Important risk factors associated with HAIs are the use of invasive medical devices (e.g. central lines, urinary catheters and mechanical ventilators), and poor staff adherence to infection prevention practices during insertion and care for the devices when in place. There are specific risk profiles for each device, but in general, the breakdown of aseptic technique during insertion and care for the device, as well as the duration of device use, are important factors for the development of these serious and costly infections. ⋯ The low to very low quality of the evidence of studies included in this review provides insufficient evidence to determine with certainty which interventions are most effective in changing professional behaviour and in what contexts. However, interventions that may be worth further study are educational interventions involving more than one active element and that are repeatedly administered over time, and interventions employing specialised personnel, who are focused on an aspect of care that is supported by evidence e.g. dentists/dental auxiliaries performing oral care for VAP prevention.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2013
Review Meta AnalysisCooling for newborns with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
Newborn animal studies and pilot studies in humans suggest that mild hypothermia following peripartum hypoxia-ischaemia in newborn infants may reduce neurological sequelae without adverse effects. ⋯ There is evidence from the 11 randomised controlled trials included in this systematic review (N = 1505 infants) that therapeutic hypothermia is beneficial in term and late preterm newborns with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Cooling reduces mortality without increasing major disability in survivors. The benefits of cooling on survival and neurodevelopment outweigh the short-term adverse effects. Hypothermia should be instituted in term and late preterm infants with moderate-to-severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy if identified before six hours of age. Further trials to determine the appropriate techniques of cooling, including refinement of patient selection, duration of cooling and method of providing therapeutic hypothermia, will refine our understanding of this intervention.
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Croup is thought to be triggered by a viral infection and is characterised by respiratory distress due to upper airway inflammation and swelling of the subglottic mucosa in children. Mostly it is mild and transient and resolves with supportive care. In moderate to severe cases, treatment with corticosteroids and nebulised epinephrine (adrenaline) is required. Corticosteroids improve symptoms but it takes time for a full effect to be achieved. In the interim, the child is at risk of further deterioration. This may rarely result in respiratory failure necessitating emergency intubation and ventilation. Nebulised epinephrine may result in dose-related adverse effects including tachycardia, arrhythmias and hypertension and its benefit may be short-lived. Helium-oxygen (heliox) inhalation has shown therapeutic benefit in initial treatment of acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis and may prevent morbidity and mortality in ventilated neonates. Heliox has been used during emergency transport of children with severe croup and anecdotal evidence suggests that heliox relieves respiratory distress. ⋯ There is some evidence to suggest a short-term benefit of heliox inhalation in children with moderate to severe croup who have been administered oral or intramuscular dexamethasone. In one study, the benefit appeared to be similar to a combination of 100% oxygen with nebulised epinephrine. In another study there was a slight change in croup scores between heliox and controls, with unclear clinical significance. In another study in mild croup, the benefit of humidified heliox was equivalent to that of 30% humidified oxygen, suggesting that heliox is not indicated in this group of patients provided that 30% oxygen is available. Adequately powered RCTs comparing heliox with standard treatments are needed to further assess the role of heliox in children with moderate to severe croup.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2013
Review Meta AnalysisNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treating lateral elbow pain in adults.
Lateral elbow pain, or tennis elbow, is a common condition that causes pain in the elbow and forearm. Although self-limiting, it can be associated with significant disability and often results in work absence. It is often treated with topical and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This is an update of a review first published in 2002 (search date October 11, 2012). ⋯ There remains limited evidence from which to draw firm conclusions about the benefits or harms of topical or oral NSAIDs in treating lateral elbow pain. Although data from five placebo-controlled trials suggest that topical NSAIDs may be beneficial in improving pain (for up to 4 weeks), non-normal distribution of data and other methodological issues precluded firm conclusions. Some people may expect a mild transient skin rash. Evidence about the benefits of oral NSAIDs has been conflicting, although oral NSAID use may result in gastrointestinal adverse effects in some people. No direct comparisons between oral and topical NSAIDs were available. Some trials demonstrated greater benefit from glucocorticoid injection than from NSAIDs in the short term, but this was not apparent in all studies and was not apparent by 6 months in the only study that included longer-term outcomes.