Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisRifamycins (rifampicin, rifabutin and rifapentine) compared to isoniazid for preventing tuberculosis in HIV-negative people at risk of active TB.
Preventing active tuberculosis (TB) from developing in people with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is important for global TB control. Isoniazid (INH) for six to nine months has 60% to 90% protective efficacy, but the treatment period is long, liver toxicity is a problem, and completion rates outside trials are only around 50%. Rifampicin or rifamycin-combination treatments are shorter and may result in higher completion rates. ⋯ Trials to date of shortened prophylactic regimens using rifampicin alone have not demonstrated higher rates of active TB when compared to longer regimens with INH. Treatment completion is probably higher and adverse events may be fewer with shorter rifampicin regimens. Shortened regimens of rifampicin with INH may offer no advantage over longer INH regimens. Rifampicin combined with pyrazinamide is associated with more adverse events. A weekly regimen of rifapentine plus INH has higher completion rates, and less liver toxicity, though treatment discontinuation due to adverse events is probably more likely than with INH.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisPeritoneal closure versus no peritoneal closure for patients undergoing non-obstetric abdominal operations.
There is no consensus regarding whether the peritoneum should be closed or left open during non-obstetric operations involving laparotomy. Neither is there consensus about the method of closure of the peritoneum (continuous suture versus interrupted suture). If closing the peritoneum could be omitted without complications, or even with benefit for patients, this could result in reductions in the cost of abdominal operations by reducing both the number of sutures used and the operating time. ⋯ There is no evidence for any short-term or long-term advantage in peritoneal closure for non-obstetric operations. If further trials are performed on this topic, they should have an adequate period of follow-up and adequate measures should be taken to ensure that the results are not subject to bias.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisOmega-3 fatty acids for intermittent claudication.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been used in the treatment and prevention of coronary artery disease although current evidence suggests they may be of limited benefit. Peripheral arterial disease and coronary artery disease share a similar pathogenesis so omega-3 fatty acids may have a similar effect on both conditions. This is an update of a review first published in 2004 and updated in 2007. ⋯ Omega-3 fatty acids appear to have little haematological benefit in people with intermittent claudication and there is no evidence of consistently improved clinical outcomes (quality of life, walking distance, ankle brachial pressure index or angiographic findings). Supplementation may also cause adverse effects such as nausea, diarrhoea and flatulence. Further research is needed to evaluate fully short- and long-term effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the most clinically relevant outcomes in people with intermittent claudication before they can be recommended for routine use.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisPerioperative statin therapy for improving outcomes during and after noncardiac vascular surgery.
Patients undergoing vascular surgery are a high-risk population with widespread atherosclerosis, an adverse cardiovascular risk profile and often multiple co-morbidities. Postoperative cardiovascular complications, including myocardial infarct (MI), are common. Statins are the medical treatment of choice to reduce high cholesterol levels. Evidence is accumulating that patients taking statins at the time of surgery are protected against a range of perioperative complications, but the specific benefits for patients undergoing noncardiac vascular surgery are not clear. ⋯ Evidence was insufficient to allow review authors to conclude that statin use resulted in either a reduction or an increase in any of the outcomes examined. The existing body of evidence leaves questions about the benefits of perioperative use of statins for vascular surgery unanswered. Widespread use of statins in the target population means that it may now be difficult for researchers to undertake the large RCTs needed to demonstrate any effect on the incidence of postoperative cardiovascular events. However, participant-reported outcomes have been neglected and warrant further study.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisAntibiotic prophylaxis for short-term catheter bladder drainage in adults.
Urinary tract infections account for about 40% of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections, and about 80% of urinary tract infections acquired in hospital are associated with urinary catheters. ⋯ The limited evidence indicated that receiving prophylactic antibiotics reduced the rate of bacteriuria and other signs of infection, such as pyuria, febrile morbidity and gram-negative isolates in patients' urine, in surgical patients who undergo bladder drainage for at least 24 hours postoperatively. There was also limited evidence that prophylactic antibiotics reduced bacteriuria in non-surgical patients.