Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewDeep versus shallow suction of endotracheal tubes in ventilated neonates and young infants.
Mechanical ventilation is commonly used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units to assist breathing in a variety of conditions. Mechanical ventilation is achieved through the placement of an endotracheal tube (ETT) which is left in-situ. The ETT is suctioned to prevent a build-up of secretions and therefore blockage of the airway. Methods of suctioning the endotracheal tube vary according to institutional practice and the individual clinician performing the task. The depth of suctioning is one of these variables. The catheter may be passed to the tip of the ETT or beyond the tip into the trachea or bronchi to facilitate removal of secretions. However, trauma to the lower airways may result from the suction catheter being passed into the airway beyond the tip of the endotracheal tube. ⋯ There is no evidence from randomised controlled trials concerning the benefits or risks of deep versus shallow suctioning of endo-tracheal tubes in ventilated neonates and infants. Further high quality research would be required to conclusively establish whether there are any benefits to deep or shallow suctioning. However, as it may be considered unethical to conduct a trial of deep suctioning given anecdotal evidence regarding possible damage to the airway, it is proposed that a randomised controlled trial comparing deep with shallow suctioning may be considered in a NICU where the standard practice includes a deep suctioning technique.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
Review Meta AnalysisSteroids for improving recovery following tonsillectomy in children.
Tonsillectomy continues to be one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. Despite advances in anesthetic and surgical techniques, post-tonsillectomy morbidity remains a significant clinical problem. ⋯ The evidence suggests that a single intravenous dose of dexamethasone is an effective, relatively safe and inexpensive treatment for reducing morbidity from pediatric tonsillectomy. No adverse events attributable to dexamethasone were reported in these trials. Additionally, in our 10-year experience of routine use of a single intravenous dose of dexamethasone during pediatric tonsillectomy, there have been no attributable, adverse events. Lastly, we found no reports in the literature of complications from use of a single intravenous dose of corticosteroid during pediatric tonsillectomy.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
Review Meta AnalysisTopical agents or dressings for pain in venous leg ulcers.
Venous leg ulcers affect up to 1 per cent of people at some time in their life. These ulcers are often painful and some clinicians choose dressings and topical treatments (analgesia/ local anaesthetic) to reduce the pain both during and between dressing changes. ⋯ EMLA provides effective pain relief for venous leg ulcer debridement however, the effect of the product on ulcer healing is unknown. Research is required to determine the impact of debridement and of EMLA on ulcer healing. There were no trials addressing the treatment of persistent pain (between and at dressing changes) and further research is warranted.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
Review Meta AnalysisWork conditioning, work hardening and functional restoration for workers with back and neck pain.
Physical conditioning programs, variously called work conditioning, work hardening and functional restoration/exercise programs, aim to improve work status and function. Previous attempts have been made to evaluate the efficacy of work-oriented back pain management programs, but none have focused exclusively on work or functional outcomes. ⋯ Physical conditioning programs that include a cognitive-behavioural approach plus intensive physical training (specific to the job or not) that includes aerobic capacity, muscle strength and endurance, and coordination; are in some way work-related; and are given and supervised by a physiotherapist or a multidisciplinary team, seem to be effective in reducing the number of sick days for some workers with chronic back pain, when compared to usual care. However, there is no evidence of their efficacy for acute back pain.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2003
ReviewCombined spinal-epidural versus epidural analgesia in labour.
Traditional epidural techniques have been associated with prolonged labour, use of oxytocin augmentation, and increased incidence of instrumental vaginal delivery. The combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique has been introduced in an attempt to reduce these adverse effects. CSE is believed to improve maternal mobility during labour and provide more rapid onset of analgesia than epidural analgesia. ⋯ There is no standard CSE or epidural technique. Compared with epidural, CSE provides faster onset of effective pain relief from the time of injection, and increases the incidence of maternal satisfaction. However, CSE women experience more itch. There is no difference between CSE and epidural techniques with respect to: the incidence of forceps delivery, maternal mobility, PDPH, caesarean section rates or admission of babies to the neonatal unit. It is not possible to draw any meaningful conclusions regarding rare complications such as nerve injury and meningitis.