Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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It has been suggested that oestrogens may improve fetal growth due to an increase in nutritional supply to the fetus from greater uterine blood flow. ⋯ There is not enough evidence to evaluate the clinical use of hormone administration for suspected impaired fetal growth.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewInhaled beta-agonists for asthma in mechanically ventilated patients.
A small number of patients with acute severe asthma require intubation and positive pressure ventilation. The beneficial effects of inhaled bronchodilators on acute asthma in spontaneously breathing subjects are well established, but there remain important questions regarding inhaled beta2-agonists, for patients who are intubated and receiving ventilation. ⋯ There are no data from randomised controlled trials to provide evidence for or against current practices regarding the use of inhaled beta2-agonists in asthmatic subjects who are intubated and ventilated.
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To estimate the short-term effects of D-penicillamine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ D-penicillamine appears to have a clinically and statistically significant benefit on the disease activity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Its efficacy appears to be similar to that of other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), but with a significantly higher toxicity. Its effects on long-term functional status and radiological progression are not clear from this review.
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To assess the short-term effects of azathioprine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ Azathioprine appears to have a statistically significant benefit on the disease activity in joints of patients with RA. This evidence however is based on a small number of patients, included in older trials. Its effects on long-term functional status and radiological progression were not assessed due to lack of data. Toxicity is shown to be higher and more serious than that observed with other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Given this high risk to benefit ratio, there is no evidence to recommend the use of azathioprine over other DMARDs.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2000
ReviewMaternal antigen avoidance during lactation for preventing atopic eczema in infants.
To assess the effects of prescribing an antigen avoidance diet to lactating mothers of infants with atopic eczema on the severity of the eczema. ⋯ The unimpressive results of this single trial should be interpreted with caution both because of its small size (n=17) and because the trial compared exposure to cow milk and egg with exposure to soya milk (soya can itself be allergenic). Maternal reports of changes in the severity of their breast-fed infants' eczema following ingestion of certain foods should be pursued by performing multiple (preferably double-blinded) challenges and dechallenges with the suspected foods.