Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2023
ReviewProbiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants.
Intestinal dysbiosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very preterm or very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Dietary supplementation with probiotics to modulate the intestinal microbiome has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the risk of NEC and associated mortality and morbidity in very preterm or VLBW infants. ⋯ Given the low to moderate certainty of evidence for the effects of probiotic supplements on the risk of NEC and associated morbidity and mortality for very preterm or VLBW infants, and particularly for extremely preterm or ELBW infants, there is a need for further large, high-quality trials to provide evidence of sufficient validity and applicability to inform policy and practice.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2023
ReviewPlasmapheresis to remove amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles for treating the post-COVID-19 condition.
The post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) consists of a wide array of symptoms including fatigue and impaired daily living. People seek a wide variety of approaches to help them recover. A new belief, arising from a few laboratory studies, is that 'microclots' cause the symptoms of PCC. This belief has been extended outside these studies, suggesting that to recover people need plasmapheresis (an expensive process where blood is filtered outside the body). We appraised the laboratory studies, and it was clear that the term 'microclots' is incorrect to describe the phenomenon being described. The particles are amyloid and include fibrin(ogen); amyloid is not a part of a thrombus which is a mix of fibrin mesh and platelets. Initial acute COVID-19 infection is associated with clotting abnormalities; this review concerns amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles in PCC only. We have reported here our appraisal of laboratory studies investigating the presence of amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles in PCC, and of evidence that plasmapheresis may be an effective therapy to remove amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles for treating PCC. ⋯ In the absence of reliable research showing that amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles contribute to the pathophysiology of PCC, there is no rationale for plasmapheresis to remove amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles in PCC. Plasmapheresis for this indication should not be used outside the context of a well-conducted randomized controlled trial.
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Apical vaginal prolapse is the descent of the uterus or vaginal vault (post-hysterectomy). Various surgical treatments are available, but there are no guidelines to recommend which is the best. ⋯ Sacral colpopexy is associated with lower risk of awareness of prolapse, recurrent prolapse on examination, repeat surgery for prolapse, and postoperative SUI than a variety of vaginal interventions. The limited evidence does not support the use of transvaginal mesh compared to native tissue repair for apical vaginal prolapse. There were no differences in primary outcomes for different routes of sacral colpopexy. However, the laparoscopic approach is associated with a shorter operating time than robotic approach, and shorter admission than open approach. There were no significant differences between vaginal hysteropexy and vaginal hysterectomy for uterine prolapse nor between vaginal hysteropexy and abdominal hysteropexy/cervicopexy. There were no differences detected between absorbable and non absorbable sutures however, the certainty of evidence for mesh exposure and dyspareunia was low.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2023
ReviewCognitive behavioural therapy plus standard care versus standard care for persistent aggressive behaviour or agitation in people with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and other psychoses are thought to be associated with a substantial increase in aggressive behaviour, violence and violent offending. However, acts of aggression or violence committed by people with severe mental illness are rare and circumscribed to a small minority of individuals. We know little about the frequency and variability of violent episodes for people with schizophrenia who present chronic or recurrent aggressive episodes, and of available interventions to reduce such problems. A psychological intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), aims to challenge dysfunctional thoughts and has been used since the mid-1970s to improve mental health and emotional disorders. CBT includes different interventional procedures, such as cognitive therapy, elements of behavioural therapy, problem-solving interventions, and coping skills training, among others. Although CBT presents much diversity, interventions are characteristically problem-focused, goal-directed, future-oriented, time-limited (about 12 to 20 sessions over four to six months), and empirically based. CBT has shown clinically beneficial effects in persistent positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and its use as an add-on therapy to medication in the treatment of schizophrenia is supported by treatment guidelines. However, several Cochrane Reviews recently concluded that, due to the low quality of evidence available, no firm conclusions can currently be made regarding the effectiveness of adding CBT to standard care for people with schizophrenia, or about CBT compared to other psychosocial treatments for people with schizophrenia. Whereas CBT is not an emergency or crisis intervention that acts immediately on the known or unknown triggers underlying aggressive behaviour, might be a timely treatment used to manage persistent aggression or repeated aggressive episodes in people with schizophrenia. ⋯ Whereas the evidence from only two studies with 184 participants suggests the use of CBT plus standard care may reduce some aggressive behaviours in patients with schizophrenia, the grading of the certainty of the evidence is very low. It implies that there is not yet reliable evidence to guide clinical decisions and therefore more evidence is needed to get a more precise estimate of the effect of the intervention. Currently, we have very little confidence in the effect estimate, and the true effect could be substantially different from its estimate.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jul 2023
ReviewAntiplatelet agents for the treatment of adults with COVID-19.
Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause thrombotic events that lead to severe complications or death. Antiplatelet agents, such as acetylsalicylic acid, have been shown to effectively reduce thrombotic events in other diseases: they could influence the course of COVID-19 in general. ⋯ In people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and moderate to severe disease, we found moderate-certainty evidence that antiplatelets probably result in little to no difference in 28-day mortality, clinical worsening or improvement, but probably result in a slight reduction in thrombotic events. They probably increase the occurrence of major bleeding events. Low-certainty evidence suggests that antiplatelets may result in a slight increase in serious adverse events. In people with confirmed COVID-19 and mild symptoms, we found low-certainty evidence that antiplatelets may result in little to no difference in 45-day mortality and serious adverse events, and may slightly reduce thrombotic events. The effects on the combined outcome admission to hospital or death up to day 45 and major bleeding events are very uncertain. Quality of life was not reported. Included studies were conducted in high- to lower middle-income settings using antiplatelets prior to vaccination roll-outs. We identified a lack of evidence concerning quality of life assessments, adverse events and people with asymptomatic infection. The 14 ongoing and three completed, unpublished RCTs that we identified in trial registries address similar settings and research questions as in the current body of evidence. We expect to incorporate the findings of these studies in future versions of this review.