Cochrane Collaboration

BACKGROUND: Generally, public health policy-making is hardly a linear process and is characterized by interactions among politicians, institutions, researchers, technocrats and practitioners from diverse fields, as well as brokers, interest groups, financiers and a gamut of other actors. Meanwhile, most public health policies and systems in Africa appear to be built loosely on technical and scientific evidence, but with high political systems and ideologies. While studies on national health policies in Africa are growing, there seems to be inadequate evidence mapping on common themes and concepts across existing literature...

This study systematically combed the randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicines in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) in recent five years by using the method of evidence map. It understood the distribution and quality of evidence in this field and found the existing Chinese patent medicines in treatment of T2DM and the problems in its research. The study collected the commonly used Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of T2DM from three drug catalogs, retrieved Chinese and English databases to obtain RCT literature related to Chinese patent medicines in recent five years, and extracted information such as sample size, study drug, combination medication, course of treatment, and outcome indicators from the literature...

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, not only in terms of public health but also in the realm of innovative therapeutic approaches to combat the severe respiratory complications associated with the virus. The effect of surfactant therapy on reducing mortality in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) hasn't been explored before. METHODS: We conducted a search on PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Clinicaltrials...

BACKGROUND: We describe a retrospective assessment of practitioner and patient recruitment strategies, patient retention strategies, and rates for five clinical studies conducted in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network between 2012 and 2019, and practitioner and patient characteristics associated with retention. METHODS: Similar recruitment strategies were adopted in the studies. The characteristics of the practitioners and patients are described...

INTRODUCTION: Following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a significant decline in periprosthetic bone mineral density (BMD), potentially resulting in complications such as prosthetic loosening, periprosthetic fracture, and influencing the postoperative recovery. The objective of this study was to summarize the factors influencing periprosthetic BMD in TKA from existing studies. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was performed in 4 databases: Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of robot-assisted cervical screw placement and factors that may affect the accuracy. METHODS: A comprehensive search was made on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang Med for the selection of potential eligible literature. The outcomes were evaluated in terms of the relative risk (RR) or standardized mean difference (MD) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses of the accuracy of screw placement at different cervical segments and with different screw placement approaches were performed...

Endoluminal biliary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been proposed as a palliative treatment for patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) in order to improve stent patency and survival. However, the existing data on patients with inoperable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) are conflicting. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing RFA plus stenting versus stenting alone in patients with inoperable eCCA. We searched for trials published in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases up to November 2023...

BACKGROUND: The use of mesh is standard of care for large ventral hernias repaired on an elective basis. The most used type of mesh includes synthetic polypropylene mesh; however, there has been an increase in the usage of a new polyester self-gripping mesh, and there are limited data regarding its efficacy for ventral hernia. The purpose of the study is to determine whether there is a difference in surgical site occurrence (SSO), surgical site infection (SSI), surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (SSOPI), and recurrence at 30 days after ventral hernia repair (VHR) using self-gripping (SGM) versus non-self-gripping mesh (NSGM)...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of arthroscopic surgery combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) compared to arthroscopic surgery alone in the treatment of patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears (RCT). METHODS: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang Database were systematically searched from inception to November 2023. Subject words combined with free words were used to collect randomized controlled trials focusing on arthroscopic surgery combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of full-thickness RCT...

BACKGROUND: While constraint-induced movement therapy is strongly recommended as an intervention for infants with unilateral cerebral palsy, the optimal dosage remains undefined. This systematic review aims to identify the most effective level of intensity of constraint-induced movement therapy to enhance manual function in infants at high risk of asymmetric brain lesions or unilateral cerebral palsy diagnosis. METHODS: This systematic review with meta-analysis encompassed a comprehensive search across four electronic databases to identify articles that met the following criteria: randomised controlled trials, children aged 0-6 with at high risk or with unilateral cerebral palsy, and treatment involving constraint-induced movement therapy for upper limb function...

OBJECTIVE: The clinical efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) after Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is still controversial, and the purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of CBT on pain, knee function, and psychological status of patients after TKA. METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases such as CNKI, CBM, VIP, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for randomized controlled studies up to February 30, 2023. Screening against inclusion criteria to select valid studies and extract data...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: De-escalation in breast cancer surgery has been a natural evolution since breast conserving surgery (BCS) was introduced in the early 1980s. From Halsted mastectomies to wide local excisions, we are facing nowadays the next trend in form of oncoplastic breast surgery. Oncoplastic breast surgery combines oncological principles with plastic surgery techniques to preserve the breast shape and appearance. The aim of this work is to review recent oncological and quality of live outcomes derived from oncoplastic techniques as well as offer a perspective about its implementation in breast cancer units...

INTRODUCTION: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is more common in women than in men, contrary to most cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unclear whether the case fatality rate (CFR) of SAH also differs by sex. Thus, we performed a systematic review to address the relationship between sex and SAH CFRs. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library databases. We focused on population-based studies that included both non-hospitalized and hospitalized SAHs and had either reported 1-month (28-31 day) SAH CFRs separately for men and women or calculated risk estimates for SAH CFR by sex...

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients experience sleep disruption with consequential physiological and psychological effects. Surgical patients are particularly at risk due to surgical stress and postoperative pain. This systematic review aimed to identify non-pharmacological interventions for improving sleep and exploring their effects on sleep-related and clinical outcomes. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered on the Open Science Framework (doi: 10...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our meta-analysis was to systematically assess the enduring effectiveness and safety of high-frequency spinal stimulation (HF-SCS) in the management of chronic pain. METHODS: We developed a comprehensive literature search strategy to identify clinical trials investigating the efficacy of high-frequency spinal stimulation for chronic pain. The search was conducted in multiple databases, including Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase, covering the period from 2004 to 2023...

INTRODUCTION: This systematic review aims to elucidate the intricate correlation between celiac disease (CD) and dental enamel defects (DED), exploring pathophysiological mechanisms, oral health implications, and a dentist's role in early diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search from 1 January 2013 to 1 January 2024 across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science identified 153 publications. After exclusions, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis...

INTRODUCTION: Vitiligo is a common depigmenting skin disorder. This work is performed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of fire needles combined with 308 nm excimer laser therapy in treating vitiligo. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on fire needles combined with 308 nm excimer laser therapy with 308 nm excimer laser therapy alone for vitiligo were included...

The complete safety and efficacy of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) remain unclear in the literature and, to our knowledge, there are no current meta-analyses on phaco-ECP versus phacoemulsification alone to date. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing these two strategies through studies, assessing the effectiveness and safety of outcomes in a population with glaucoma. The protocol for this systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023482376)...

BACKGROUND: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is manifested by sensorimotor impairments in the sprained ankle, including deficits in sensation, motor function, and central integration or processing. These impairments have a significant impact on physical activities and daily life. Recently, some studies have suggested that bilateral deficits were observed in unilateral CAI, but contradictory evidence disputes this finding. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether bilateral sensorimotor deficits presented in individuals with unilateral CAI...

INTRODUCTION: Dementia is a complex medical condition that poses significant challenges to healthcare systems and support services. People living with dementia (PLWD) and their carers experience complex needs often exacerbated by social isolation and challenges in accessing support. Social prescribing (SP) seeks to enable PLWD and their carers to access community and voluntary sector resources to support them address such needs. Existing research, however, does not describe what SP interventions are currently in place in dementia care...