40,994 papers found

BACKGROUND: Caesarean delivery (CD) is a common form of delivery of a baby, rising in frequency. One reason for its performance is to preserve maternal pelvic floor function, part of which is anal continence. OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of CD in comparison to vaginal delivery (VD) to preserve anal continence in…

BACKGROUND: Adenoidectomy, surgical removal of the adenoids, is a common ENT operation worldwide in children with recurrent or chronic nasal symptoms. A systematic review on the effectiveness of adenoidectomy in this specific group has not previously been performed. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of adenoidec…

BACKGROUND: Liver metastases are often the dominant site of metastatic disease in colorectal cancer. Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) involves embolising radiolabeled spheres (SIR-Spheres) into the arterial supply of the liver with the aim of improving the control of liver metastases. OBJECTIVES: To assess…

OBJECTIVE: CYP2C19 polymorphisms have been inconsistently reported to associate with the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapies for eradicating Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine whether CYP2C19 polymorphism affect H. pylori eradication rates obtained w…

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is a leading cause of avoidable blindness. The World Health Organization recommends eliminating trachoma blindness by the SAFE strategy incorporating Surgery, Antibiotic treatment, Facial cleanliness and Environmental hygiene. OBJECTIVES: This review examined the evidence for the effectiveness of…

BACKGROUND: While the aims of multicomponent screening of older people are broad, any benefit arising from the inclusion of a vision component in the assessment will necessarily be dependent on improving vision. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects on vision of mass screening of older people for visual impairment. SEARC…

BACKGROUND: Preparations of the plant Echinacea (family Compositae) are widely used in some European countries and in North America for common colds. Most consumers and physicians are not aware that products available under the term Echinacea differ appreciably in their composition, mainly due to the use of variable pl…

The inflammatory skin condition known as diaper dermatitis (DD) often affects infants and preschoolers. Barrier preparations are commonly used in their management, but their effectiveness remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the extent to which barrier preparations reduce DD compared to a placebo o…

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for evaluating surgical interventions for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the validity and reliability of their findings depend critically on adequate sample size determination and power estimations. Inadequate or absent reporting of thes…

Caffeine, one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances, is well known to disturb sleep, yet the extent to which its impact varies by age and dose has not been completely quantified. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library (through March 25, 2025) for controlled crossover trials t…

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is associated with significant postoperative pain despite being minimally invasive. External oblique intercostal block (EOIB) has emerged as a novel regional anesthesia technique targeting upper abdominal wall innervation. In this systematic review and meta-analysis wit…

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The best management approach for renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor use before surgery is controversial. Some studies have suggested that continuation could increase the risk of clinically significant peri-operative hypotension and, thus, organ injury. By contrast, others believe that withhol…

INTRODUCTION: The rise of mobile health (mHealth) has led to increased adoption of mobile apps for smoking cessation. The integration of gamification has been found to be positively associated with higher app engagement, smokers' self-efficacy and motivation to quit. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to id…

BACKGROUND: Evidence supports the use of exercise for patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, previous studies have mainly focused on combined treatment strategies or undefined exercise modalities. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Resistance Training (RT) as a…

Sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) is an ocular manifestation of sickle cell disease (SCD). In SCR abnormal sickling of erythrocytes is associated with sight-threatening complications such as neovascularisation, vitreous haemorrhage, maculopathy and retinal detachment. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a no…

BACKGROUND: To systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) versus percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in treating lower pole stones. METHODS: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and EMBASE were researched to iden…

Upper blepharoplasty addresses aging-related changes by removing excess skin, muscle, and fat from the upper eyelids. This systematic review, which was registered a priori, improves upon previously published reviews regarding functional and aesthetic outcomes following upper blepharoplasty. Custom search strategies wer…

BACKGROUND: Narcolepsy, a central hypersomnolence disorder, disrupts sleep regulation. Sodium oxybate, a CNS (central nervous system) depressant, is widely used as a treatment, but there are surprisingly very few rigorous studies comparing its effectiveness to placebo in adults. OBJECTIVES: To measure the comparative…

BACKGROUND: There is ongoing debate about the safety and efficacy of epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) in treating food allergies. The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EPIT. METHODS: We systematically searched international trial registers (ClinicalTrials.gov), PubMed, E…