GEM/cochrane-simplification huggingface dataset:
Abstract: The search strategy identified a total of 2079 unique citations. Out of 84 potentially eligible citations, we included two RCTs. The game evaluated in the first study used as a reinforcement technique, was based on the television game show "Family Feud" and focused on infection control. The study did not assess any patient or process of care outcomes. The group that was randomized to the game had statistically higher scores on the knowledge test (P = 0.02). The second study compared game-based learning ("Snakes and Ladders" board game) with traditional case-based learning of stroke prevention and management. The effect on knowledge was not statistically different between the two groups immediately and 3 months after the intervention. The level of reported enjoyment was higher in the game-based group. The findings of this systematic review neither confirm nor refute the utility of games as a teaching strategy for health professionals. There is a need for additional high-quality research to explore the impact of educational games on patient and performance outcomes.

Plain-language summary: This review found two eligible studies. The first study evaluated a game based on the TV show Family Feud and taught about infection control. The second study evaluated the use of a "Snakes and Ladders" board game in continuing medical education on stroke prevention and management. The two studies did not consistently show a beneficial effect on knowledge. We are therefore very uncertain whether games improve health care professional practice or patient care.
Abstract: Eight trials involving 475 people were included. Two of the studies included a mixed group of participants with either bipolar or unipolar disorder. Relapse was defined as admission to hospital and when all kinds of relapses were considered (both depressive and manic), there was a statistically significant difference in favour of lithium (relative risk (RR) fixed effect 0.34, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.82). The results did not exclude the point of no effect, when the random-effects model was used (RR random effects 0.40, 95% CI 0.14 to 1.18). There were no other statistically significant differences between lithium and antidepressants according to all other outcomes considered. Manic or depressive relapse was defined as prescription of non-study medication for mood disorder, manic or depressive relapse (as defined by the study authors), quality of life, social functioning, occupational functioning, overall drop-out rate, drop-out rate due to side-effects, troublesome side-effects, mortality due to all causes and specifically suicides. There was adequate efficacy evidence for lithium or antidepressants preventing relapse in unipolar affective disorder, however their relative efficacy was unknown. When considering lithium or antidepressant long-term therapy, patients and clinicians should take into account the patient's clinical history, the side-effects and the individual's likely adherence to the recommended treatment regime. Large-scale, long-term randomised trials in unselected groups of subjects with unipolar affective disorder are needed.

Plain-language summary: This systematic review investigated the efficacy and tolerability of lithium compared to antidepressants for the long-term treatment of unipolar affective disorder. Eight randomised studies (reporting on 475 participants) were included in the review. We found no reliable evidence of any robust differences between lithium and antidepressants but nor could we reliably exclude the possibility of clinically significant differences. In this review some studies included a mixed group of participants with either bipolar or unipolar disorder. The review suggests that, while lithium may be of benefit in preventing relapse in unipolar affective disorder, there remains uncertainty about the treatment effect in comparison with antidepressants. Interpretation of this review should consider that the number of participants in the studies was small and the included studies had methodological shortcomings.
Abstract: Two trials with 130 patients (67 and 63 patients randomised to intervention versus control) were included. Both studies had a low risk of bias. Amifostine versus placebo showed no statistically significant differences in the incidence of xerostomia (130 patients, two studies), the decrease of scintigraphically measured uptake of technetium-99m by salivary or submandibular glands at twelve months (80 patients, one study), and the reduction of blood pressure (130 patients, two studies). Two patients in one study collapsed after initiation of amifostine therapy and had to be treated by withdrawing the infusion and volume substitution. Both patients recovered without sequelae. Meta-analysis was not performed on the function of salivary glands measured by technetium-99m scintigraphy at three months after high dose radioactive iodine treatment due to the highly inconsistent findings across studies (I2 statistic 99%). None of the included trials investigated death from any cause, morbidity, health-related quality of life or costs. Results from two randomised controlled clinical trials suggest that the amifostine has no significant radioprotective effects on salivary glands in high-dose radioactive iodine treated differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Moreover, no health-related quality of life and other patient-oriented outcomes were evaluated in the two included trials. Randomised controlled clinical trials with low risk of bias investigating patient-oriented outcomes are needed to guide treatment choice.

Plain-language summary: We found only two randomised controlled trials in which the effects of amifostine were compared with placebo. The two randomised clinical trials investigated 130 patients treated with high dose radioactive iodine for thyroid cancer. Altogether data from the two trials suggest that amifostine has no obvious protective effects on the salivary glands in these patients. Two patients in one study collapsed after initiation of amifostine therapy and had to be treated by withdrawing the infusion and volume substitution. Both patients recovered without sequelae. Until better data become available, the use of sour candy or lemon juice to increase salivation might be more appropriate during radioactive iodine treatment for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Patients should be well informed of the importance of hydration, acid stimulation and glandular massage after radioactive iodine treatment. In addition, early recognition and treatment of xerostomia may improve outcomes.
Abstract: Five RCTs (1130 participants) were included. Two studies evaluated meditation, the others evaluated multi-disciplinary palliative care interventions that involved a chaplain or spiritual counsellor as a member of the intervention team. The studies evaluating meditation found no overall significant difference between those receiving meditation or usual care on quality of life or well-being. However, when meditation was combined with massage in the medium term it buffered against a reduction in quality of life. In the palliative care intervention studies there was no significant difference in quality of life or well-being between the trial arms. Coping with the disease was not evaluated in the studies. The quality of the studies was limited by under-reporting of design features. We found inconclusive evidence that interventions with spiritual or religious components for adults in the terminal phase of a disease may or may not enhance well-being. Such interventions are under-evaluated. All five studies identified were undertaken in the same country, and in the multi-disciplinary palliative care interventions it is unclear if all participants received support from a chaplain or a spiritual counsellor. Moreover, it is unclear in all the studies whether the participants in the comparative groups received spiritual or religious support, or both, as part of routine care or from elsewhere. The paucity of quality research indicates a need for more rigorous studies.

Plain-language summary: Being ill and near to the end of life can raise questions such as "Why me? Why now?". The experience may start or increase thoughts of a spiritual or religious nature. Some research has found that having spiritual or religious awareness, or both, may help a person cope with disease and dying. We conducted our review through searches for studies that were randomised controlled trials. We only included such studies if they evaluated an intervention that involved a spiritual or religious aspect, such as prayer and meditation, and aimed to support adults in the terminal phase of a disease. We found five studies. In total, the studies involved 1130 participants. Two studies evaluated meditation. Three evaluated the work of a palliative care team that involved physicians, nurses and chaplains. Studies compared those who received the intervention with those who did not. Studies evaluated the interventions in various ways including whether it helped in any way a person's quality of life. There was inconclusive evidence that meditation and palliative care teams that involve a chaplain or spiritual counsellor help patients feel emotionally supported. The findings of the review are limited. This is because none of the studies measured whether the intervention helped the person cope with the disease process, and also it is unclear whether all participants receiving the palliative care team interventions were offered support from a chaplain. All the studies were undertaken in one country, making it difficult to draw conclusions as to whether the intervention would work elsewhere.
Abstract: Two studies, including 97 women, met our inclusion criteria: one assessed LHRH agonist (leuprorelin) use in relapsed (platinum-resistant and platinum-refractory) EOC in comparison with a chemotherapeutic agent (treosulfan) (Du Bois 2002); the other examined LHRH agonist (decapeptyl) versus a placebo (Currie 1994). Since both studies had different control groups, a meta-analysis was not possible. There may be little or no difference between treatment with leuprorelin or treosulfan in overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio (HR) 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58 to 1.67; very low-quality evidence) or progression-free survival (PFS) at six and 12 months (risk ratio (RR) 0.61, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.68, and RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.12 to 3.66; very low-quality evidence), respectively (Du Bois 2002). The duration of follow-up was 2.5 years and quality of life (QoL) was not reported in this study. Alopecia and fatigue were probably more common with treosulfan than leuprorelin (alopecia RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.91 (very low-quality evidence)). There may be little or no difference in other Grade 3/4 side effects: nausea and vomiting (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.12 to 3.66 (very low-quality evidence)); neurotoxicity (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.01 to 7.71 (very low-quality evidence)) and neutropenia (RR 0.97, 95% 0.06 to 14.97 (very low-quality evidence)), The Currie 1994 study, which compared decapeptyl treatment with placebo, reported mean PFS of 16 weeks verus 11.2 weeks, respectively. No relative effects measures or P value at a particular time point were reported. Overall survival (OS) and QoL outcomes were not reported. In addition, adverse events were only mentioned for the decapeptyl group. Adverse events were incompletely reported (no adverse events in decapeptyl group, but not reported for the placebo group). Based on this review of two small RCTs, there is not enough evidence to comment on the safety and effectiveness of LHRH agonists in the treatment of platinum-refractory and platinum-resistant (relapsed) EOC. Overall, the quality of evidence for all outcomes (including OS, PFS, QoL and adverse events) is very low.

Plain-language summary: We searched electronic databases and other resources for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LHRH agonists with chemotherapy or placebo in women with relapsed EOC.Two RCTs were identified. Since the comparisons differed, they were reported separately. Available evidence did not show improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival at six and12 months with hormonal (LHRH) therapy. Also, major side effects (haematological and neurological) did not statistically differ between the two treatment groups, but were incompletely reported. Quality of life data were not reported in either study. Currently, the quality of evidence is very low regarding the effectiveness and safety of LHRH agonists in women who relapse within six months of initial platinum chemotherapy treatment.
Abstract: Seven preventive studies (14,437 people) and eight treatment studies (1361 people) were included in this updated review. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was rather low. Only five of the fifteen studies met 50% or more of the internal validity items. There was moderate evidence that lumbar supports are not more effective than no intervention or training in preventing low-back pain, and conflicting evidence whether lumbar supports are effective supplements to other preventive interventions. It is still unclear if lumbar supports are more effective than no or other interventions for the treatment of low-back pain. There is moderate evidence that lumbar supports are not more effective than no intervention or training in preventing low-back pain, and conflicting evidence whether they are effective supplements to other preventive interventions. It remains unclear whether lumbar supports are more effective than no or other interventions for treating low-back pain. There is still a need for high quality randomised trials on the effectiveness of lumbar supports. One of the most essential issues to tackle in these future trials seems to be the realization of an adequate compliance. Special attention should be paid to different outcome measures, types of patients and types of lumbar support.

Plain-language summary: In one study (82 people), back supports added to back school (patient education about recovering from back pain) were helpful in reducing the number of days of sick leave but not in preventing back pain. Back supports plus usual medical care reduced the number of days of low-back pain and improved function, but did not reduce sick leave (one study, 360 people). Treatment:  In four studies (1170 people), there was little or no difference between patients with acute or chronic back pain who used back supports and those who received no treatment in short-term pain reduction or overall improvement. There is conflicting evidence (two studies, 550 people) about whether back supports are better than nothing in helping low-back pain patients return to work faster, however in three studies (410 patients), they were better than nothing in helping individuals with subacute and chronic low-back pain recover function in the short term. In three studies (954 people), there was little or no difference in short-term pain reduction, overall improvement and return-to-work between those who used back supports and those who received manipulation, physiotherapy, or electrical stimulation. One study (164 people) reported mixed results on whether back supports improved function more than massage and in another study (19 people), use of a lumbar corset with back support was more effective in reducing pain in the short-term than a corset alone. Conclusions from this review should be viewed with caution due to the low quality of many of the studies. In the future, researchers should report side effects from wearing back supports and measure how many hours per day the supports are actually worn.
Abstract: Twelve RCTs (1023 participants) reporting 14 comparisons were included in this review. There was no difference in healing outcomes between hydrocellular foam dressings and polyurethane foam dressings (three RCTs). Pooled data across five RCTs (418 participants) showed no statistically significant difference between foam dressings and hydrocolloid dressings in the proportion of ulcers healed at 12 to 16 weeks (risk ratio (RR) 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 1.22). No statistically significant between-group differences in healing outcomes were detected when foam dressings were compared with: paraffin gauze (two RCTs); hydrocapillary dressing (one RCT); knitted viscose dressing (one RCT); and protease modulating matrix (one RCT). No statistically significant between-group differences in the proportion of participants experiencing adverse events were detected when hydrocellular foam dressings were compared with polyurethane foam dressings, or when foam dressings were compared with hydrocapillary, hydrocolloid, or knitted viscose dressings (one RCT for each comparison). Six RCTs were considered as being at overall high risk of bias, and the remaining six RCTs were considered to be at overall unclear risk of bias. No included RCT had an overall low risk of bias. The current evidence base does not suggest that foam dressings are more effective in the healing of venous leg ulcers than other wound dressing treatments. The evidence in this area is of low quality. Further evidence is required from well-designed and rigorously-conducted RCTs, that employ methods to minimise bias and report them clearly, before any definitive conclusions can be made regarding the efficacy of foam dressings in the management of venous leg ulcers.

Plain-language summary: We evaluated the evidence from 12 randomised controlled trials that either compared different types of foam dressings, or compared foam dressings with other types of wound dressings. We found no evidence to suggest that polyurethane foam dressings are significantly better or worse than hydrocellular foam dressings in venous leg ulcer healing. Similarly, we found no evidence to suggest that foam dressings are significantly better or worse than other types of dressings (paraffin-impregnated gauze dressings, hydrocapillary dressings, hydrocolloid dressings, knitted viscose dressings, or protease-modulating matrix dressings), for the healing of venous leg ulcers. We found insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions regarding: adverse events, quality of life, costs, pain, or dressing performance. Overall, the current evidence is of low or unclear methodological quality. This limits the making of any specific recommendations regarding the use of foam dressings. Further, good quality evidence is required before definitive conclusions can be made regarding the role of foam dressings in the management of venous leg ulcers.
Abstract: We did not identify any new studies for inclusion in this update. We included six studies that involved 5193 participants. Analysis showed that zinc supplementation reduced the incidence of pneumonia by 13% (fixed-effect risk ratio (RR) 0.87; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 0.94, six studies, low-quality evidence) and prevalence of pneumonia by 41% (random-effects RR 0.59; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.99, one study, n = 609, low-quality evidence). On subgroup analysis, we found that zinc reduced the incidence of pneumonia defined by specific clinical criteria by 21% (i.e. confirmation by chest examination or chest radiograph) (fixed-effect RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.88, four studies, n = 3261), but had no effect on lower specificity pneumonia case definition (i.e. age-specific fast breathing with or without lower chest indrawing) (fixed-effect RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.06, four studies, n = 1932). Zinc supplementation in children is associated with a reduction in the incidence and prevalence of pneumonia.

Plain-language summary: We included six studies that investigated zinc supplements to prevent pneumonia. The studies were conducted in Bangladesh, India, Peru and South Africa and involved 5193 children aged from two to 59 months. Children received either zinc or a similar-looking treatment that did not contain zinc. In two studies, children were also given vitamin A. All included studies were funded. Of these, three explicitly mentioned that funding agencies had no role in the design and results of the study. Zinc supplementation was significantly associated with reducing the incidence and prevalence of pneumonia among children aged from two to 59 months. On subgroup analysis, we found that a more stringent diagnosis (radiological examination) increased the reduction in pneumonia incidence. Overall, evidence quality was assessed as low on GRADE assessment.
Abstract: Ten studies including 33,179 participants were included in this review. Eight studies found no significant effect of vitamin A on the incidence of acute LRTI, or prevalence of symptoms of acute LRTI. Vitamin A caused an increased incidence of acute LRTI in one study; an increase in cough and fever; and increased symptoms of cough and rapid breathing in two other studies. Three reported no differences and no protective effect of vitamin A. Two studies reported that vitamin A significantly reduced the incidence of acute LRTI in children with poor nutritional status or weight, but increased the incidence in healthy children. This unexpected result is outside our current understanding of the use of vitamin A for preventing acute LRTIs. Accordingly, vitamin A should not be given to all children to prevent acute LRTIs. Despite its benefits in preventing diarrhoeal illnesses, vitamin A supplementation has only a limited effect in preventing acute LRTIs. Positive effects appear limited to populations with acute and chronic under nutrition. Low-dose vitamin A appears to have fewer side effects and at least equal benefit to a high dose of vitamin A.

Plain-language summary: We included 10 trials (33,179 children) where vitamin A deficiency or malnutrition was prevalent (31,379 in the community and 1800 in a hospital setting). Studies measured different aspects (for example, what constituted 'acute LRTI', the time to symptom resolution, etc.). There may have been other treatments (especially of malnourished children) which could have led to bias. Most studies showed no significant benefit of vitamin A supplements on the incidence or prevalence of symptoms of acute LRTIs. Although no included studies addressed adverse effects of vitamin A, the use of vitamin A should be carefully monitored. We do not recommend giving vitamin A to all children to prevent acute LRTIs because a few studies unexpectedly found that vitamin A increased the chance of infections or worsened symptoms in otherwise healthy children. Some evidence shows benefit for vitamin supplements given to children with low serum retinol or with a poor nutritional status. Limitations of our review include trials conducted within very specific populations and poor methodological quality of some of the included trials.