Prevention and treatment of the common cold- The Ari group's contribution to overviews

Jefferson T. Member, ARI Group editorial base

To assess the feasibility of combining individual reviews into overviews I piloted an approach to map Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews and other experimental evidence of the effects of interventions for prevention and treatment of the common cold (see abstracts numbers 2, 34, 66, 77). Methods I carried out searches of the component parts of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the ARI group register and enlisted the help of Dr David Tyrrell, one of the leading world experts on the common cold. Results Knowledge acquired was summarised in a table, which at present occupies six sides of A4 paper. An extract is re-produced below (Table) Conclusions Tabulation of available Cochrane and non-Cochrane evidence is an essential first step to carrying out overviews. Advantages include the identification of interventions, of knowledge gaps and the possibility of identifying and contacting authors of non-Cochrane reviews who may be persuaded to edit their reviews in Cochrane format. FIT THE TABLE HERE PLEASE MAKE SURE IT ALL FITS INTO ONE ABSTRACT FORM Intervention Agent specificity Cochrane reviews or protocols Non-Cochrane reviews INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTION AND EARLY TREATMENT OF THE COMMON COLD Antibiotics Yes Arroll B, Kenealy T. Antibiotics for the common cold (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 1999. Oxford: Update Software. Antivirals Ion channel inhibitors (amantadine and rimantadine) Influenza A Jefferson TO, Demicheli V, Deeks JJ, Rivetti D. Amantadine and rimantadine for preventing and treating influenza A in adults (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 1999. Oxford: Update Software. Wintermeyer SM, Nahata MC. Rimantadine: a clinical perspective. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 1995; 29: 299-310. Aoki FY. Amantadine and rimantadine. In Nicholson, Hay and Webster (editors): Textbook of Influenza. London: Blackwell 1988 pages 457-476. Neuraminidase inhibitors (zanamivir and oseltamivir) Influenza A and B Jefferson T, Demicheli V, Deeks J, Rivetti D. Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 1999. Oxford: Update Software Harnden A. Sheikh A. Lancaster T. Neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza in children (Cochrane protocol) Pooled analysis of the effect of zanamivir on complications & antibiotic use (abstract at ICAAC, San Francisco 1999 and submitted for publication). Pooled analysis of the clinical safety of zanamivir (published in Drug Safety 1999; 21 (4):267-281) Other antivirals ICAM-1*, dichlorofavan* (Wellcome), Ro 09-0410* (Roche), ICI 73,602*, SKF 40491*, GL R9-338*, RP 19826*, R61837*, 62025* (Janssen), Enviroxime* (Eli Lilly), Pleconaril*, (ViroPharma) Rhinoviridae . Al-Nakib W, Tyrrell DAJ. Drugs against rhinoviruses. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1992; 30:115-17. Tyrrell DAJ, Al-Nakib W. Prophylaxis and treatment of rhinovirus infections. In DeClercq E (ed). Clinical use of antiviral drugs. Martinus Nijhoff Publishing 1998:241-76. Table. Shortened version of the table mapping interventions and availability of evidence of the effects of some of the interventions to prevent and treat the common cold. Interventions marked with * are unlicensed.

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