Cochrane

Review question We reviewed the evidence about the effect of vibrating devices (e.g. Flutter, acapella, cornet, Quake®, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, high frequency chest wall oscillators (e.g. Vest®), VibraLung® and MetaNeb®) to help people with cystic fibrosis clear their airways of mucus. This is an update of a previously published review. Background People ...

Background to the question Inhalers containing steroids improve asthma-related symptoms and reduce asthma attacks when taken regularly. But many people with asthma do not take them as prescribed. This leads to more symptoms and flare-ups, which have been linked to a third of asthma deaths in the UK. Missing doses is sometimes called 'non-adherence'. ...

We wanted to find out if pneumococcal vaccination for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reduces the risk of pneumonia and associated mortality. We found a total of 12 studies including 2171 participants. Evidence gathered in this review is current to December 2015. Background People with COPD are at increased risk of respiratory ...

Review question: We wished to compare the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation after an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on hospital readmissions and other patient-important outcomes such as quality of life versus usual post-exacerbation care. Study characteristics: We included 20 studies involving 1477 participants with ...

Review question What are the effects of oral hygiene care on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation in hospital intensive care units (ICUs)? We aimed to summarise all the available appropriate research in order to identify evidence-based care for these vulnerable patients. Background Critically ...

Background: People with asthma sometimes have asthma attacks, wherein their symptoms such as cough, chest tightness and difficulty breathing become worse. Many patients with asthma attacks are treated with steroids, which are usually given as a short course of tablets or liquid medicine. Steroids work by reducing inflammation in the airways in the ...

Background When people stop smoking they experience cravings to smoke and unpleasant mood changes. Nicotine receptor partial agonists aim to reduce these withdrawal symptoms and the pleasure people usually experience when they smoke. The most widely-available treatment in this drug type is varenicline, which is available world-wide as an aid for quitting ...

Since the first national legislation banning indoor smoking in all public places was introduced in 2004, there has been an increase in the number of countries, states and regions adopting similar smoke-free legislation banning smoking in public places and work places since this review was first published. The main reason is to protect nonsmokers from ...

Review question We wanted to see if shared decision making was better or worse than usual care in reducing antibiotic prescribing for an acute respiratory infection in primary care. Background Shared decision making enables health decisions to be made jointly by a clinician and patient. The decision making occurs after the options and their benefits ...

Does prolonged antibiotic therapy provide benefit in treatment of patients with purulent bronchiectasis? Why is this question important? Non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by abnormal dilatation of the airways. Although its global prevalence is largely unknown, available data from Australia, ...