The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD)

CRD is part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is a department of the University of York. CRD, which was established in 1994, is one of the largest groups in the world engaged exclusively in evidence synthesis in the health field. CRD undertakes systematic reviews evaluating the research evidence on health and public health questions of national and international importance. They produce the DARE, NHS EED and HTA databases which are used extensively by health professionals, policy makers and researchers around the world. They also undertake methods research and produce internationally accepted guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews.

CRD databases updated
In the week of 25/10/12 to 31/10/12, 49 new records were added to the DARE database.

Abstracts of the week - a selection

Effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy on activity and participation after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. This review found that constraint-induced movement therapy with or without modification improved hand mobility and to some extent self-care, in stroke patients. The review was reasonably well conducted and the authors cautious conclusions are likely to be reliable.
Identifying the lowest effective dose of acetazolamide for the prophylaxis of acute mountain sickness: systematic review and meta-analysis. The authors concluded that 250mg, 500mg and 750mg doses of acetazolamide were effective for acute mountain sickness in healthy participants, and the lowest effective dose found was 250mg. This was a well-conducted review. There were methodological limitations to the included trials, but their results consistently favoured acetazolamide and the authors' conclusions are likely to be reliable.
Nasal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation vs nasal continuous positive airway pressure for preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nasal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation reduced the need for intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation within the first 72 hours of life in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome compared with continuous positive airway pressure. The conclusions and recommendations for research of this well-conducted review seem reliable but are based on a small amount of evidence.
The reassuring value of diagnostic tests: a systematic review. This well-conducted review concluded that there was a lack of methodologically sound studies that assessed the reassuring value of diagnostic tests but the available evidence indicated that diagnostic tests made little contribution to patients' level of reassurance. These conclusions are likely to be reliable.
Vasopressin for cardiac arrest: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The review concluded that vasopressin use in the resuscitation of cardiac arrest patients was not associated with any overall benefit or harm, but may have improved long-term survival in asystolic patients. The authors' conclusions reflect the evidence presented and appear likely to be reliable.
Drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents in acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. This review concluded that drug-eluting stents were safe and efficacious in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction compared to bare metal stents. The review was methodologically sound other than the lack of reporting of study quality. It is difficult to judge whether the authors’ conclusions are likely to be reliable.
The efficacy of disulfiram for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. The review concluded that supervised treatment with disulfiram has some effect on short-term abstinence, relapse and number of drinking days in patients with alcohol dependency or abuse, but suggested a need for long-term, high-quality studies. The authors' conclusions were suitably cautious in reflecting the limitations of the evidence available, and are likely to be reliable.