Podcasts from The Cochrane Library

Cooling the body after resuscitation following cardiac arrest

8 months 3 weeks ago

Cochrane has produced around 40 systematic reviews of interventions that might help people after cardiac arrest. In this podcast, review author Nikola Schütz talks with lead author Jasmin Arrich, a consultant working at the emergency department at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, about the May 2023 update for one of these, looking at the effects of an intervention called therapeutic hypothermia or temperature control for patients who have been resuscitated after a cardiac arrest.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplements for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents

9 months 1 week ago

The Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems Group has produced approximately 200 reviews, with several relevant to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. One of these reviews, on the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids, was updated in April 2023. Here's lead author, Donna Gillies from the University of Sydney in Australia to tell us more.

What are the benefits and harms of different treatments for jellyfish stings?

9 months 2 weeks ago

The Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group produced more than 300 reviews across a very wide range of topics. These include a review of the treatment of jelly fish stings, which was updated in June 2023. We asked lead author, Richard McGee from the Department of Paediatrics in Gosford Hospital in Australia to tell us more and he used an AI voice from elevenlabs.io to make the recording.

Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections

10 months ago

Back in October 1998, we published the first version of the Cochrane review of the effects of cranberry for preventing urinary tract infections. Nearly 25 years on, the fifth update was published in April 2023 and we asked lead author, Gabrielle Williams from University of Sydney in Australia to bring us up to date in this podcast.

Stool transplantation for treatment of repeated Clostridioides difficile infection

10 months 2 weeks ago

The Cochrane Gut group have produced more than 220 reviews, including some that investigate treatments for Clostridioides difficile infection. These were added to in April 2023, with a new review of the use of fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of recurrent infection. Here's Zev Minkoff from Valley Children's Hospital in Madera in the USA to tell us more about the condition and this treatment.

Does the placement of a breathing tube using video assistance (videolaryngoscopy) increase the success and safety of the procedure in newborn babies?

10 months 2 weeks ago

As you can imagine, placing a breathing tube into a newborn baby is a particularly challenging task, and research has been done into different ways to do this. In May 2023, Mohan Pammi and co-reviewers from Baylor College of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Boston Children's Hospital, updated the Cochrane review on comparing videolaryngoscopy to the traditional direct laryngoscopy approach and Mohan describes the latest findings in this podcast.

Interventions to slow the progression of short-sightedness in children

11 months ago

In some areas of health and social care, the evidence from individual randomised trials answering questions about single interventions makes it difficult to choose between the interventions. Network meta-analyses can help with this by bringing all the evidence together in one place and, in February 2023, Cochrane Eyes and Vision published one such review, looking at the control of myopia in children. Here's lead author, John Lawrenson from City University of London in the UK, to tell us more.

Care involving families for Indigenous early childhood well-being

11 months ago

The portfolio of reviews from the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group was added to in December 2022 with a new review of the effects of family‐centred interventions for Indigenous early childhood well‐being delivered by primary healthcare services. We asked lead author, Natalie Strobel from Edith Cowan University in Mount Lawley Australia, to tell us about these interventions and their effects in this podcast.

Can tests for inflammation help doctors decide whether to use antibiotics for airway infections?

11 months ago

Acute respiratory infections are one of the most common reasons for people to present to primary care and decisions about whether or not to prescribe antibiotics might rely on point-of-care tests for inflammation. The relevant Cochrane review was updated in October 2022 and we asked new lead author, Siri Aas Smedemark from Odense University Hospital in Denmark, to tell us more in this podcast.

The relative safety and effectiveness of different epoetin drugs for treating anaemia in people with chronic kidney disease

11 months 2 weeks ago

Many patients with moderate or severe chronic kidney disease will develop anaemia and a variety of treatments are available. In February 2023, the Cochrane Review of studies testing a range of erythropoietin drugs was updated and we asked first author, Edmund Chung from The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Australia to tell us about the latest findings in this podcast.

What are consumers and health providers' views and experiences of working in formal partnerships to plan, deliver and evaluate health services?

11 months 2 weeks ago

There's increasing recognition of the importance of involving patients and the public in decision making about health services and a growing body of relevant research. In March 2023, we published a new qualitative evidence synthesis which brings some of this research together. It used co-production and, in this podcast Rachel Plachcinski, an independent Parent, Patient and Public Involvement Consultant and member of Cochrane's Consumer Network Executive, speaks with two of the authors, Bronwen Merner and Rebecca Ryan, from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia and the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group about the review and its findings.

Aromatase inhibitors for infertility treatment in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

11 months 3 weeks ago

The Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group has prepared more than 220 reviews and, in September 2022, a team from Germany, The Netherlands and New Zealand updated one of these, looking at the use of a drug called letrozole for subfertile women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome. Lead author, Sebastian Franik from the University of Münster in Germany describes the latest findings in this podcast.

Can cognitive stimulation benefit people with dementia?

11 months 3 weeks ago

Dementia is a rising concern for patients, families and health services around the world; highlighting the need to find ways to alleviate its impact. The Cochrane Review of cognitive stimulation to improve cognitive functioning in people with dementia was updated in January 2023 and we asked lead author, Bob Woods from Bangor University in Wales, to let us know about the importance of the review and the latest findings.

Do mobility strategies improve and restore mobility after hip fracture surgery in adults?

1 year 1 month ago

Hip fracture is an increasingly important health problem and many people experience lasting impacts on their mobility and physical function after breaking their hip. An updated Cochrane review of interventions for improving mobility after hip fractures was published in September 2022 by researchers in Australia. In this podcast, Venisa Wing Kwok speaks with one of the authors, Nicola Fairhall both from the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health in the University of Sydney about the findings.

House modifications for preventing malaria

1 year 2 months ago

Cochrane Infectious Diseases has produced dozens of reviews on the prevention and treatment of malaria. These include interventions, such as drugs, taken by people, as well as some at the level of the environment. One of these looks at house modifications for preventing malaria and we asked lead author, Tilly Fox from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK to tell us about the importance of the October 2022 update and its findings.

Which is the best treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding?

1 year 2 months ago

In May 2022, Cochrane published the first version of an overview and network meta-analysis of interventions for heavy menstrual bleeding, which can affect 20% to 50% of people who menstruate during their reproductive years. There are a variety of treatments available, each with its pros and cons, and the best treatment is likely to depend on several factors, including age, desire to have children, personal preferences and medical history.

Music for insomnia in adults

1 year 2 months ago

Insomnia affects many people and a wide range of approaches are taken to try to help with it. One of these involves listening to music and the relevant Cochrane Review was updated in August 2022. Here's lead author, Kira Vibe Jespersen from Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg in Denmark to tell us about the importance of the review and what it found.

Are corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory medicines) given orally or by injection an effective treatment for people with COVID-19?

1 year 2 months ago

Cochrane has produced a series of reviews relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic and is keeping these up-to-date in light of new evidence. In November 2022, we published the second version of a living systematic review on systemic corticosteroids and, in this podcast, the first authors, Mirko Griesel of the University of Leipzig Medical Center and Carina Wagner of the University Hospital in Cologne in Germany, talk about the evidence they’ve found and the potential effects of these drugs.

Checked
8 hours 14 minutes ago
Cochrane produces systematic reviews which are recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care resources. Listen to Cochrane review authors explain in plain language the evidence and findings of their high-impact reviews. In 5 minutes or less, healthcare professionals to patients and families can understand the latest trusted evidence to help make better informed decisions.
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