Cochrane Library Update

Designed to supply high quality evidence to inform people providing and receiving care, the Cochrane Library is your online full-text source for evidence-based medicine & systematic reviews.

Beginning with the publication of Issue 2, 2007, of The Cochrane Library on 18th April, the Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews (Methods Reviews) has merged into the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Cochrane Reviews)

Why is this being done?
All Cochrane reviews will now be in a single database, paving the way for further types of reviews (diagnostic test accuracy reviews and overviews of reviews, previously known as umbrella reviews) to be introduced in the future. Other benefits of the merge are the inclusion of methodology reviews in MEDLINE and having them indexed by ISI/Thomson Scientific for the Science Citation Index.

NEW Cochrane Reviews include:

• Cancer genetic risk assessment for individuals at risk of familial breast cancer
• Chinese medicinal herbs to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients
• Preoperative chemotherapy for women with operable breast cancer
• Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations
• Cup feeding versus other forms of supplemental enteral feeding for newborn infants unable to fully breastfeed
• Steroids for acute sinusitis Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care
• Bicycle helmet legislation for the uptake of helmet use and prevention of head injuries
• Electronic mosquito repellents for preventing mosquito bites and malaria infection
• Advance provision of emergency contraception for pregnancy prevention
• Routine abdominal drainage for uncomplicated open cholecystectomy
• Dipyrone for acute primary headaches
• Wholegrain cereals for coronary heart disease

To view these and many other new and updated reviews, go to The Cochrane Library