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HSC Medicine, Dentistry and Healthcare Sciences Current Awareness Bulletins: Guidelines and Cochrane Reviews

Guidelines and Cochrane Reviews

Frequency: Monthly

Links to articles in the current and previous 2 issues of this bulletin are displayed below.

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November 2025

All content new, unless marked as ‘updated’

Cochrane reviews

Acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome (updated)

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in people with cancer

Cryotherapy following total knee replacement

Duct‐to‐mucosa versus other types of pancreaticojejunostomy for the prevention of postoperative pancreatic fistula following pancreaticoduodenectomy (updated)

Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation (updated)

Hormone therapy in postmenopausal women and risk of endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial cancer (updated)

Immediate or early skin‐to‐skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants (updated)

Immunoglobulin for myasthenia gravis

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy for gastric cancer

Liraglutide for adults living with obesity

Molnupiravir for treating COVID‐19

Oral nicotine pouches for cessation or reduction of use of other tobacco or nicotine products

Pharmacological and non‐pharmacological treatments for impulsive‐compulsive behaviors in Parkinson's disease

Pharmacotherapy for hypertension in adults 60 years or older (updated)

Prevention of infection in peripheral arterial reconstruction of the lower limb

Progestagens for pain symptoms associated with endometriosis (updated)

Prognostic factors predicting an unprovoked seizure recurrence in children and adults following a first unprovoked seizure

Propofol for sedation during colonoscopy (updated)

Pyronaridine‐artesunate for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria (updated)

Riboflavin supplements for blood pressure lowering in adults

Semaglutide for adults living with obesity

Service delivery, behavioural, and self‐management interventions for children with epilepsy

Simple hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy versus radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy for women with stage IA2‐IB1 cervical cancer

Tirzepatide for adults living with obesity

Transfusion thresholds and other strategies for guiding red blood cell transfusion (updated)

Work‐break interventions for preventing musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders in healthy workers (updated)

Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay for tuberculosis disease and rifampicin resistance in children (updated)

NICE guidelines

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to aid opportunistic detection of vertebral fragility fractures: early value assessment (HTE34)

Durvalumab for treating limited-stage small-cell lung cancer after platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (TA1099)

Garadacimab for preventing recurrent attacks of hereditary angioedema in people 12 years and over (TA1101)

Head injury (QS74 – updated)

Lorlatinib for ALK-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer that has not been treated with an ALK inhibitor (TA1103)

Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury (NG252)

Sparsentan for treating primary IgA nephropathy (TA1074 - updated)

Targeted-release budesonide for treating primary IgA nephropathy (TA937 - updated)

VA ECMO for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in adults with refractory cardiac arrest (IPG808)

VA ECMO for severe acute heart failure in adults (IPG807)

Sources

Cochrane Library (Oct); NICE website (Oct)

October 2025

All content new unless specified as updated

Cochrane reviews

Antibiotic prophylaxis for corneal abrasion (updated)

Calcium supplementation commenced before pregnancy for preventing hypertensive disorders and related problems (updated)

Combined cardiorespiratory and resistance training for people with stroke

Efficacy and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in women with conisation

Misoprostol for intrauterine device placement

Models of care for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a scoping review

Omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation for distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy in adults with diabetes mellitus

Opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder in primary versus specialty care

Pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorder (updated)

Pharmacotherapy for mild hypertension (updated)

Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridioides difficile‐associated diarrhea in adults and children (updated)

Prognostic models for radiation‐induced complications after radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients

Remote ischaemic conditioning for preventing and treating ischaemic stroke (updated)

Resistance training for people with stroke

Service delivery, behavioural, and self‐management interventions for adults with epilepsy

Single‐incision versus conventional multi‐incision laparoscopic appendicectomy for suspected uncomplicated appendicitis

Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a network meta‐analysis (updated)

Synchronised approach for intrauterine insemination in subfertile couples (updated)

Virtual reality simulation training for health professions trainees in gastrointestinal endoscopy (updated)

NICE guidelines

Atopic eczema in under 12s: diagnosis and management (CG57 – updated)

Benralizumab for treating relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (TA1096)

Bipolar disorder: assessment and management (CG185 – updated)

Chronic heart failure in adults (QS9 – updated)

Chronic heart failure in adults: diagnosis and management (NG106 – updated)

Digital technologies to deliver pulmonary rehabilitation programmes for adults with COPD: early value assessment (HTE18 – updated)

Digital technologies to support self-management of COPD: early value assessment (HTE19 – updated)

DMD Care UK's guideline on cardiac care of children with dystrophinopathy and females carrying DMD-gene variations: NICE review (NG251)

Enfortumab vedotin with pembrolizumab for untreated unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer when platinum-based chemotherapy is suitable (TA1097)

HIV testing: increasing uptake among people who may have undiagnosed HIV (NG60 – updated)

Isatuximab in combination for untreated multiple myeloma when a stem cell transplant is unsuitable (TA1098)

Pneumonia: diagnosis and management (NG250)

Pneumonia: diagnosis and management (QS110 – updated)

Suspected acute respiratory infection in over 16s: assessment at first presentation and initial management (NG237)

Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity (TA1026 – updated)

Tirzepatide for treating type 2 diabetes (TA924 - updated)

SIGN guidelines

Trusted Advice on paracetamol in pregnancy

WHO guidelines

WHO guideline on HIV service delivery (updated)

Sources: Cochrane Library (Sep); NICE website (Sep); SIGN website (Sep); WHO website (Sep)

September 2025

All content new unless marked as updated

Cochrane reviews

Amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography compared with conventional video‐electroencephalography for detection of neonatal seizures

Clotting factor concentrates for preventing bleeding and bleeding‐related complications in previously untreated or minimally treated children with hemophilia A or B (updated)

Early versus late tracheostomy in people with multiple trauma

Effects of antibiotic prophylaxis during labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes in women planning vaginal birth

Exercise therapy for the treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit

First aid training for laypeople

Interventions for anal canal intraepithelial neoplasia (updated)

Interventions for preventing falls in older people in care facilities

Ketamine and other NMDA receptor antagonists for chronic pain

Linked color imaging versus conventional white‐light colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps

Low‐complexity automated nucleic acid amplification tests for extrapulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults and adolescents (updated)

Natalizumab for multiple sclerosis

Non‐targeted immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor plus endothelin receptor antagonist compared to either alone for group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension

Systemic pharmacological treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis: a network meta‐analysis (updated)

Telerehabilitation for neck pain

Vitamin D supplementation in pregnant or breastfeeding women or young children for preventing asthma

NICE guidelines

Bed frames for adults in acute medical or surgical hospital wards: late-stage assessment (HTE33)

Betula verrucosa for treating moderate to severe allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis caused by tree pollen (TA1087)

Compression products for treating venous leg ulcers: late-stage assessment (HTE32)

Durvalumab with tremelimumab for untreated advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (TA1090)

Guselkumab for previously treated moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (TA1095)

Guselkumab for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (TA1094)

Idebenone for treating visual impairment in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy in people 12 years and over (TA1093)

Overweight and obesity management (QS212)

Pembrolizumab with carboplatin and paclitaxel for untreated primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (TA1092)

Ribociclib with an aromatase inhibitor for adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence (TA1086)

Ruxolitinib cream for treating non-segmental vitiligo in people 12 years and over (TA1088)

Single-step scaffold insertion for repairing symptomatic chondral knee defects (IPG793 – updated)

Tarlatamab for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer after 2 or more treatments (TA1091)

Transcatheter heart valves for transcatheter aortic valve implantation to treat aortic stenosis: late-stage assessment (HTE31)

WHO guidelines

Abortion care guideline (updated - 2nd edition)

WHO guidelines for malaria

Sources

Cochrane Library (Aug); NICE website (Aug); WHO website (Aug)

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