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Update on Cochrane data on paediatric respiratory diseases

Malcolm G Semple1, Rosalind L Smyth

  • 1Institute of Child Health, University of Liverpool, Alder Hey, Eaton Road, L12 2AP, Liverpool, UK.

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|July 26, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Cochrane systematic reviews offer valuable insights for pediatric pulmonology, with most confirming or refuting existing practices. However, clinicians should note that a lack of evidence does not equate to evidence of absence, especially when extrapolating adult data to children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Systematic Reviews

Background:

  • Systematic reviews synthesize high-quality clinical trial data to inform medical practice.
  • The Cochrane Collaboration is a leading organization in developing and disseminating systematic reviews globally.
  • This study focuses on identifying and summarizing Cochrane systematic reviews pertinent to pediatric pulmonology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and summarize Cochrane systematic reviews relevant to pediatric pulmonology.
  • To assess the contribution of existing systematic reviews to the field of pediatric respiratory medicine.

Main Methods:

  • An expert search of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted.
  • The search utilized a combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms related to pediatric respiratory diseases.
  • Systematic reviews were pragmatically excluded and then sorted by disease category.

Main Results:

  • The search identified 120 reviews specific to pediatric pulmonary interventions and 327 reviews applicable to both pediatric and adult pulmonary diseases.
  • After exclusions, 81 reviews were categorized by disease, with 59 discussed in detail.
  • The majority of included reviews (69%) provided evidence supporting or refuting established practices.

Conclusions:

  • Numerous systematic reviews significantly contribute to pediatric pulmonology.
  • A substantial portion of reviews found evidence confirming or refuting accepted practices.
  • Clinicians must differentiate between lack of evidence and evidence of absence, and exercise caution when applying adult-derived systematic review conclusions to pediatric populations.
Abstract

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