Abstract | BACKGROUND: OBJECTIVES: SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Neuromuscular Disease Group Register (December 2003), and MEDLINE (January 1966 to January 2003), EMBASE (January 1980 to January 2003), CINAHL (January 1982 to December 2002) and LILACS (January 1982 to January 2003). We also scrutinised the bibliographies of the trials, and contacted the trial authors and other disease experts. SELECTION CRITERIA: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors selected the trials, extracted the data and assessed methodological quality independently. Where possible data were combined according to the methods of the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Review Group. MAIN RESULTS: PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: one crossover trial including 18 participants showed 2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8 to 3.0) points more improvement after four weeks in an 11-point disability scale with plasma exchange (10 exchanges over four weeks) than with sham exchange. Rapid deterioration after plasma exchange occurred in eight of 12 who had improved. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: when the results of this trial and another with 29 participants treated in a parallel group design trial were combined, there were 31 points (95% CI 16 to 45) more improvement in an impairment scale after plasma exchange (six exchanges over three weeks) than after sham exchange. There were significant improvements in both trials in an electrophysiological measure, the proximally evoked compound muscle action potential, after three or four weeks. Non-randomised evidence indicates that plasma exchange induces adverse events in 3% to 17% of procedures. These are sometimes serious. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS:
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Authors | M M Mehndiratta, R A C Hughes, P Agarwal |
Journal | The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
(Cochrane Database Syst Rev)
Issue 3
Pg. CD003906
( 2004)
ISSN: 1469-493X [Electronic] England |
PMID | 15266507
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review, Systematic Review)
|
Topics |
- Humans
- Plasma Exchange
- Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating
(therapy)
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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