What do systematic reviews say?

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RTOG scores were a composite of radiation side effects on different sites and could not be used for assessing xerostomia (Grotz 2001)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Amifostine may leads to higher nausea (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 2.60 [1.81, 3.74]
  4 studies · 556 participants
  Low

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Low rates of adverse effects (watering eyes, nervousness, frequent urination, sweating, warm face, cramps, diarrhoea, nausea) with insufficient evidence of any differences (Jham 2007)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Over 6 months
  Insufficient evidence of a difference for global quality of life, mouth pain RR 0.94 (95% CI 0.66 to 1.33), sore/burning mouth RR 0.95 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.35), throat pain RR 0.79 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.12) (Duncan 2005)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Over 6 months
  Insufficient evidence of a difference: dryness in mouth RR 1.18 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.42), diarrhoea RR 1.97 (95% CI 0.51 to 7.54), constipation RR 0.91 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.42) (Duncan 2005)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No data on xerostomia were reported.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Pilocarpine led to higher speech difficulties (VAS 0-100 mm) compared with no treatment/placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  End of RT
  MD 20.20 [1.93, 38.47]
  1 study · 34 participants
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly vs Amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly showed no clear difference in vomiting (adverse effect) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; GRADE not reported.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.25 [0.06, 1.08]
  1 study · 60 participants
  GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Pilocarpine may leads to higher sweating (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 2.98 [1.43, 6.22]
  5 studies · 389 participants
  Low

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly vs Amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  End of RT and 6, 12, 18, 24 months postRT
  No significant differences between the three treatment arms (Jellema 2006)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Amifostine may leads to higher hypotension (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 9.20 [2.84, 29.83]
  3 studies · 376 participants
  Low

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

Biperiden plus pilocarpine showed no clear difference in dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months postRT
  RR 0.25 [0.03, 2.11]
  1 study · 60 participants
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months postRT
  MD 0.70 [0.20, 1.20]
  1 study · 180 participants
  Very low

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No data on either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No xerostomia data related to the effectiveness of biperiden and pilocarpine were reported (Rode 1999).
  0 studies
  No studies found

Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Infiltration of the incision (peri-incisional infiltration)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  This outcome was not reported.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Placebo (sham/placebo device)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  This outcome was not reported.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Intravenous analgesia

• Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  2 out of 3 studies reported this outcome. Both studies reported no difference between groups (Rajamani 2007 and Simion 2008: no adverse events attributable to either technique; Delgado 2005 did not report).
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Infiltration of the incision (peri-incisional infiltration)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  The included studies did not report this outcome.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Intravenous analgesia

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  None of the included studies reported this outcome.
  0 studies
  No studies found