Our reviews in guidelines

Cochrane Skin reviews have changed or informed international guidelines:

Safety of topical corticosteroids in pregnancy (Review, 2009)

  • American Association of Dermatology guideline on treatments for pregnant women with psoriasis: Bae YS, Van Voorhees AS, Hsu S, Korman NJ, Lebwohl MG, Young M. Review of treatment options for psoriasis in pregnant or lactating women: from the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 Sep;67(3):459-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2011.07.039
  • Chi, C.-C., Kirtschig, G., Aberer, W., Gabbud, J.-P., Lipozencic, J., Kárpáti, S., Haustein, U.-F., Zuberbier, T. and Wojnarowska, F. (2011), Evidence-based (S3) guideline on topical corticosteroids in pregnancy. British Journal of Dermatology, 165: 943–952. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10513.x
  • European Dermatology Forum Guideline on Steroids in Pregnancy.
  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of psoriasis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Psoriasis. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September.

Safety of topical corticosteroids in pregnancy (Update, 2015)

  • This review has been chosen as one of the reviews that may feed into the next planned WHO Guideline, which will be on Antenatal Care (ANC).

Interventions for rosacea (Update, 2011)

Interventions for vitiligo (Update, 2010)

 This updated review has had a direct influence on treatment and management of vitiligo in general practice through CKS. The NICE CKS guidance is extremely important as the majority of vitiligo patients are treated in primary care and very little advice has been available for patients and GPs on the most appropriate treatments to use:

The following guideline summarised evidence and made recommendations on treatments for vitiligo. The updated vitiligo Cochrane Review and vitiligo prioritisation exercise fed into the guideline development process.

  • Guidelines for the management of vitiligo: the European Dermatology Forum consensus. Taieb A, Alomar A, Böhm M, Dell'anna ML, De Pase A, Eleftheriadou V, Ezzedine K, Gauthier Y, Gawkrodger DJ, Jouary T, Leone G, Moretti S, Nieuweboer-Krobotova L, Olsson MJ, Parsad D, Passeron T, Tanew A, van der Veen W, van Geel N, Whitton M, Wolkerstorfer A, Picardo M; Vitiligo European Task Force (VETF); European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV); Union Europe´enne des Me´decins Spe´cialistes (UEMS). Br J Dermatol. 2013 Jan;168(1):5-19. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.11197.x. Epub 2012 Nov 2. http://www.euroderm.org/edf/index.php/edf-guidelines/category/5-guidelines-miscellaneous
  • This review was the key evidence source for NHS Choices topic on vitiligo and for the way vitiligo treatments were disseminated to patients and health professionals. This NHS Choices information resource on vitiligo is extremely important, as the majority of vitiligo patients are treated in primary care and very little advice has been available for patients and GPs on the most appropriate treatments to use. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Vitiligo/Pages/Introd uction.aspx
  • Guidelines for designing and reporting clinical trials in vitiligo. González U, Whitton M, Eleftheriadou V, Pinart M, Batchelor J, Leonardi-Bee J. Arch Dermatol. 2011 ec;147(12):1428-36. doi: 0.1001/archdermatol.2011.235. Epub 2011 Aug 15. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21844427
  • The 2010 Cochrane Review on vitiligo was used as a key evidence source for the concise version of the BAD guidelines on vitiligo published in 2010 in Postgrad Med J 2010;86:466-471. http://pmj.bmj.com/content/86/1018/466.full

Histamine H2-receptor antagonists for urticaria (Review, 2012)

  • Methods report on the development of the 2013 revision and update of the EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guideline for the definition, classification, diagnosis, and management of urticaria. http://www.ga2len.net/PDF/Methods.pdf.  In this document the authors noted this review ‘found that evidence does not support the previous recommendation to use H2-AHs because evidence of efficacy is lacking in view of the fact that no new studies have been performed. H2-AHs are thus not recommended in the algorithm of treatment (strong recommendation/high-quality evidence) but could in individual cases be considered as alternative treatment in level 3 as the costs are very low and they are available worldwide (weak recommendation/lowquality evidence)’.
  • Dutch guideline on chronic urticaria published 2015.

Interventions for alopecia areata (Review, 2008)

Interventions for cellulitis and erysipelas (Review, 2010)

  • This review has had a direct influence on treatment of acute cellulitis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Cellulitis - acute. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/cellulitis-acute
  • Dutch guidelines for erysipelas and cellulitis. Authors have used the review to support a new local clinical guideline (University Hospitals Bristol) and one author, Dr Richard Brindle, has written to the BNF asking them to make some changes to the summary of antibacterial therapy section using the review as part of the evidence.

Venom immunotherapy for preventing allergic reactions to insect stings (Review, 2012)

Topical interventions for genital lichen sclerosus (Review, 2011)

Oral treatments for fungal infections of the skin of the foot (Update, 2012)

  • The updated Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment and management of fungal skin infections of the foot in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS): Fungal skin infection - foot. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/fungal-skin-infection-foot. 

Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot (Update, 2007)

This updated Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment and management of fungal skin infections of the foot and fungal nail infections in general practice through CKS and was cited in the BAD’s guidelines for the management of onychomycosis:

Interventions for impetigo (Review, 2012)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of impetigo in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Impetigo. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2013 July http://cks.nice.org.uk/impetigo

Systemic antifungal therapy for tinea capitis in children (Review, 2007)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of fungal skin infections of the scalp in general practice through CKS and was cited in the BAD’s guidelines for the management of tinea capitis: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Fungal skin infection - scalp. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September http://cks.nice.org.uk/fungal-skin-infection-scalp
  • Fuller LC; Barton RC; Mohammed Mustapa MF; Proudfoot LE; Punjabi SP; Higgins EM. British Association of Dermatologists’ guidelines for the management of tinea capitis 2014. British Journal of Dermatology 2014;171:454-63. http://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?id=2022&itemtype=document

Topical antifungal treatments for tinea cruris and tinea corporis (Review, 2014)

Interventions for cutaneous molluscum contagiosum (Review, 2009)

Topical treatments for cutaneous warts (Update, 2012)

  • The update was cited in the BAD’s guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts. Sterling JC, Gibbs S, Haque Hussain SS, Mohammed Mustapa MF, Handfield-Jones SE. British Association of Dermatologists’ guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts 2014. British Journal of Dermatology 2014; 171:696-712. http://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?id=2050&itemtype=document

Chinese herbal medicine for atopic eczema (Review, 2004)

  • Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Management of atopic eczema in primary care. Edinburgh: SIGN; 2011. (SIGN publication no. 125 http://www.sign.ac.uk/assets/sign125.pdf)
  • National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health; National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Atopic eczema in children: management of atopic eczema in children from birth up to the age of 12 years. London: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; 2007. (NICE CG57). [Issued December 2007]

Topical pimecrolimus for eczema (Review, 2007)

Interventions to reduce Staphylococcus aureus in the management of atopic eczema (Review, 2008)

  • Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Management of atopic eczema in primary care. Edinburgh: SIGN; 2011. (SIGN publication no. 125 http://www.sign.ac.uk/assets/sign125.pdf)
  • This review was included in the American Academy of Dermatology’s Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 2: Eichenfield LF; Tom WL; Berger TG; Krol A; Paller AS; Schwarzenberger K; Bergman JN; Chamlin SL; Cohen DE; Cooper KD; Cordoro KM; Davis DM; Feldman SR; Hanifin JM; Margolis DJ; Silverman RA; Simpson EL; Williams HC; Elmets CA; Block J; Harrod CG; Smith Begolka W; Sidbury R, American Academy of Dermatology. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 2. Management and treatment of atopic dermatitis with topical therapies. J Am Acad Dermatol 2014;71(1):116-32. http://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Global%20navigation/Education%20and%20quality%20care/AD-part-2.pdf
  • This review was included in the American Academy of Dermatology’s Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 3: Sidbury R; Davis DM; Cohen DE; Cordoro KM; Berger TG; Bergman JN; Chamlin SL; Cooper KD; Feldman SR; Hanifin JM; Krol A; Margolis DJ; Paller AS; Schwarzenberger K; Silverman RA; Simpson EL; Tom WL; Williams HC; Elmets CA; Block J; Harrod CG; Begolka WS; Eichenfield LF, American Academy of Dermatology. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 3. Management and treatment with phototherapy and systemic agents. J Am Acad Dermatol 2014;71(2):327-49. http://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Global%20navigation/Education%20and%20quality%20care/AD-part-3.pdf
  • Lynda Schneider L, Tilles S, Lio P, Boguniewicz M, Beck L, LeBovidge J, Novak N, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. AAAAI/ACAAI Allergy Practice Parameter: Atopic dermatitis: a practice parameter update 2012. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2013; 131(2): 295-9 e27. http://www.allergyparameters.org/published-practice-parameters/alphabetical-listing/dermatitis-download/

Dietary exclusions for established atopic eczema (Review, 2008)

Dietary supplements for established atopic eczema (Update, 2012)

Probiotics for treating eczema (Review, 2008)

Psychological and educational interventions for atopic eczema in children (Review, 2007)

  • National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health; National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Atopic eczema in children: management of atopic eczema in children from birth up to the age of 12 years. London: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; 2007. (NICE CG57). [Issued December 2007] http://guidance.nice.org.uk
  • Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Management of atopic eczema in primary care. Edinburgh: SIGN; 2011. (SIGN publication no. 125 http://www.sign.ac.uk/assets/sign125.pdf)
  • HTA have commissioned an evidence synthesis on education for eczema to be done by NICE TAR team, in which the review is cited. http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/106153/PRO-13-11-01.pdf

Disposable nappies for preventing napkin dermatitis in infants (Review 2006)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of nappy rash in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Nappy rash. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2013 July. http://cks.nice.org.uk/nappy-rash

Topical Vitamin A, or its derivatives, for treating and preventing napkin dermatitis in infants (Review 2005)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of nappy rash in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Nappy rash. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2013 July. http://cks.nice.org.uk/nappy-rash

Interventions for preventing occupational irritant hand dermatitis (Review, 2010)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of contact dermatitis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Dermatitis - contact. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2013 March. http://cks.nice.org.uk/dermatitis-contact

Topical anti-inflammatory agents for seborrheic dermatitis of the face or scalp (Review, 2014)

Antistreptococcal interventions for guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis (Review, 2000)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of psoriasis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Psoriasis. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/psoriasis
  •  Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Diagnosis and management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adults. Edinburgh: SIGN; 2010. (SIGN publication no. 121 http://www.sign.ac.uk/assets/sign121.pdf). [cited 12 Oct 2010]

Interventions for guttate psoriasis (Review, 2000)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of psoriasis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Psoriasis. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September

Topical treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis (Review, 2009)

  • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Psoriasis: assessment and management of psoriasis. http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg153/evidence
  • Nast A., Boehncke W.H., Mrowietz U., et al. S3 - Guidelines on the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris (English version). Update. JDDG - Journal of the German Society of Dermatology, 2012, 10(SUPPL.2), S1-S95

Topical treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis (Update, 2013)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of psoriasis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Psoriasis. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/psoriasis
  • Evidence Update November 2014. A summary of selected new evidence relevant to NICE clinical guideline 153 ‘The assessment and management of psoriasis’ (2012). http://arms.evidence.nhs.uk/resources/hub/1040217/attachment

Oral fumaric acid esters for psoriasis (Review, 2015)

  • A Medicines Q&A reviews evidence for efficacy and safety of Fumaderm® in treating psoriasis. Prepared by UK Medicines Information (UKMi) pharmacists for NHS healthcare professionals.

Interventions for chronic palmoplantar pustulosis (Review, 2006)

  • This review has had a direct influence on treatment of psoriasis in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Psoriasis. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September
  • European Dermatology Forum Guideline on Steroids in Pregnancy. 

Interventions for nail psoriasis (Review, 2013)

  • Dutch psoriasis guideline update 2013-2014

Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety (Update, 2003)

  • This Cochrane review was presented as evidence for change as minocycline is a common choice of drug and is often wrongly assumed to be more effective, easier to take, and less likely to cause bacterial resistance than other tetracyclines.
  • This review was the subject of the first ever BMJ Change Page in 2007. http://www.bmj.com/content/334/7585/154?sso
  • Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety was cited in the ‘European Evidence-based (S3) Guidelines for the Treatment of Acne’: Nast A, Dréno B, Bettoli V, Degitz K, Erdmann R, Finlay A Y, et al. European Evidence-based (S3) Guidelines for the Treatment of Acne. 2012;26:1-29. 

Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety (Update, 2012)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of acne vulgaris in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Acne vulgaris. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/acne-vulgaris

Laser resurfacing for facial acne scars (Review, 2000)

  • This Cochrane Review has had a direct influence on treatment of acne vulgaris in general practice through CKS: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Acne vulgaris. [last revised September 2014]. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2014 September. http://cks.nice.org.uk/acne-vulgaris

Surgical excision margins for primary cutaneous melanoma (Review, 2009)

Interventions for preventing non-melanoma skin cancers in high-risk groups (Review, 2007)

  • European S3-Guidelines on the systemic treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. Update 2015. EDF in cooperation with EADV and IPC. 

Interventions for actinic keratosis (Review, 2012)

  • The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS)  and the European Skin Cancer Foundation (ESCF) commissioned guidelines for actinic keratoses: 'International Evidence-based (S3) Guidelines for the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis'

Interventions for non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (Review, 2010)

  • Systematic review of interventions for non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin used as key evidence source for SIGN Guideline: SIGN Guideline 140: Management of primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. http://www.sign.ac.uk/assets/sign140.pdf .  The final document acknowledges the Cochrane authors major contribution to the development of this guideline.
  • NICE Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma: Evidence Update October 2011. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/csgstim/evidence/skin-tumours-including-melanoma-evidence-update2
  • Systematic review of treatments for squamous cell carcinoma was key evidence source for NHS Choices topic on skin cancer (non-melanoma). http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer-of-the-skin/Pages/Introduction.aspx. The NHS Choices non-melanoma skin cancer topic is a key way in which the findings of the systematic review of treatments for squamous cell carcinoma were disseminated to patients and health professionals.
  • This review fed into European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline on diagnosis and treatment of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: Systematic review on interventions for squamous cell carcinoma used in European consensus-based guidelines: Alexander Stratigos, Claus Garbe, Celeste Lebbe, Josep Malvehy, Veronique del Marmol, Hubert Pehamberger, Ketty Peris, Jürgen C. Becker, Iris Zalaudek, Philippe Saiag, Mark R. Middleton, Lars Bastholt, Alessandro Testori, Jean-Jacques Grob, Diagnosis and treatment of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline, European Journal of Cancer, Volume 51, Issue 14, September 2015, Pages 1989-2007, ISSN 0959-8049, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2015.06.110.

Interferon alpha for the adjuvant treatment of cutaneous melanoma (Review, 2013)

Interventions for cutaneous Bowen's disease (Review, 2013)

  • The review was cited in the BAD’s guidelines for the management of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease): Morton CA, Birnie AJ, Eedy DJ. British Association of Dermatologists’ guidelines for the management of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease) 2014. British Journal of Dermatology 2014; 179: 245-60. http://www.bad.org.uk/library-media/documents/SCC_in_situ_guidelines_2014.pdf

Interventions for bullous pemphigoid (Update, 2010)

Drugs for discoid lupus erythematosus (Review, 2000)