On this page, you can find an overview of Cochrane reviews that are relevant to the field of first aid. This includes not only reviews targeted at laypeople as providers of healthcare interventions, but also reviews that investigate interventions that are feasible in a lay setting.
Prior to sending out our quarterly newsletter, we screen the latest three issues of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We select reviews that are relevant to first aid according to a set of criteria, which you can find here. Only reviews that were published in the past 5 years, or that are declared stable, are included.
The relevant reviews are structured according to the lay-out of a typical first aid manual, which tries to group conditions broadly according to body part (e.g. ear pain is covered in the chapter head), in addition to some specific conditions which do not necessarily fit within a specific region (e.g. bites and stings is a separate chapter).
Have you spotted first aid-relevant Cochrane reviews that are not on this list yet? Contact us, so we can add them.
Resuscitation and defibrillation
Skin wounds
Head and neck
| Title | Year | Cochrane Review Group | Blogshot | Cochrane Corner (CC) / Visual abstract (VA) |
| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults | 2013 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Diclofenac with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults | 2013 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Aspirin with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults | 2013 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Ibuprofen with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults | 2013 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Pharmacological interventions for acute attacks of vestibular migraine | 2023 | Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Group | | |
| Non-pharmacological interventions for prophylaxis of vestibular migraine | 2023 | Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Group | | |
| Ibuprofen for acute treatment of episodic tension‐type headache in adults | 2015 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Aspirin for acute treatment of episodic tension‐type headache in adults | 2017 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | | |
| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) for acute treatment of episodic tension‐type headache in adults | 2016 (declared stable) | Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group | Blogshot:
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| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, alone or combined, for pain relief in acute otitis media in children | 2023 | Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group | | |
| Blue‐light filtering spectacle lenses for visual performance, sleep, and macular health in adults | 2023 | Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group | | |
| Massage for neck pain | 2024 | Cochrane Back and Neck Group | | |
| Lubricating drops for contact lens discomfort in adults | 2024 | Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group | | |
Chest
Stomach and back
Limbs
Bites and stings
Specific injuries and conditions
Infectious diseases
Pregnancy and delivery
General pain
Mental health
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