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Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Main resultsThirty two trials (3737 participants) were identified. Prophylaxis with aciclovir, ganciclovir or valaciclovir compared with placebo or no treatment significantly reduced the risk for CMV disease (19 trials; RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.52), CMV infection (17 trials; RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.77), and all-cause mortality (17 trials; RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.92) primarily due to reduced mortality from CMV disease (seven trials; RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.78). Prophylaxis reduced the risk of herpes simplex and herpes zoster disease, bacterial and protozoal infections but not fungal infection, acute rejection or gra loss. Meta-regression showed no significant di erence in the risk of CMV disease or allcause mortality by organ transplanted or CMV serostatus; no conclusions were possible for CMV negative recipients of negative organs. In direct comparison trials, ganciclovir was more e ective than aciclovir in preventing CMV disease (seven trials; RR 0.37, 95% Cl 0.23 to 0.60).Valganciclovir and intravenous ganciclovir were as e ective as oral ganciclovir. Authors' conclusionsProphylaxis with antiviral medications reduces CMV disease and CMV-associated mortality in solid organ transplant recipients. They should be used routinely in CMV positive recipients and in CMV negative recipients of CMV positive organ transplants.

Aims: To evaluate the benefits and harms of treatments for vesicoureteric reflux in children. Methods: Meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials using a random effects model. Main outcome measures were incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI), new or progressive renal damage, renal growth, hypertension, and glomerular filtration rate. Results: Eight trials involving 859 evaluable children comparing long term antibiotics with surgical correction of reflux (VUR) and antibiotics (seven trials) and antibiotics compared with no treatment (one trial) were identified. Risk of UTI by 1-2 and 5 years was not significantly different between surgical and medical groups (relative risk (RR) by 2 years 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55 to 2.09, RR by 5 years 0.99; 95% CI 0.79 to 1.26). Combined treatment resulted in a 60% reduction in febrile UTI by 5 years (RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.70) but no concomitant significant reduction in risk of new or progressive renal damage at 5 years (RR 1.05; 95% CI 0.85 to 1.29). In one small study no significant differences in risk for UTI or renal damage were found between antibiotic prophylaxis and no treatment. Conclusion: It is uncertain whether the identification and treatment of children with VUR confers clinically important benefit. The additional benefit of surgery over antibiotics alone is small at best. Assuming a UTI rate of 20% for children with VUR on antibiotics for five years, nine reimplantations would be required to prevent one febrile UTI, with no reduction in the number of children developing any UTI or renal damage. P rimary vesicoureteric reflux is thought to be caused by a maturational abnormality of the vesicoureteric junction, so that urine passes in a retrograde manner up the ureter. Although the exact prevalence in the general childhood population is unknown, about a third of children with urinary tract infection are consistently found to have reflux.1 Urinary tract infection occurs in approximately 5-10% of children, and so 1-3% of children are identified with vesicoureteric reflux.

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