Table 2.
Subgroup analyses regarding risk of pleural effusion.
| Subgroups | No. Studies | Pooled Estimate (%) | 95% CI | p Value | I2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geographic location | |||||
| North America | 6 | 45.1 | 39.5–50.6 | p < 0.001 | 66.5% |
| Europe | 9 | 47.5 | 39.0–56.1 | p < 0.001 | 82.1% |
| Asia | 7 | 36.6 | 22.9–50.3 | p < 0.001 | 98.6% |
| Europe and Asia | 5 | 41.9 | 32.2–51.7 | p < 0.001 | 90.9% |
| Methods of pleural effusion assessment | |||||
| TS | 3 | 59.3 | 50.2–68.4 | p < 0.001 | 0.0% |
| CXR | 7 | 30.5 | 24.0–37.1 | p < 0.001 | 96.2% |
| CT | 19 | 43.0 | 35.3–50.7 | p < 0.001 | 97.7% |
| Study design | |||||
| Prospective | 6 | 38.0 | 29.7–46.4 | p < 0.001 | 97.3% |
| Retrospective | 23 | 41.7 | 34.9–48.6 | p < 0.001 | 97.2% |
Abbreviations: TS, transthoracic sonography; CXR, chest X-ray; CT, computed tomography.