TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the included studies.
| Study | Country | Study design | Sample size | Male% | Age (mean ± SD) | Intervention | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chen et al. (51) | China | RCT | 120 | 63.3% | 69.1 ± 16.6 | ERY/metoclopramide | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Dickerson et al. (55) | United States | Retrospective trial | 127 | 75.6% | 40.4 ± 15.9 | Metoclopramide/combine | Efficacy rates, AEs |
| Feng (52) | China | RCT | 68 | 57.35% | 52.12 ± 6.10 | ERY/combine | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Gharpure et al. (48) | United States | RCT | 74 | 51.4% | 3.5 (0.1–16)/1.8 (0.1–17) | ERY/placebo | Postpyloric intubation success, AEs |
| Griffith et al. (56) | United States | RCT | 36 | 69.4% | 54.6 ± 3.4/59.7 ± 3.8 | ERY/placebo | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Heiselman et al. (57) | United States | RCT | 105 | / | / | Metoclopramide/blank control | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Hu et al. (26) | China | RCT | 332 | 69.0% | 57.2 ± 17.3 | ERY/metoclopramide | Postpyloric intubation success, AEs |
| Ketsuwan et al. (41) | Thailand | RCT | 82 | 53.7% | 21 Months/17 months | Metoclopramide/placebo | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Liang et al. (58) | China | RCT | 777 | 65.5% | 67 | ERY/metoclopramide/combine | Postpyloric intubation success, AEs |
| Liu (62) | China | RCT | 120 | 67.5% | 66.15 ± 2.25 | ERY/metoclopramide/parallel combine | Successful rate of feeding, AEs& |
| Lu et al. (60) | China | RCT | 152 | / | / | ERY/metoclopramide/combine | Successful rate of feeding |
| Maclaren (20) | United States | RCT | 20 | 70.0% | 49.55 | ERY/metoclopramide | Tmax, Cmax, C60, AUC0-60, GRV change |
| Nguyen et al. (53) | Australia | RCT | 61 | 70.7% | 52.1 ± 4.1 | ERY/combine | Successful rate of feeding, GRV change, AEs |
| Nguyen et al. (35) | Australia | RCT | 90 | 73.3% | 49.0 ± 13.4 | ERY/metoclopramide/combine | Successful rate of feeding, GRV change |
| Paz et al. (59) | United States | RCT | 83 | 53.0% | 60.4 ± 18.3 | ERY/metoclopramide/placebo | Postpyloric intubation success |
| Vijayaraghavan et al. (54) | India | RCT | 83 | 84.3% | 46.1 ± 12.4 | ERY/metoclopramide/placebo | Successful rate of feeding |
| Zhang et al. (50) | China | RCT | 243 (324)* | 54.6% | 59.2 | ERY/metoclopramide/combine | Successful rate of feeding |
RCT, randomized controlled trial; ERY, erythromycin; MET, metoclopramide; COMB, combination therapy; AEs, adverse events; GRV, gastric residual volume. Data are mean ± SD or median (range). “/” = not reported. Blank control = no prokinetic intervention. Dickerson 2009 was retrospective; all others were RCTs. Pediatric studies: Gharpure 2001 and Ketsuwan 2021. Safety outcomes: any reported AEs (see Supplementary Table 4 for details).
*: Total enrolled 324 patients including a naloxone arm not part of the network; only 243 patients in the three intervention groups (metoclopramide, erythromycin, combination) were included in the NMA.
&:Combination group data were used only for qualitative safety description and were not included in the feeding success network meta-analysis as a parallel treatment node.