Table 3.
Selected sensitivity analysis
| No. of studies | No. of patients | Effect size | 95% CI | Overall effect (P value) |
Heterogeneity (P value) |
|
| Change in MAP | (mm Hg) | |||||
| All | 12 | 275 | 19 | (15, 22) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| n > 20 | 5 | 175 | 18 | (13, 22) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Pre-PMX MAP < 70 | 3 | 41 | 26 | (22, 30) | < 0.001 | 0.85 |
| Pre-PMX MAP ≥ 70 | 9 | 234 | 16 | (13, 18) | < 0.001 | 0.07 |
| Center duplication | 11 | 268 | 18 | (15, 21) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Change in dopamine/dobutamine dose | (μg/kg per minute) | |||||
| Alla | 4 | 96 | -1.8 | (-3.3, -0.4) | 0.01 | < 0.001 |
| Pre-PMX MAP <70 | 1 | 24 | -5.0 | (-6.6, -3.4) | < 0.001 | N/A |
| Pre-PMX MAP ≥ 70 | 3 | 72 | -0.8 | (-1.2, -0.4) | < 0.001 | 0.33 |
| Change in PaO2/FiO2 ratio | (Units) | |||||
| Alla | 7 | 151 | 32 | (23, 41) | < 0.001 | 0.87 |
| Pre-PMX PaO2/FiO2 ratio < 200 | 2 | 36 | 30 | (19, 40) | < 0.001 | 0.62 |
| Pre-PMX PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≥200 | 5 | 115 | 40 | (20, 60) | < 0.001 | 0.84 |
| Change in endotoxin level | (pg/ml) | |||||
| All | 17 | 455 | -21.2 | (-24.9, -17.5) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Excluding MRSA | 15 | 410 | -24.1 | (-28.0, -20.2) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Pre-PMX endotoxin <30 pg/ml | 5 | 97 | -9.8 | (-12.1, -7.5) | < 0.001 | 0.007 |
| Pre-PMX endotoxin ≥30 pg/ml | 12 | 358 | -28.2 | (-32.3, -24.1) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Pre-PMX endotoxin <40 pg/ml | 10 | 283 | -14.9 | (-18.7, -11.1) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Pre-PMX endotoxin ≥40 pg/ml | 7 | 172 | -37.4 | (-41.9, -32.8) | < 0.001 | 0.25 |
| Center duplication | 6 | 225 | -16.4 | (-24.0, -8.9) | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Mortality | Risk ratio | |||||
| All | 15 | 920 | 0.53 | (0.43, 0.65) | < 0.001 | 0.07 |
| RCT | 8 | 354 | 0.50 | (0.37, 0.68) | < 0.001 | 0.12 |
| Parallel non-RCT | 7 | 566 | 0.55 | (0.38, 0.81) | 0.002 | 0.07 |
| Excluding MRSA | 13 | 840 | 0.55 | (0.44, 0.69) | < 0.001 | 0.08 |
| RCT excluding MRSA | 6 | 274 | 0.55 | (0.40, 0.76) | < 0.001 | 0.2 |
| n > 20 | 7 | 722 | 0.56 | (0.46, 0.68) | < 0.001 | 0.17 |
| APACHE II score < 25 | 9 | 713 | 0.56 | (0.43, 0.73) | < 0.001 | 0.06 |
| APACHE II score ≥ 25 | 6 | 207 | 0.45 | (0.30, 0.68) | < 0.001 | 0.25 |
| 28- to 30-day mortality only | 9 | 704 | 0.54 | (0.43, 0.68) | < 0.001 | 0.12 |
| Center duplication | 8 | 673 | 0.61 | (0.46, 0.82) | 0.001 | 0.03 |
aFor outcomes of dopamine/dobutamine dose and PaO2/FiO2 ratio, all included studies had a sample size greater than 20. APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; CI, confidence interval; MAP, mean arterial pressure; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; N/A, not applicable; PaO2/FiO2, arterial partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen; PMX, polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column; RCT, randomized controlled trial.