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. 1998 Aug 22;317(7157):495–501. doi: 10.1136/bmj.317.7157.495

Table 1.

Trials included in systematic review

Trial No of patients randomised/ analysed (stratified by) Description of patients Intervention and duration Duration of follow up Outcomes of interest (inferred outcomes) Methodological rating
Bunout et al41 40/36* Adult, medical, unwell Oral sip feeds, 20 days 1 month Weight, death C
Chandra and Puri42 30/30 Healthy elderly Oral sip feeds, 4 weeks 1 month Death B
Delmi et al30 59/59 Elderly orthopaedic inpatients, postoperatively Oral sip feeds, 1 month 6 months Death C
Efthimiou et al34 14/14 Mixed elderly and adult, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 3 months 9 months Weight, anthropometry (SD for weight and anthropometry) B
Elkort et al43 47/47 Age unclear, malignancy, chemotherapy Oral sip feeds, 1 year 1 year Weight, anthropometry, death C
Fiaterone et al35 100/100 (exercise) Healthy elderly volunteers Oral sip feeds, 3 months 70 days Weight, death A
Ganzoni et al44 30/20 Age unclear, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 12 months 12 months Weight (baseline weight and SD for weight) B
Hankey et al45 20/20 Elderly, medical, unwell Oral sip feeds, 2 months 2 months Weight, anthropometry, death (personal communication) (SD for weight and anthropometry) B
Knowles et al46 25/25 Adult, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 8 weeks 16 weeks Weight, anthropometry, death A
Larsson et al10 501/435* (patient’s baseline nutritional state) Elderly, medical, unwell Oral sip feeds, 6 months 6 months Weight, anthropometry, death C
Lewis et al47 21/21 Adult, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 2 months 8 weeks Anthropometry, death (SD for anthropometry) B
Meredith et al 13 11/11 Healthy elderly volunteers Oral sip feeds, 3 months 84 days Weight, death (SD for weight) C
Nayal et al48 23/23 Adult, malignancy, radiotherapy Oral sip feeds, 10-15 days 10-31 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for weight and anthropometry) B
Otte et al49 28/28 Adult, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 3 months 13 weeks Weight, anthropometry, death B
Rana et al50 54/40* Adult, malignancy, postoperatively Oral sip feeds, 7 days 7 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for weight and anthropometry) A
Rogers et al51 27/27 Elderly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 4 months 4 months Weight, anthropometry (SD for weight and anthropometry) C
Schols et al52 71/71§ (patient’s baseline nutritional state) Adult, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Oral sip feeds, 8 weeks 8 weeks Weight, anthropometry C
Woo et al53 81/81 Healthy elderly Oral sip feeds, 1 month 3 months Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for weight and anthropometry) A
Marcia et al40 92/92 (tumour) Age unclear, malignancy, radiotherapy Food supplements, 2 years 2 years Weight, anthropometry (SD for weight and anthropometry) C
Odlund Olin et al39 36/36 Elderly, medical, unwell Natural food supplements, 6 weeks 6 weeks Weight, death B
Bastow et al29 122/122 (patient’s baseline nutritional state) Elderly orthopaedic inpatients, postoperatively Nasogastric tube, 4 weeks 16-39 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for anthropometry, baseline weight assumed, baseline anthropometry) A
Chiarelli et al54 20/20 Adult, burns Nasogastric tube, 2 days 2 days Weight, death A
Hwang et al56 24/24 Adult, unwell postoperatively Nasogastric tube, 2 days 8 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for weight and anthropometry) B
Sagar et al57 30/30 Adult surgical, malignancy Nasogastric tube, 7 days 10-46 days Weight, death (baseline weight assumed and SD for W1) A
Schroeder et al55 32/32 Adult surgical, malignancy Nasogastric tube, 3 days 4 days Weight, death B
Shulka et al58 110/110 Adult surgical, malignancy Nasogastric tube, 10 days 10 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for anthropometry) C
Whittaker et al44 10/10 Elderly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Nasogastric tube, 16 days 16 days Weight, death (SD for weight) C
Evans et al59 192/180* (tumour) Adult, malignancy, chemotherapy Oral and enteral feeding, 12 weeks 37 months Weight, death (SD for weight) A
Smith et al60 50/50 Adult surgical, malignancy Gastrostomy tube, 10 days 10 days Weight, anthropometry, death (SD for weight and A1) A
Vonmeyenfe ldt et al61 100/100 Adult surgical, malignancy Gastrostomy tube, 11 days 10 days Death B

Adult=<70 years; elderly=⩾70 years; A=method of randomisation clearly described and complete follow up; B=no method described but stated as randomised and complete patient follow up; C=no method described and not all patients accounted for at end of follow up.  

*

Withdrawn after randomisation and before treatment (see sensitivity analysis).  

Analysed fewer than randomised reasons unclear.  

Anthropometry assessed by observer blinded to patients’ treatment allocation group (if not stated assume not blinded).  

§

Part of larger study with other non-nutritional arms.  

SD for weight (W1) or anthropometry (A1) calculated from median and range provided.