Table 3.
Results of direct comparisons for change in clinical score among inpatients by comparison
| Comparison | Time point | No of studies (No of patients) | Standardised mean difference (95% CI) | I2 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid v placebo | 3-6 hours | 1 (174) | −1.03 (−1.87 to −0.19)* | NA |
| 6-12 hours | 3 (269) | −0.62 (−1.00 to −0.23)* | 10 | |
| 12-24 hours | 3 (264) | −0.28 (−0.66 to 0.09) | 41 | |
| 1-3 days | 4 (271) | −0.53 (−1.14 to 0.08) | 70 | |
| Adrenaline v placebo | 1 hour | 2 (232) | −0.04 (−0.49 to 0.40) | 46 |
| Adrenaline v salbutamol | 1 hour | 4 (248) | −0.79 (−1.45 to −0.13)† | 79 |
| 2 hours | 1 (140) | −0.52 (−0.86 to −0.18)† | NA | |
| Salbutamol or terbutaline v placebo | 1 hour | 5 (223) | −0.20 (−0.76 to 0.35) | 76 |
| 2 hours | 2 (68) | −0.78 (−2.53 to 0.98) | 91 | |
| 3-6 hours | 1 (89) | −0.20 (−0.61 to 0.22) | 0 | |
| 6-12 hours | 2 (136) | −0.81 (−1.21 to −0.40)‡ | 25 | |
| 12-24 hours | 2 (136) | −0.21 (−0.62 to 0.20) | 31 | |
| 1-3 days | 3 (195) | −0.06 (−0.47 to 0.36) | 53 | |
| Ipratropium v placebo | 1 hour | 1 (89) | −0.11 (−0.53 to 0.31) | 0 |
| 3-6 hours | 1 (89) | 0.06 (−0.39 to 0.51) | 13 | |
| 6-12 hours | 2 (134) | −0.21 (−0.80 to 0.37) | 65 | |
| 12-24 hours | 3 (193) | −0.27 (−0.61 to 0.06) | 27 | |
| 1-3 days | 3 (193) | 0.05 (−0.38 to 0.49) | 56 | |
| Salbutamol v ipratropium | 1 hour | 1 (43) | −0.22 (−0.82 to 0.38) | NA |
| 3-6 hours | 1 (43) | 0.20 (−0.40 to 0.80) | NA | |
| 6-12 hours | 3 (123) | 0.16 (−0.40 to 0.72) | 59 | |
| 12-24 hours | 4 (183) | −0.24 (−0.54 to 0.06) | 3 | |
| 1-3 days | 4 (183) | −0.10 (−0.39 to 0.19) | 0 |
NA=not applicable.
*Results favour steroid.
†Results favour adrenaline.
‡Results favour salbutamol or terbutaline.