Table 7a.
Evaluation of the reference standard in 5 selected studies on the diagnostic accuracy of sonography as a confirmatory test for carpal tunnel syndrome using QUADAS guidelines 11
| Classifies condition | Partial verification bias | Differential verification bias | Incorporation bias | Execution of reference standard†† | Review bias | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwon et al. 15 | Y | Y | Y | N/A† | Y | Y |
| Pastare et al. 16 | Y | Y | Y | N/A† | Y | Y |
| Altinok et al. 17 | Y | Y | Y | N/A† | Y | Y |
| Kele et al. 18 | Y | Y | Y | N/A† | U | Y |
| El Mediany et al. 19 | Y | Y | Y | N/A† | Y | Y |
Y: yes (followed guideline)
N: no (did not follow guideline)
U: unclear (insufficient information to determine if guideline was followed)
†
Incorporation bias is not applicable. This guideline is evaluated if the reference standard is a composite of 2 or more tests, e.g. clinical exam and electrodiagnostic tests for CTS diagnosis 20.
††
“U” in this column indicates that it was unclear if all details of the reference standard execution were included.