Table 4.

Summary of the methodological evaluation of selected studies

	Was there a comparison with an appropriate reference standard?	Was there an appropriate spectrum of patients?	Was there adequate description of the test?	Was there blind outcome assessment?	Decision to perform the gold standard, was independent of the test result?	Can likelihood ratios be calculated?	What was the accuracy of the results?	Can the results be applied to your patients?	Is the test acceptable in this case?	Will the results of the test change your actions?
Barker 2011 [42]	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Chapman 2011 [43]	+	+	+	-	+	+	?	?	+	+
Ivziku 2011 [44]	+	?	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	+
Kim EAN 2007 [26]	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Kim KS 2011 [27]	+	+	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	+
Lovallo 2010 [45]	+	+	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	+
Milisen 2007 [23]	+	+	+	?	+	+	+	+	+	+
Oliver 1997 [15]	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Papaioannou 2004 [20]	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
Schmid 1990 [47]	+	?	+	?	+	+	?	+	+	+
Schwendimann 2006A [22]	+	?	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	+
Schwendimann 2007 [25]	+	?	+	?	+	+	+	+	+	+
Vassallo 2005 [47]	+	?	+	+	+	+	+	?	+	+
Walsh 2010 [48]	+	?	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

“+”: positive evaluation; “-”: negative evaluation; “?”: no information about the item.