Table 2.

Levels of recommendation according to the available evidence

Recommendation	Available evidence
A	The Consensus strongly recommends the mentioned intervention or service. This recommendation is based on high-quality evidence, with benefits that significantly exceed the risks
B	The Consensus recommends the regular clinical use of the mentioned intervention or service. This recommendation is based on moderate-quality evidence of benefits that exceed the risks
C	The Consensus does not make any positive or negative recommendations regarding the mentioned intervention or service. A categorical recommendation is not provided because the evidence (of at least moderate quality) does not show a satisfactory risk/benefit relationship. Decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis
D	The Consensus makes a negative recommendation against the mentioned intervention or service. The recommendation is based on at least moderate-quality evidence that does not show any benefit or where the risk or damage exceeds the benefits of the intervention
I	The Consensus concludes that the evidence is insufficient due to low-quality studies or heterogeneous results or because the risk/benefit balance cannot be determined