Table 1.
Quality assessment of the included studies
Authors | Sequences generation | Allocation concealment | Blinding of participants and researchers | Blinding of outcome assessment | Incomplete outcome data | Selective reporting | Other bias | Overall risk of bias |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rackow et al. [13] | Unclear | High | High | High | Low | Unclear | Low | High |
Metildi et al. [15] | Low | High | High | High | Low | Unclear | Low | High |
The SAFE study investigators [6] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Unclear | Low | Unclear |
The CRISTAL study investigators [14] | Low | Low | High | Low | Low | Unclear | Low | High |
The ALBIOS study investigators [9] | Low | Low | High | High | Low | Low | Low | High |
Sequence generation: Rackow et al. [13] used predetermined randomization schedule. Metildi et al. [15] used random numbers. SAFE [6] used a central minimization algorithm. CRISTAL [14] and ALBIOS [9] used computer-generated sequences. Allocation concealment: no detailed allocation concealment was reported by Metildi et al. [15]. Rackow et al. [13] used a predetermined randomization schedule. SAFE [6] used a central minimization algorithm. CRISTAL [14] used sealed envelopes. ALBIOS [9] used a blinded assignment sequence. Blinding: blinding was not reported in Rackow et al. [13], Metildi et al. [15] and the ALBIOS [9] trial. Blinding was performed in the SAFE [6] trial. Data collection members but not researchers were blinded in the CRISTAL [14] trial. Incomplete outcome data: all trials described the follow-up. Selective reporting: the study protocol of ALBIOS [9] was obtained. Other bias: no evidence of other sources of bias.