Table 2. Main characteristics of included studies (methods and interventions).
| Study (first author) | QUADAS score | Type of sedation | Additional technique | AFTRE (mm) | Mean distance between tip of sensor and center of nodule (mm) | Sampling technique | Mean exam duration (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becker, 2005 (18) | 3 | GA | Fluoroscopy, radial probe EBUS | 6.12 | 8.4 | Forceps, brush, curette | ND |
| Hautmann, 2005 (17) | 3 | CS | Fluoroscopy | ND | ND | Forceps | ND |
| Gildea, 2006 (19) | 3 | CS | Fluoroscopy | 6.60 | 9.0 | Forceps, brush, BAL, needle | 51.0 |
| Schwarz, 2006 (20) | 3 | CS | Fluoroscopy | 5.70 | ND | Forceps, brush | 46.0 |
| Wilson, 2007 (21) | 3 | CS | Fluoroscopy, ROSE | 5.00 | 8.0 | Forceps, needle | ND |
| .Makris, 2007 (24) | 4 | GA | None | 4.00 | 8.7 | Forceps | ND |
| Eberhardt, 2007 (23) | 3 | GA/CS | None | 4.60 | 9.0 | Forceps, brush, BAL, needle | 26.9 |
| Eberhardt, 2007 (a) (22) | 3 | GA/CS | None | ND | ND | Forceps | ND |
| Eberhardt, 2007 (b) (22) | 3 | GA/CS | Radio-probe EBUS | ND | ND | Forceps | ND |
| Bertoletti, 2009 (25) | 3 | CS | None | 4.70 | 10 | Forceps, brush | 29.5 |
| Lamprecht, 2009 (26) | 3 | GA | ROSE | 3.80 | 8.4 | Forceps, brush, needle | 60.0 |
| Eberhardt, 2010 (27) | 3 | GA | None | 3.60 | 9.0 | Forceps, suction | 25.7 |
| Seijo, 2010 (28) | 3 | CS | ROSE | 4 | 8.0 | Forceps, needle | 56.0 |
| Mahajan, 2011 (29) | 3 | CS | Fluoroscopy | ND | ND | Forceps, brush, BAL | ND |
| Brownback, 2012 (13) | 3 | GA | Fluoroscopy, ROSE | ND | ND | Forceps, brush, needle | ND |
| Jensen, 2012 (14) | 3 | GA | None | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Lamprecht, 2012 (30) | 4 | GA | ROSE | ND | ND | Forceps, brush, needle | 45.2 |
| Pearlstein, 2012 (31) | 3 | GA | ROSE | 4.00 | 7.4 | Forceps, brush, needle | 70.0 |
| Loo, 2014 (7) | 4 | GA | ROSE | ND | ND | Brush, needle, resection | ND |
| Bowling, 2015 (a) (15) | 3 | IVS | Fluoroscopy | ND | ND | Forceps, brush, BAL, needle | 43.0 |
| Bowling, 2015 (b) (15) | 3 | GA | Fluoroscopy | ND | ND | Forceps, brush, BAL, needle | 58.0 |
GA, general anesthesia; EUBS, endobronchial ultrasound; ND, no data available; CS, conscious sedation; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; ROSE, rapid on-site cytological evaluation.