TABLE 2.
Methodological evaluation by GRADE
| Parameters Evaluated | Wshasg 1991 | Valverde 1996 | Craig 1996 | Law 1997 | Laterza 1999 | Walther 2003 | Hsu 2004 | Okuyama 2007 | Luechakiettisak 2008 | Zhang 2010 | Ma 2010 | Cayi 2012 | Saluja 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Was the study randomized? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Was the allocation of patients to groups confidential? | NA | Y | Y | NA | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | NA | Y | NA | Y |
| Were patients analyzed in the groups to which they were randomized (was the analysis by intention to treat)? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Were patients in both groups similar with respect to the previously known prognostic factors? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Was the study blind? | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Except the experimental intervention, were the groups treated equally? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Were the losses significant? | NA | NA | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Did the study have a precision estimate for the effects of treatment? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Are the study patients similar to those of interest? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Are the outcomes of the study clinically relevant? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Were the potential conflicts of interest declared? | N | N | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y |
Legend: Y=yes, N=no, NA=not available