Table 4. Literature Search: Summary of Levels of Evidence of the Included Studies.
Level of evidence [28] | Trial type | Originally selected studies | Studies included | Total number of patients in studies exposed to fibrin sealant |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | Meta-analysis | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ib—Ib- | Randomized controlled trial | 2 | 2 | 123 |
II | Prospective cohort studies / randomized controlled trial with quality issues | 2 | 2 | 126 |
III | Case-control studies | 2 | 2 | 167 |
IV | Prospective and retrospective case series | 27 | 26 | 2519 |
Total | - | 33* | 32* | 2935 |