Table 3.
| Study | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Total (14.50) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagner 195519 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 |
| CSG 196320 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 |
| Klasterski 197123 | 0 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 8.0 |
| Schumer 197624 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 6.0 |
| Lucas 198427 | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 6.0 |
| Sprung 198428 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.5 |
| Bone 198730 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 11.0 |
| VASSCSG 198731 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 14.0 |
| Luce 198832 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 11.5 |
| Slusher 199633 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 10 |
| Bollaert 19989 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Briegel 199910 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Chawla 199911 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12.5 |
| Annane 200212 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14.5 |
| Yildiz 200213 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 10 |
| Keh 200314 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
CSG-Cooperative Study Group; VASSCSG=Veterans Administration Systemic Sepsis Cooperative Study Group.
Assessment of quality with scores in parentheses. 1=Patient selection: all eligible patients with number of and reason for exclusions given (1); attempt to do so, but reasons for failure and exclusion not given (0.5); selected patients/eligible patients not described (0). 2=Patients characteristics at baseline: diagnosis/similar distribution between groups reported (0.50), not reported (0); severity of illness <10% difference between groups reported (0.50), not reported (0). 3=Randomisation: concealed randomisation (computer, centralised, etc (2); potentially manipulable (sealed envelope, date of admission, medical records, birth date, etc (1); can't tell (0). 4=Blinding: double blind (at least 2 of physicians, outcome analyst, patients) (2); single blinded (1); unblinded/can't tell (0). 5=Intervention: drug described explicity—yes (0.50), no (0); dosing regimen (dose, frequency) reported (0.50), not reported (0); onset of treatment after development of sepsis reported (0.50), not reported (0); duration of treatment reported (0.50), not reported (0); placebo reported (0.50), not reported (0). 6=Contamination: reported (1), not reported (0). 7=Cointervention: reported (1); not reported (0). 8=Explicit description of complications: any three of secondary infection, gastroduodenal bleeding, organ system failure, hyperglycaemia (1); any two of those complications (0.5); 1 complication or none (0). 9=Withdrawal: described number and reason for withdrawal (1); described one of above (0.50); described neither (0). 10=Intention to treat and adherence to protocol: both reported (1), one reported (0.50), none reported (0). 11=Explicit definition: of septic shock (vasopressors dependence) (1); of sepsis only (consensus criteria) (0.50); none (0).