Table 2.
Characteristics of included reviews and numbers of RCTs by types of intervention
| Types of intervention compared | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical treatments | Surgery versus non‐surgical invasive treatments | Surgery versus non‐invasive treatments | Non‐surgical invasive versus non‐invasive treatments | Non‐surgical invasive treatments | Non‐invasive treatments | |
| Bowel conditions (42 reviews, 47 RCTs*) | 14 reviews | 14 reviews | 4 reviews | 1 review† | 2 reviews | 7 reviews |
| 8 RCTs | 12 RCTs | 0 RCTs | 0 RCTs | 8 RCTs | 21 RCTs | |
| Appendicitis (40 reviews, 106 RCTs) | 33 reviews | 0 | 7 reviews | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 RCTs | 6 RCTs | |||||
| Gallstone disease (17 reviews, 57 RCTs) | 11 reviews | 2 reviews | 0 | 4 reviews | 0 | 0 |
| 47 RCTs | 3 RCTs‡ | 7 RCTs | ||||
| Peptic ulcer disease (4 reviews, 4 RCTs) | 4 reviews | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 RCTs | ||||||
| Anorectal soft tissue infection (2 reviews, 6 RCTs) | 2 reviews | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 RCTs | ||||||
| Abdominal wall hernia (1 review, 0 RCTs) | 1 review§ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 RCTs | ||||||
| Total (106 reviews, 220 RCTs) | 65 reviews | 16 reviews | 11 reviews | 5 reviews | 2 reviews | 7 reviews |
| 165 RCTs | 15 RCTs | 6 RCTs | 7 RCTs | 8 RCTs | 21 RCTs | |
Number of reviews and number of unique RCTs included in reviews are shown. Non‐surgical invasive treatments include all endoscopic or radiological procedures; non‐invasive treatments include all pharmacological interventions (such as antibiotics, intravenous fluid regimens).
Two RCTs were included in multiple reviews across two different intervention comparisons (surgical versus surgical treatments and surgical versus non‐surgical invasive treatments) and were therefore included in both intervention categories.
Review included 25 non‐randomized case series (no comparator) reporting outcomes from a total of 315 patients.
Surgery versus radiological treatments.
Review included 17 non‐randomized case series studies (no comparator) reporting outcomes from a total of 28 patients, of which only 8 single‐patient case reports were in emergency settings.