5. Dropout rates from RCTs. Oral isotretinoin at different doses/schemes.
| Dropout rates | Study | Comparison | Estimate of effect: risk ratio, 95% CI | |
|
Intervention Number of participants who dropped out/Number of analysed participants |
Control Number of participants who dropped out/Number of analysed participants |
|||
| 1. Overall dropout rates | Agarwal 2011 |
1 mg/kg/day (alternate day), for 16 weeks* 2/30 |
1 mg/kg/day, for 16 weeks 3/30 |
0.67 (0.12 to 3.71) |
|
20 mg (alternate day), for 16 weeks 1/30 |
1 mg/kg/day (alternate day), for 16 weeks 2/30 |
0.50 (0.05 to 5.22) | ||
|
20 mg (alternate day), for 16 weeks 1/30 |
1 mg/kg/day, for 16 weeks 3/30 |
0.33 (0.04 to 3.03) | ||
|
1 mg/kg/day for 1 week/4 weeks (intermittent), for 16 weeks 2/30 |
1 mg/kg/day, for 16 weeks 3/30 |
0.67 (0.12 to 3.71) | ||
| 1 mg/kg/day for 1 week/4 weeks (intermittent), for 16 weeks 2/30 |
1 mg/kg/day, (alternate day), for 16 weeks 2/30 |
1.00 (0.15 to 6.64) | ||
| 1 mg/kg/day for 1 week/4 weeks (intermittent), for 16 weeks 2/30 |
20 mg (alternate day), for 16 weeks 1/30 |
2.00 (0.19 to 20.90) | ||
| Akman 2007 |
0.5 mg/kg/day first 10 days, for 6 months (intermittent) 0/22 |
0.5 mg/kg/day for 1 month, afterwards 0.5 mg/kg/daily first 10 days, for 5 months (continuous first month, then intermittent) 3/22 |
0.14 (0.01 to 2.61) | |
|
0.5 mg/kg/day first 10 days, for 6 months (intermittent) 0/22 |
0.5 mg/kg/day, for 6 months 3/22 |
0.14 (0.01 to 2.61) | ||
| 0.5 mg/kg/day for 1 month, afterwards 0.5 mg/kg/day first 10 days, for 5 months (continuous first month, then intermittent) 3/22 |
0.5 mg/kg/day, for 6 months 3/22 |
1.00 (0.23 to 4.42) | ||
| Corlin 1984 | 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 23/64 |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 8/62 |
2.79 (1.35 to 5.75)a | |
| 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 23/64 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 6/65 |
3.89 (1.70 to 8.92)a | ||
| 0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 8/62 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 6/65 |
1.40 (0.51 to 3.80) | ||
| Cumurcu 2009 | < 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 1/25 |
> 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 1/26 |
1.04 (0.07 to 15.74) | |
| Lee 2011 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 3/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 4/20 |
0.75 (0.19 to 2.93) | |
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 4/20 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 3/20 |
1.33 (0.34 to 5.21) | ||
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 4/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 4/20 |
1.00 (0.29 to 3.45) | ||
|
Strauss 1984 (primary reference) |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 4/50 |
0.5 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 4/50 |
1.00 (0.26 to 3.78) | |
| 0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 4/50 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/50 |
4.00 (0.46 to 34.54) | ||
| 0.5 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 4/50 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/50 |
4.00 (0.46 to 34.54) | ||
|
Strauss 1984 (secondary reference) |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 3/50 |
0.5 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/50 |
0.60 (0.15 to 2.38) | |
|
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 3/50 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/50 |
0.60 (0.15 to 2.38) | ||
| 0.5 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/50 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/50 |
1.00 (0.31 to 3.24) | ||
| Van der Meeren 1983 | 0.5 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 4/31 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 3/27 |
1.16 (0.28 to 4.73) | |
| 2. Dropout rates due to full acne remission | Corlin 1984 |
0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/64 |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/62 |
0.32 (0.01 to 7.78) |
| 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/64 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/65 |
Not estimable | ||
| 0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/62 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/65 |
3.14 (0.13 to 75.72) | ||
| 3. Dropout rates due to treatment failure after 12 weeks | Corlin 1984 | 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 6/64 |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 2/62 |
2.91 (0.61 to 13.85) |
| 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 6/64 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/65 |
6.09 (0.75 to 49.20) | ||
| 0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 2/62 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 1/65 |
2.10 (0.20 to 22.54) | ||
| 4. Dropout rates due to treatment failure after 12 weeks despite an increase in dose | Corlin 1984 | 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 8/64 |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 2/62 |
3.88 (0.86 to 17.53) |
| 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 8/64 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/65 |
17.26 (1.02 to 292.95)a | ||
| 0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 2/62 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 0/65 |
5.24 (0.26 to 106.98) | ||
| 5. Dropout rates due to adverse effects (blurred vision) | Cumurcu 2009 |
< 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 0/25 |
> 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 1/26 |
0.35 (0.01 to 8.12) |
| 6. Dropout rate due to adverse effects (raised serum triglycerides) | Lee 2011 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 0/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 1/20 |
0.33 (0.01 to 7.72) |
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 0/20 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 0/20 |
Not estimable | ||
|
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 0/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 1/20 |
0.33 (0.01 to 7.72) | ||
| 7. Dropout rate due to adverse effects (raised liver function test) | Lee 2011 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 0/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 1/20 |
0.33 (0.01 to 7.72) |
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 0/20 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 0/20 |
Not estimable | ||
|
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 0/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 1/20 |
0.33 (0.01 to 7.72) | ||
| 8. Dropout rates due to adverse effects (dry lips and dry skin) | Van der Meeren 1983 |
0.5 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 1/31 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 3/27 |
0.29 (0.03 to 2.63) |
| 9. Dropout rates due to reasons not related to the intervention | Corlin 1984 | 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 9/64 |
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 3/62 |
2.91 (0.83 to 10.24) |
| 0.05 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 9/64 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/65 |
1.83 (0.65 to 5.16) | ||
|
0.1 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 3/62 |
0.2 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks 5/65 |
0.63 (0.16 to 2.52) | ||
| Cumurcu 2009 | < 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 1/25 |
> 0.5 mg/kg/day for 90 days 0/26 |
3.12 (0.13 to 73.06) | |
| 10. Dropout rates due to personal reasons | Lee 2011 | 0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 3/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 2/20 |
1.50 (0.28 to 8.04) |
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 4/20 |
0.25 to 0.4 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous low dose) 3/20 |
1.33 (0.34 to 5.21) | ||
| 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day, first 1 week in every 4 weeks for 24 weeks (intermittent conventional dose) 4/20 |
0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg/day for 24 weeks (continuous conventional dose) 2/20 |
2.00 (0.41 to 9.71) | ||
| 11. Dropout rates due to other reasons (not specified) | Van der Meeren 1983 | 0.5 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 3/31 |
1.0 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks 0/27 |
6.13 (0.33 to 113.50) |
a Results that showed a statistically significant difference between interventions
* The interventions groups which had lower dropout rates in each comparison are in bold.