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. 2016 Oct 18;2016(10):CD007272. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007272.pub2

van Leeuwen 1990.

Methods Study design: randomized parallel groups
Study dates: not stated
Participants Country: the Netherlands
Sex: both
Age: aged 15 to 72 years
ASA: I and II
Procedure: orthopaedic or ophthalmic operations
Study size: 30
Interventions Randomized portion of anaesthetic: parts of TIVA: hypnotic (propofol) infusions MCI: maintenance
Intervention 1: maintenance propofol 2 mg/kg/h, N = 10
Intervention 2: maintenance propofol 3 mg/kg/h, N = 10
Intervention 3: maintenance propofol 4 mg/kg/h, N = 10
Outcomes Primary outcomes: cardiovascular parameters between groups; duration of anaesthesia, mean total doses (induction and maintenance) of both propofol and alfentanil
Secondary outcome: awareness/wakefulness as defined using an awareness classification system (see Table 1): class 1
Quote: "Awareness did not occur in any patient"
Notes Non‐randomized portion of anaesthetic: N2O no parts of TIVA hypnotic (propofol) infusions MCI/narcotics infusion (alfentanil): maintenance/muscle relaxants induction yes/maintenance no
All patients received premedication with diazepam 10 mg orally 1 to 1.5 h before surgery. Anaesthesia induction: propofol 2 mg/kg + alfentanil 10 µg/kg/min + vecuronium bromide 0.1 mg/kg. A single dose of vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg was used as the muscle relaxant; anaesthesia maintenance: alfentanil infusion 1 µg/kg/min + propofol 20 mg/kg and alfentanil 1 mg was administered as needed. Oxygen in air (FIO2 0.35). Neuromuscular block was reversed with atropine + neostigmine + naloxone 0.2 mg to 0.4 mg, if respiratory depression was present
Time of outcome determination: day and month after operation
Method of outcome determination: interview
Email survey sent to author, no response received
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Quote: "The patients were randomly allocated into three groups of ten patients each, Groups A, B, and C. All..."
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: no information provided
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Comment: anaesthesiologist: no information provided
Comment: different infusion rates difficult to blind to anaesthesiologist (ROB survey van der Maaten 1996)
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Quote: "The patients were questioned by the anaesthetist about intraoperative awareness. This was done in the recovery room, the day after and one month after the operation"
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Comment: no missing outcome data
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Comment: awareness outcome part of inclusion criteria
Other bias Unclear risk Comment: insufficient information provided