Summary of findings for the main comparison. Open thoracotomy compared to thoracostomy drainage for pleural empyema.
| Open thoracotomy compared to thoracostomy drainage for pleural empyema | ||||||
| Patient or population: children with pleural empyema Intervention: open thoracotomy Comparison: thoracostomy drainage | ||||||
| Outcomes | Anticipated absolute effects* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | № of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Thoracostomy drainage | Open thoracotomy | |||||
|
Mortality Follow‐up: up to 3 months after discharge |
Risk in study population | Not estimable | 30 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ MODERATE 1 | No deaths occurred in either group. | |
| — | — | |||||
|
Length of hospital stay (days) Follow‐up: up to 3 months after discharge |
The mean length of hospital stay in the control group was 15.4 days. | The mean length of hospital stay in the intervention group was 5.9 days fewer (7.29 fewer to 4.51 fewer). | — | 30 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ MODERATE1 | |
|
Procedural complications Follow‐up: up to 3 months after discharge |
Risk in study population | OR 0.10 (0.02 to 0.63) | 30 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ MODERATE 1 | ||
| 600 per 1000 | 130 per 1000 (29 to 486) | |||||
| *The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; RCT: randomised controlled trial | ||||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Moderate quality: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Low quality: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect. | ||||||
1Downgraded one level due to small sample size and only one study.