Persson 2007.
| Methods | Randomised controlled trial. Duration median 4.3 months, range 3.6 to 6.9 months. | |
| Participants | Elderly patients (n = 108) admitted for trauma or acute illness, mean age intervention group 85 years (SD 5.9), control group 85 years (SD 6.1). All at risk of malnutrition defined by MNA score <10. 54 dropouts. |
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| Interventions | Individualised counselling to increase food intake, plus a nutritional supplement and a multivitamin supplement (n = 51) versus brief written dietary advice (n = 57). | |
| Outcomes | Weight *, BMI*, handgrip strength*, energy intake*, activities of daily living, cognitive function, peak expiratory flow, QoL. | |
| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Further information needed. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Further information needed. |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) Clinical outcomes | High risk | Not blinded. |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) Functional outcomes | High risk | Not blinded. |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) Nutritional outcomes | High risk | Not blinded. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | ITT analysis using data obtained at inclusion carried forward and used at follow‐up for those who were still alive but not examined. Treated as protocol analysis also included. 54 participants dropped out of the study; there were 6 deaths in the intervention group and 12 deaths in the control group. The remaining patients withdrew consent or declined follow‐up. 8 patients in the control group had the intervention prescribed during the study. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | All outcomes reported but not in a format suitable for meta‐analysis. Data on change in weight and handgrip strength are presented as mean (SD) at the start and end of the intervention and have therefore been obtained from authors. Data on mortality extracted from the paper. |
| Other bias | High risk | Stated in text that baseline characteristics not different but data not shown. |