| Methods |
Randomised controlled trial, open‐label |
| Participants |
Patients with neutropenia < 500/mm3 and fever > 38.5 for 3 hrs or > 38 for 6 hrs. Mean age 46 yrs, with any type of cancer |
| Interventions |
Vancomycin added to one arm
Non‐intervention antibiotics: ceftazidime |
| Outcomes |
Failure
Superinfections
Adverse events |
| Notes |
Empirical design
Multicentre, France
Only data from protocol one of three consecutive study protocols were extracted |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not stated |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Sealed envelopes (opacity not mentioned) |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
|
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
|
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Number of randomised patients not stated |
| Other bias |
High risk |
Patients included for different episodes and analysis by episode |
