Smith 1988.
Methods | Randomised clinical trial, USA | |
Participants | 34 hospitalised adults with major upper gastro‐intestinal surgery, at nutritional risk due to major surgery Male:Female = 27:7 Mean age = 67.5 years |
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Interventions | Experimental group: preoperative intravenous nutrition 10 days before surgery. Infusing 50 ‐ 60 kcal/kg/day of glucose/amino acid IVN mixture, containing 150 kcal/l g of nitrogen(n = 17) Control group: prepared for surgery in the usual manner and did not receive any preoperative nutritional support but were scheduled for the next convenient operating list(n = 17) | |
Outcomes | Mortality, major complications, serum transferrin, length of hospital stay | |
Study dates | Not stated | |
Notes | We contacted the authors in December 2015 by email: rsmith@med.usyd.edu.au. We received information regarding blinding and nutritional intake in the study group. | |
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Randomly‐ordered cards |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Sealed envelopes were used, but they were not described as opaque. |
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | High risk | Blinding was not performed. |
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | High risk | Blinding was not performed. |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | There were no dropouts. |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | The trial reported all‐cause‐mortality and serious adverse events. |
For‐profit bias | Unclear risk | It was unclear how the trial was funded. |
Other bias | Low risk | The trial appeared to be free of other components that could put it at risk of bias. |