Alavi 2007.

Methods	Randomized controlled trial Duration: April 2004 to January 2006
Participants	Number: 105 patients enrolled Inclusion criteria: the finding of >1/80 standard tube agglutination titer (STAT) of antibodies to Brucella (Wright) with a 2 mercaptoethanol (2 ME) >1/40, in association with compatible clinical findings such as back pain, sweating and fever Exclusion criteria: age less than 15 years, pregnancy, spondylitis, endocarditis, meningoencephalitis, previous history of brucellosis, and antimicrobial therapy for more than seven days before enrolment
Interventions	1‐ doxycycline (100mg twice a day), and rifampicin (300mg every 8 hour) for 8 weeks 2‐ doxycycline (100mg twice a day), and co‐trimoxazole (2 adult tablets, 960mg twice a day) for 8 weeks
Outcomes	1‐relapse 2‐therapeutic failure 3‐laboratory improvement
Notes	Location: The private clinic and infectious disease ward of Razi hospital affiliated to Joundishapour University, Ahwaz, Iran Setting: hospitalised and ambulatory patients Source of funding: supported by Joundishapoor Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not described
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Open study
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	52 patients were randomized to doxycycline plus rifampicin, and 53 to doxycycline plus co‐trimoxazole. At 3 month follow‐up, 51 were remained in each group.The proportion of missing outcomes compared with observed event was considerable.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Important outcomes are reported
Other bias	Low risk