Table A1:
Quality of the Body of Evidence (GRADE System)
| Number of Studiesa | Risk of Bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Upgrade Considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trough level | |||||||
| 9 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕Low |
| Serious bacterial infection | |||||||
| 3 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕Low |
| All infections | |||||||
| 2 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕Low |
| Antibiotic use | |||||||
| 2 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Days in hospital | |||||||
| 2 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕Low |
| Incidence of hospitalization | |||||||
| 2 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Missed days from work or school for patients | |||||||
| 2 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Missed days from work or school for parents or caregivers | |||||||
| 1 study | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Quality of life of adults (SF-36) | |||||||
| 4 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Quality of life of children (CHQ-PF50, parental form) | |||||||
| 4 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Quality of life of children (CHQ, child form) | |||||||
| 1 study | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Satisfaction (LQI) | |||||||
| 3 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Preference | |||||||
| 2 Canadian studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| Adverse events | |||||||
| 10 studies | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
Abbreviations: CHQ, child health questionnaire; LQI, Life quality Index; SF-36, Short-form 36.
a
All studies had prospective and/or retrospective design.