Hasse 1997

Methods	Randomised trial comparing supplements (standard or branched chain amino acids) to no supplements in outpatients awaiting liver transplant. Geographical location Dallas, Texas, USA. Paper published 1997.
Participants	Inclusion criteria: Malnourished outpatient cirrhotic patients with history of encephalopathy awaiting liver transplantation. Exclusion criteria: None cited. 36 patients (no details regarding sex, age).
Interventions	Intervention group received commercial nutritional supplement (Ensure® or Hepatic‐Aid® [0.5 gm/kg/d protein and non‐protein calories]); Controls received standard diet. Duration therapy 64‐143 days.
Outcomes	Appearance hepatic encephalopathy. Text indicates no difference in triceps skinfold thickness, midarm circumference, midarm muscle circumference, but no numerical data.
Category of study	Supplements/Medical.
Sample size calculation	Not reported if done.
Full paper or abstract only	Abstract.
Notes	Information regarding dropouts and hepatic encephalopathy admissions obtained from author at poster. E‐mail request for more information sent to Dr Hasse on September 17, 2011 (jm.hasse@baylorhealth.edu). See above note regarding response.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Only states "patients were randomised 2:2:1".
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No details.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Not blinded.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Large number dropouts for variety of reasons.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	No mortality data.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Funder of trial not reported.
Intent to treat analysis	High risk	Could not be done.
Baseline imbalance?	Unclear risk	No data in abstract.
Early stopping?	Unclear risk	No sample size calculation and unknown why stopped.