| Methods | Randomised trial comparing parenteral nutrition to no parenteral nutrition in patients with chronic liver disease hospitalized for surgery. Geographical location Wuhan, China. Study published 2003. | |
| Participants | Inclusion criteria: Patients with chronic liver damage (Childs B or C, need for at least 7 days nutritional support postoperatively. Exclusion criteria: Presence of factors that affect metabolism other than those related to underlying disease. 70 patients (no sex or age data provided). | |
| Interventions | Intervention group received parenteral nutrition (30 kcal/kg [carbohydrate and lipid], 0.16 gm/kg nitrogen per day for at least 7 days postoperatively); Controls received no nutritional support. Duration > 7 days. | |
| Outcomes | Mortality, appearance ascites, bilirubin, weight, midarm circumference, nitrogen balance. | |
| Category of study | Parenteral nutrition/Surgical (postoperative). | |
| Sample size calculation | None reported if done. | |
| Full paper or abstract only | Full paper. | |
| Notes | E‐mail sent to Dr Hu on September 14, 2011 (mailbox_1@163.net) after one sent to Dr Zheng on September 13, 2011 (zhenggichang@yahoo.cn) failed; the former failed as well. Letter sent to Dr Hu by US mail on September 14, 2011 (Dr Qing‐Gang Hu, Department of Surgery, Xiehe Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China). No response has been received as of March 20, 2012. | |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Only states "randomly assigned". |
| 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 | Numbers somewhat disparate in paper. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Mortality and morbidity outcomes reported. |
| Other bias | Unclear risk | Funding source not reported. |
| Intent to treat analysis | Unclear risk | Somewhat disparate numbers reported in paper. |
| Baseline imbalance? | Low risk | Superficially adequate. |
| Early stopping? | Unclear risk | No sample size calculation and unknown why stopped. |
gm = gram. ckal = (EU) kilocalories; (U.S) calories. cc = cum cibo (with food). HCC = hepatocellular carcinoma.