Study	Reason for exclusion
Boks 2007	Pump priming for patients undergoing cardiac surgery
Boldt 1993	Pre‐bypass volume loading
Boldt 2000b	Compares 2 starches with each other
Boldt 2006	The paper was retracted by the journal as Institutional Review Board approval could not be verified
Boldt 2008	The paper was retracted by the journal as Institutional Review Board approval could not be verified
Brehme 1993	Haemodilution
Bremerich 2000	Compares 2 different starches (acetyl starch with hydroxyethyl starch)
Charlet 1991	Study compared 2 different gelatins with each other and not with other colloids
Christ 1997	Non‐randomised trial
Emery 1992	Compares 20% and 4.5% albumin with each other and not with other colloids
Gan 1999	Compares Hextend (a plasma volume expander based upon 6% hetastarch) with 6% hetastarch in saline (HES)
Green 2010	Compares HES versus ringers
Haisch 2001a	The paper was retracted by the journal as Institutional Review Board approval could not be verified
Haisch 2001b	The paper was retracted by the journal as Institutional Review Board approval could not be verified
Hankeln 1990	Haemodilution
Harke 1976	Unable to find out if a randomised controlled trial. Methodology unclear
Hiippala 1996	Patients were expected to have minimal blood loss
Hopkins 1994	Insufficient information to include in review
Huet 2000	Compares 2 starches with each other
Huttner 2000	The paper was retracted by the journal as Institutional Review Board approval could not be verified
Jones 2004a	Haemodilution
Jovanovic 1997	Does not mention if study was randomised. Unable to contact author for further information
Korttila 1984	Healthy volunteers and cross‐over trial
Kotzampassi 2008	Not clear how many participants were in each group
Langeron 2001	Compares 2 starches with each other
Palumbo 2006	Authors do not report the number of patients randomised to each group
Puri 1983	There is no mention of a method of randomisation. Just reports "Twenty‐five patients studied in each group were well matched"
Rauch 2000	Compares 2 starches with each other
Rehm 2000	Haemodilution
Romero 1999	Does not mention randomisation
Strauss 1985	Healthy volunteers
Vanhoonacker 2009	Pump priming for cardiac surgery
Waxman 1989	Cross‐over study
Yap 2007	Pump priming cardiac surgery