| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Bliss 2001 | RCT but intervention does not include a drug. Interventions: metamucil (psyllium), gum arabic, pectin. |
| Christensen 2006 | RCT but excluded as intervention does not include a drug. Interventions: transanal irrigation, conservative lifestyle management including diet, fluid, physical activity, laxatives or constipating medicines if needed. |
| Drossman 2007 | Participants had diarrhoea and constipation, and not faecal incontinence. |
| Emblem 1989 | Not random allocation of patients to intervention groups. |
| Eogan 2007 | Participants were provided with lactulose to maintain soft stool and did not have faecal incontinence. |
| Freedman 1959 | Use of psychopharmacological agents (phenothiazine and amphetamine derivatives) for the treatment of incontinent schizophrenic patients. |
| Grijalva 2010 | Participants did not have faecal incontinence. |
| Harari 2004 | RCT but excluded as intervention does not include a drug. Interventions: nurse management + lifestyles measures, routine care. |
| Henriksson 1992 | Participants had diarrhoea and not faecal incontinence. |
| Heymen 2004 | Reports results of an RCT comparing biofeedback and Kegel exercise training. |
| Heymen 2004a | Reports results of an RCT comparing biofeedback and Kegel exercise training. |
| Lauti 2008 | Participants in both the arms received loperamide and the trial compared low‐residue diet with fibre supplement. |
| Qvitzau 1988 | Participants had diarrhoea and not faecal incontinence. |
| Rosman 2008 | Participants had bowel evacuation problem and not faecal incontinence |
| Santos 1961 | Not random allocation of patients to intervention groups. |
| Schneiter 1972 | Participants had post‐operative constipation and not faecal incontinence. |
| Shoji 1993 | Participants were randomised into 2 groups (valproate and placebo). However, results for faecal incontinence are reported for the entire cohort. |
| Tu 2008 | Participants had diarrhoea and not faecal incontinence. |
| Van Assche 2012 | Participants had diarrhoea and not faecal incontinence. |
| Whitebird 2006 | Excluded as intervention does not include a drug ('The Fiber Study'). Interventions: gum arabic, psyllium, carboxymethyl cellulose, placebo. |
RCT = Randomised controlled trial