Summary of findings for the main comparison. PERPHENAZINE compared with PLACEBO for schizophrenia.
| PERPHENAZINE compared with PLACEBO for schizophrenia | ||||||
| Patient or population: patients with schizophrenia Settings: hospitals, USA and Canada Intervention: PERPHENAZINE Comparison: PLACEBO | ||||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of Participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | |||||
| PLACEBO | PERPHENAZINE | |||||
| Global state: Change over time ‐ no better or deterioration ‐ short term clinically defined Follow‐up: 6 weeks | 500 per 10001 | 160 per 1000 (65 to 390) | RR 0.32 (0.13 to 0.78) | 61 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low2,3 | |
| Mental state: Relapse ‐ short term clinical diagnosis Follow‐up: 12 weeks | 292 per 10004 | 41 per 1000 (6 to 312) | RR 0.14 (0.02 to 1.07) | 48 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low5,6,7 | |
| Adverse events: death ‐ not reported | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | ‐ | See comment | No study reported this outcome |
| Adverse events: extrapyramidal adverse effects ‐ dystonia ‐ short term Follow‐up: 12 weeks | 42 per 10008 | 42 per 1000 (3 to 628) | RR 1 (0.07 to 15.08) | 48 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low5,7,8 | |
| Adverse events: serious adverse events ‐ not reported | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | ‐ | See comment | No study reported this outcome |
| Economic outcomes ‐ not reported | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | ‐ | See comment | No study reported this outcome |
| Service use and hospitalisation: admission ‐ not reported | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | ‐ | See comment | No study reported this outcome |
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: Confidence interval; RR: Risk ratio; | ||||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. | ||||||
1 Control risk: mean baseline risk presented for single study (50%) 2 Risk of bias: rated 'very serious' ‐ randomisation methods not described in the single included study; data for participants who did not complete were excluded from data analysis; data to support this outcome taken from single study (n = 238), with n = 61 participants in the perphenazine vs placebo comparison 3 Indirectness: rated 'serious' ‐ single included had a total of eight drug comparisons 4 Control risk: mean baseline risk presented for single study (29.2%) 5 Risk of bias: rated 'very serious' ‐ randomisation methods not described in the single included study; selective reporting detected; data to support this outcome taken from single study with n=48 participants 6 Indirectness: rated 'serious' ‐ single included had a total of four drug comparisons 7 Imprecision: rated 'serious' ‐ 95% confidence intervals for best estimate of effect include both 'no effect' and appreciable benefit/harm. 8 Control risk: mean baseline risk presented for single study (4.2%)