Table 5. GRADE evidence profile of SARS studies.
| No. of studies | Certainty assessment | No. of patients | Effect value (95% CI) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk of bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Other considerations | Sample | Intervention | Control | ||||
| Mortality (all patients) | |||||||||||
| CS [8] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 10,165 | 7,278 | 2,887 | RR 1.52 (0.89 to 2.60) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Mortality (mild) | |||||||||||
| CS [3] | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | Large magnitude of effect4 | 3,871 | 2,649 | 1,222 | RR 3.61 (1.88 to 6.92) | ⨁⨁⨁◯ (moderate) | |
| Mortality (severe) | |||||||||||
| CS [3] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 1,516 | 1,277 | 239 | RR 1.33 (0.54 to 3.30) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Mortality (adult) | |||||||||||
| CS [3] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 3,246 | 2,076 | 1,170 | RR 1.08 (0.66 to 1.76) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Duration of fever (all patients) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [4] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 4,663 | 3,658 | 1,005 | WMD 0.82 (−2.88 to 4.52) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Duration of fever (mild) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 373 | 267 | 106 | WMD 0.45 (−4.15 to 5.06) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Duration of fever (severe) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 131 | 108 | 23 | WMD −1.12 (−4.94 to 2.70) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Lung inflammation absorption time (all patients) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 504 | 375 | 129 | WMD 0.95 (−7.57 to 9.48) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Lung inflammation absorption time (mild) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 373 | 267 | 106 | WMD 1.31 (−8.68 to 11.30) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Lung inflammation absorption time (severe) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 131 | 108 | 23 | WMD 0.44 (−4.17 to 5.05) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Length of hospital stay (all patients) (d) | |||||||||||
| CS [3] | Not serious | Serious1 | Not serious | Not serious | None | 5,198 | 3,863 | 1,335 | WMD 6.83 (1.48 to 12.17) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Virus clearance | |||||||||||
| RCT [1] | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | Serious3 | None | 16 | 9 | 7 | RR 0.91 (0.66 to 1.24) | ⨁⨁⨁◯ (moderate) | |
| Elevated intraocular pressure (mmHg) | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 58 | 38 | 20 | WMD 4.24 (2.39 to 6.09) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Peak LDH (U/L) | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 78 | 66 | 12 | WMD −309.50 (−1,267.93 to 648.93) |
⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Fasting blood glucose levels (2 weeks) (mmol/L) | |||||||||||
| CS [2] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 317 | 195 | 122 | WMD 1.66 (1.08 to 2.25) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Maximum blood sugar level (mmol/L) | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 1,291 | 1,084 | 207 | WMD 2.29 (1.71 to 2.87) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Hypokalemia | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 98 | 57 | 41 | RR 2.16 (0.94 to 4.96) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Hypocalcemia | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 98 | 57 | 41 | RR 1.07 (0.81 to 1.41) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| Infection | |||||||||||
| CS [4] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 5,514 | 3,774 | 1,380 | RR 3.52 (2.33 to 5.32) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| MODS | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 4,887 | 3,612 | 1,275 | RR 3.85 (2.14 to 6.94) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 4,887 | 3,612 | 1,275 | RR 9.54 (0.57 to 160.29) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| ARDS | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 4,887 | 3,612 | 1,275 | RR 6.07 (3.22 to 11.45) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
| ONFH (osteonecrosis of the femoral head) | |||||||||||
| CS [1] | Serious2 | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | None | 148 | 106 | 42 | RR 3.62 (0.20 to 65.75) | ⨁◯◯◯ (very low) | |
1, downgrade one level: Heterogeneity of data synthesis results, I2>50%; 2, downgrade one level: the risk of bias is high due to the limitations of study design; 3, downgrade one level: sample size is less than optimal information sample (OIS); 4, upgrade one level: large magnitude of effect, RR >2. RR, risk ratio; CI, confidence interval; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; RCT, randomized controlled trial; CS, cohort study.