Table 2.

Summary of primary and secondary outcomes

Analyses	No. of studies	No. of patients	RR (95% CI)	I2 %	P value for heterogeneity	P value for Egger’s test	P value for Begg’s test	Quality of evidence (GRADE)
Furazolidone versus non-furazolidone-containing regimen
Incidence of total AEs	14	2540	1.04 (0.89 to 1.21)	0	0.45	0.09	0.07	Moderate*
Incidence of severe AEs	5	743	1.81 (0.91 to 3.60)	0	0.91	–	–	Moderate*
Incidence of discontinuation	6	1167	1.30 (0.65 to 2.63)	0	0.80	–	–	Moderate*
Compliance	13	2373	1.00 (0.99 to 1.01)	0	0.90	0.88	0.71	Moderate*
Incidence of nausea	10	1938	0.88 (0.55 to 1.43)	52	0.03	0.39	0.93	–
Incidence of dizziness	8	1633	1.09 (0.76 to 1.57)	1	0.42	–	–	–
Incidence of dysgeusia	9	1488	0.57 (0.35 to 0.93)	15	0.31	–	–	–
Long duration versus short duration of furazolidone-containing regimen
Incidence of total AEs	12	3139	1.33 (1.09 to 1.61)	0	0.48	0.73	0.89	Moderate*
Incidence of severe AEs	4	1003	1.04 (0.38 to 2.86)	0	0.72	–	–	–
Incidence of discontinuation	6	2477	1.22 (0.73 to 2.02)	0	0.96	–	–	–
Compliance	11	2971	1.00 (0.98 to 1.01)	0	0.48	0.89	0.82	–
High dose versus low dose of furazolidone-containing regimen								–
Incidence of total AEs	4	343	3.04 (1.28 to 7.22)	75	<0.01	–	–	Low*†74
Incidence of severe AEs	3	303	3.74 (1.29 to 10.86)	0	0.82	–	–	–
Incidence of discontinuation	2	224	5.37 (0.63 to 45.71)	0	0.62	–	–	–
Compliance	4	343	0.99 (0.93 to 1.06)	69	0.02	–	–	–
Incidence of nausea	3	264	4.63 (1.49 to 14.40)	0	0.69	–	–	–
Incidence of dizziness	3	264	12.28 (2.95 to 51.07)	0	0.79	–	–	–

*Downgraded by the open-label design of enrolled studies.

†Downgraded by the wide CI.

AE, adverse events; GRADE, grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation; RR, relative risk.