Table 2.

Results of sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses

Group	No. of trials	No. of patients	Risk ratio (95% CI)	P value	Heterogeneity
Group	No. of trials	No. of patients	Risk ratio (95% CI)	P value	I², %	P value for I²
Subgroup analyses
Mean age
> 65 years	7 [20, 22, 24–26, 29, 30]	1627	0.99 (0.89, 1.11)	0.88	0	0.67
≤ 65 years	3 [14, 23, 27]	3251	1.02 (0.93, 1.12)	0.63	0	0.95
SOFA scores at administration
> 12	3 [22, 24, 27]	819	0.95 (0.75, 1.20)	0.65	31	0.24
≤ 12	7 [14, 20, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30]	4059	1.02 (0.94, 1.10)	0.62	0	0.98
Criteria for early RRT initiation
Approximately equal to stage 2 of the KDIGO classification	4 [14, 24, 27, 29]	3329	1.01 (0.92, 1.10)	0.89	4	0.37
Approximately equal to stage 3 of the KDIGO classification	2 [20, 22]	1107	1.00 (0.88, 1.15)	0.95	0	0.41
Other classification criteria	4 [23, 25, 26, 30]	442	1.05 (0.86, 1.29)	0.61	0	0.97
Sensitivity analyses
Publish language (excluding the study published in Chinese)	9 [14, 20, 22–27, 29]	4818	1.01 (0.94, 1.08)	0.81	0	0.85
Risk of bias (only including low risk of bias studies)	8 [14, 20, 22–27]	4747	1.01 (0.94, 1.08)	0.86	0	0.81
Publish year (removing studies published before 2010)	9 [14, 20, 22–27, 30]	4807	1.01 (0.94, 1.08)	0.82	0	0.86

CI confidence interval, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment