TABLE 3.
Number of analyses reporting statistically significant benefits or no significant difference between groups for all outcomes from identified systematic reviews of oral nutritional supplement interventions in participants who were malnourished or at nutritional risk according to clinical background of included participants and review quality assessed using AMSTAR1
| Analyses with statistically significant difference between groups | Analyses with no significant difference between groups | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome measure | Median (range) number of participants per analysis | Total number of analyses | Total number | AMSTAR score ≥8 | Number reporting heterogeneity (number with statistically significant heterogeneity) | Total number | AMSTAR score ≥8 | Number reporting heterogeneity (number with statistically significant heterogeneity) |
| Clinical and functional | ||||||||
| Mortality | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 2174 (532–8529) | 12 | 6 | 1 | 2 (0) | 6 | 2 | 5 (0) |
| Single clinical conditions2 | 710 (169–4343) | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 (0) | 9 | 7 | 9 (0) |
| Total complications | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 1162 (384–6225) | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 (0) | 0 | — | — |
| Single clinical conditions | 495 (216–789) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 (1) | 2 | 2 | 2 (1) |
| Infectious complications | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | |
| Single clinical conditions | 259 (22–637) | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 (2) | 5 | 5 | 3 (1) |
| Pressure ulcers | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | — | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | — | — |
| Single clinical conditions | 4125 (1224–6062) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 (0) | 1 | 1 | 1 (0) |
| Muscle strength | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 174 (61–535) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0) | 2 | 1 | 2 (0) |
| Single clinical conditions | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | — | |
| Healthcare-related | ||||||||
| Length of stay | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 1097 (100–5735) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0) | 9 | 5 | 7 (5) |
| Single clinical conditions | 362 (36–4114) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 (0) | 3 | 3 | 2 (0) |
| Readmissions | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 546 (478–999) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 (0) | 1 | 0 | 1 (0) |
| Single clinical conditions | 23 (22–24) | 2 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 2 | 2 | n/a |
| Nutritional | ||||||||
| Energy intake | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 958 (672–1244) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| Single clinical conditions | 169 (164–174) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 (1) | 0 | — | — |
| Protein intake | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | 816 (480–1152) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| Single clinical conditions | 177 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 (1) | 0 | — | — |
| Body weight | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations2 | 1184 (417–3058) | 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 (2) | 3 | 1 | 2 (1) |
| Two analyses reporting “considerable heterogeneity” in narrative | ||||||||
| Single clinical conditions | 177 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 (0) |
| Body composition/nutritional status | ||||||||
| Mixed clinical populations | ||||||||
| Mid-arm circumference | 453 (61–1382) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 (0) | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) |
| Mid-arm muscle circumference | 1279 (118–2439) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 (—) | 0 | — | — |
| Serum albumin | 112 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) |
| Single clinical conditions | ||||||||
| Mid-arm muscle circumference | 246 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 (0) | |
| Serum albumin | 311 (144–477) | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 (0) |
1Dash(—) indicates no analyses for this outcome. AMSTAR, Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews measurement tool; n/a, not applicable because data are reported for separate studies.
2
Number of participants not reported for 1 analysis.