Felicione 2019.
Study characteristics | ||
Methods | Design: Double‐blind RCT Recruitment: People who smoke were recruited from an outpatient opioid‐maintenance clinic in West Virginia, USA Setting: Outpatient opioid‐maintenance clinic in West Virginia, USA Study start date/Study end date: Not reported |
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Participants | Total N: 25; N per arm: Placebo (non‐nicotine): 11; Active (18 mg/ml nicotine): 14 Inclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria:
Inclusion based on specific population characteristic: People who smoke who were currently receiving a buprenorphine/naloxone combination in sublingual form, and had maintained sobriety from opioids and all other illicit substances for at least 90 consecutive days as verified via urinalysis 73.0% women; mean age 32.5; mean cpd 22; mean FTND 5.8 Motivated to quit: Quit ladder Score (range 1 ‐ 10): 5.6 average |
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Interventions |
EC: Refillable Compared nicotine (18 mg/ml) to non‐nicotine EC. Second‐generation EC consisted of the eGo‐T battery (900mAh, 3.3 V constant output) (Joyetech; Irvine, CA) and the Kanger mini Protank‐II, 1.5 ml Pyrex glass tank with a drip tip and atomizer head coils (KangerTech; China), choice between tobacco (n = 15) and menthol (n = 10) flavored liquid (2‐week supply). Participants were then trained in EC device operation, including assembly, liquid filling, manual battery operation, and cleaning/storage. Practised puffing on EC in the presence of a team member, and asked questions if needed. Participants instructed to use their ECIG ad libitum every day for 2 weeks |
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Outcomes | Baseline (day 1), 14 days, 28 days for clinic measures. Data also collected via text‐messages over 2‐week intervention period Withdrawal/side effects: Every evening during the 2‐week intervention period, participants rated a variety of effects possibly experienced as a result of nicotine/tobacco withdrawal and/or use of the ECIG: nausea, dizziness, throat irritation/soreness, cough, dry mouth, headache, shortness of breath, irritability/frustration/anger, craving/urge to smoke, and other. Each item was rated on a continuous scale that ranged from 0 (not at all) to 100 (extremely) Expired air CO Other outcomes: Self‐reported cigarette and EC use; readiness to quit at day 1, 14 and 28 |
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Study funding | Not reported | |
Author declarations | Not reported | |
Notes | New for 2020 update | |
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Quote: “Using a mixed factorial, simple randomization, double‐blind study design, participants were assigned to one of two ECIG conditions…” (No further details given) |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | No details on allocation given. |
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Quote: “double‐blind study design”, no further detail given |
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Quote: “double‐blind study design”, no further details given. |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Quote: “…80.6% completed the two‐week intervention (n=14 active; n=11 placebo), and 70.9% also completed the follow‐up session (n=13 active; n=9 placebo).” Active follow‐up completion rate: 13/14 = 93%; Placebo follow‐up completion rate: 9/11= 82% N.B. 6 participants were disqualified post‐randomization: Quote: “Of those individuals who were screened for the study, 93.9% were enrolled (n = 18 active; n = 13 placebo); two individuals who were ineligible provided an expired air CO level < 10 ppm. Six of the enrolled participants (n = 4 active and n = 2 placebo; n = 5 tobacco flavor and n = 1 menthol flavor) were disqualified for responding to 7 or fewer days of text messages.” |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Unclear risk | All measures listed were reported: Self‐reported cigarette use, text message‐based cigarette use, e‐cig use, expired air CO, readiness to quit ladder, withdrawal/side effect; No study protocol or clinical trial record available to confirm all intended outcome measures were reported |