Pecchi 1990.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled Method of randomisation: use of alternation by order of arrival of each participant Exclusions post randomisation: none Losses to follow‐up: none
Participants	Country: Italy Setting: university Number: 40 patients Age: mean 48.2 ± 15.7 years Gender: 4 M:36 F Inclusion criteria: primary CVI and post‐thrombotic syndrome Exclusion criteria: postphlebitic syndrome; severe trophic lesions; no venous oedema; patients taking diuretics, corticosteroids or vasoactive drugs; elastic stockings or bandages
Interventions	Treatment: calcium dobesilate 1000 mg per day Control: placebo Duration: 30 days Follow‐up: 30 days
Outcomes	Primary Symptoms ‐ pain, cramps, heaviness, pruritus, swelling and paraesthesia measured by a semiquantitative scale (0 to 4) Signs ‐ oedema measured by plethysmographic parameters and circumference of ankle; varicoses in the legs measured by a semiquantitative scale (0 to 4) Secondary Not stated
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "Patients admitted to the study were randomly divided into two balanced groups treated respectively with calcium or placebo for one month..." Comment: no method of randomisation described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "The allocation to individual patients of either type of treatment was performed according to the access sequence number of the patient" Comment: no method of allocation concealment described
Blinding (patients)	Unclear risk	Comment: no information given about methods used for blinding
Blinding (study researchers)	Unclear risk	Comment: no information given about methods used for blinding
Blinding (outcome assessment)	Unclear risk	Comment: no information given about methods used for blinding
Incomplete outcome data	Low risk	Comment: numbers of participants in both groups described. No losses reported. No baseline characteristics of participants provided
Selective reporting	Low risk	Comment: no protocol identified, and no differences between outcomes reported in the methods section and those reported in the results section
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: none detected