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. 2021 Mar 21;2021(3):CD012799. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012799.pub2

McMahon 1998.

Study characteristics
Methods Study design: randomized controlled, cross‐over study
Setting/country: St. Luke's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Dates study conducted: NR
Participants Inclusion criteria:
  • Age ≥ 18 years

  • In a stable, monogamous heterosexual relationship for ≥ 6 months

  • Planning to maintain this relationship for the duration of the study

  • PE according to DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for PE for ≥ 6 months prior to enrolment and had a baseline IELT ≤ 2 minutes in ≥ 75% of a minimum of 4 evaluable sexual intercourse events during a treatment‐free 4‐week baseline period, and reported at least "moderate" ejaculation‐related personal distress or interpersonal difficulty


Exclusion criteria:
  • History of medical or psychiatric illness, including uncontrolled hypertension, hyperprolactinemia or untreated hypothyroidism

  • History of medical events that were associated with the onset of PE

  • Sexual dysfunction in either partner except PE in the man (including history of ED based on an IIEF Erectile Function domain score < 21 at screening)

  • History of HIV, HBsAg or hepatitis C (except for people from Korea, inactive HBsAg carriers with normal liver function tests were allowed into the trial)

  • Concomitant use of SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants

  • Known hypersensitivity to SSRIs or serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors


Total number of participants randomized: 37
Total length of study: 12 weeks
Group 1 (sertraline):
  • Number of participants randomized: 19

  • Age (mean): 41 (range 19–70) years

  • Baseline IELT (mean): 0.3 minutes


Group 2 (placebo):
  • Number of participants randomized: 18

  • Age (mean): 41 (range 19–70) years

  • Baseline IELT (mean): 0.3 minutes

Interventions Group 1: sertraline 50 mg
Group 2: placebo daily
Outcomes Primary outcomes:
  • IELT

  • How measured: using a stopwatch by partner

  • Time points measured: every week for 12 weeks


Safety outcomes:
  • Adverse effects

  • How measured: reported by participants

  • Time points measured: anytime

Funding sources NR
Declarations of interest NR
Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Not described.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Not described.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes High risk Quote: "single blind;" "placebo tablets were identical to the active drug."
Likely participants were blinded but personnel were not blinded
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Participant‐reported outcomes Low risk Single blind. Likely participants were blinded.
Quote: "placebo were identical to the active drug."
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Investigator‐assessed outcomes High risk Assessors unlikely blinded.
Quote: "single blind study."
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
IELT Low risk Objective measurement that was unlikely to be influenced by blinding.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes Low risk All participants that were randomized appeared to be included in final analysis.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk No protocol available.
Other bias Low risk No additional sources of bias identified.