Roberts 2009b.

Methods	Prospective, open‐label, randomised trial.
Participants	10 critically ill patients (mean age range 55 to 57 years; 70% male) with a clinical indication for meropenem, normal renal function, and known or suspected sepsis. Exclusion: not stated.
Interventions	Meropenem 500 mg i.v. infused over 3 min, followed by 3000 mg continuous infusion over 24 h (given as three 1000‐mg infusions over 8 h) vs meropenem 1500 mg i.v. infused over 5 min, followed by 1000 mg infused over 3 min q8h.
Outcomes	Subcutaneous tissue concentration‐time profiles. Plasma concentration‐time profiles. Pharmacokinetic variability. Plasma pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic profile. Expected probability of target attainment.
Notes	No clinical outcomes specified.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	"Patients were randomised using random numbers concealed in opaque sealed envelopes" (pg. 143); however, no sequence generation mentioned.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	"Patients were randomised using random numbers concealed in opaque sealed envelopes" (pg. 143).
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Not blind.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not stated whether any patients were lost to follow‐up or withdrew from the study.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	No protocol cited.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Open‐label use of other antibiotics not stated.