Table 3.

GRADE summary of findings

AZA compared with placebo in Crohn’s disease: a systematic review
Patient or population: patients with Crohn’s disease Setting: Any Intervention: AZA Comparison: placebo
Outcomes	Anticipated absolute effects* (95% CI)		Relative effect (95% CI)	No of participants (studies)	Certainty of the evidence (GRADE)	Comments
	Risk with placebo	Risk with AZA
AZA versus Placebo - AZA versus Placebo (active disease—medical)	0 per 1000	55 per 1000 (not estimated)	OR 8.30 (1.44 to 47.71)	410 (6 RCTs)	⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE†
AZA versus Placebo—AZA versus placebo (maintenance of remission—medical)	4 per 1000	37 per 1000 (7 to 177)	OR 9.58 (1.70 to 54.08)	451 (6 RCTs)	⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE†

GRADE Working Group grades of evidence. High certainty: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Moderate certainty: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Low certainty: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Very low certainty: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect.

*The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).

†Downgraded 1 level due to imprecision from sparsity of adverse events.

AZA, azathioprine; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; RCT, randomised controlled trial.