Table.

Characteristics of studies included in the qualitative synthesis

	Included in meta-analyses	Study period	Study population	Country	Population	Case finding	Definition	Total study population
Active Bacterial Core surveillance (2016)*	Yes	2007–16	Pregnant women, women in the post-partum period, neonates, infants, and children	USA	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	4 094 017
Baroux et al (2014)21	No	2012	Children	New Caledonia	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	NA
Canada's British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (2017)*	Yes	2008–17	Neonates, infants, and children	Canada	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	445 220
Daneman et al (2005)22	Yes	1992–2000	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Canada	Regional	Active population surveillance	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	1 269 722
Darenberg et al (2007)23	No	2002–04	Children	Sweden	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	NA
Dramowski et al (2015)24	Yes	2008–13	Neonates and infants	South Africa	Single hospital catchment area	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	38 153
Drew et al (2015)25	Yes	2001–14	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Ireland	Single hospital catchment area	Laboratory results	Blood only	112 361
Gear et al (2015)26	No	1998–2009	Children	Australia	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Not stated	NA
Hollm-Delgado et al (2005)27	No	1992–2002	Infants	Canada	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Imöhl et al (2010)28	No	2003–07	Children	Germany	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Isaac et al (2016)29	Yes	2001–09	Infants	USA	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Not stated	996 938
Knowles et al (2015)30	Yes	2005–12	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Ireland	Multiple hospitals	Combination of methods	Blood only	139 495
Kothari et al (2016)31	Yes	2011–14	Neonates	India	Multiple hospitals	Laboratory results	All sterile sites	88 636
Lamagni et al (2008)32	No	2003–04	Children	Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden	National	Combination of methods	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Leonard et al (2019)33	Yes	2017–19	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	UK	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	1 598 069
Luca-Harari et al (2008)34	No	2003–04	Children	Denmark	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Martin et al (2011)35	No	2004–10	Children	Ireland	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland (2017)*	Yes	2004–17	Neonates	Finland	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Blood and cerebrospinal fluid	809 932
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (2018)*	Yes	2008–18	Neonates, infants, and children	Norway	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	663 150
O'Grady et al (2007)36	No	2002–04	Infants and children	Australia	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Oliver et al (2019)37	No	2016–18	Infants	Australia	Multiple hospitals	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	NA
Oppegaard et al (2015)38	Yes	2000–15	Pregnant women, women in the post-partum period, and neonates	Norway	Regional	Active population surveillance	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	84 703
Public Health England (2017)*	Yes	2008–17	Neonates, infants, and children	England	National	Active population surveillance	All sterile sites	6 713 601
Rottenstreich et al (2019)39	Yes	2005–17	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Israel	Multiple hospitals	Laboratory results	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	140 429
Safar et al (2011)40	No	2005–06	Infants	New Zealand	Regional	Laboratory results	All sterile sites	NA
Santé publique France (2016)*	Yes	2000–16	Neonates, infants, and children	France	National	Existing database or surveillance systems	Blood and cerebrospinal fluid	591 673
Seale et al (2016)18	Yes	1998–2011	Neonates, infants, and children	Kenya	Single Hospital catchment area	Active population surveillance	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	108 239
Shinar et al (2016)41	Yes	2008–15	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Israel	Single hospital catchment area	Laboratory results	Blood only	93 650
Smit et al (2015)42	No	2008–13	Infants	Finland	National	Laboratory results	Blood and cerebrospinal fluid	NA
Steer et al (2008)17	Yes	2000–05	Children	Fiji	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	35 759
Stockmann et al (2012)43	No	2002–10	Children	USA	Regional	Laboratory results	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA
Tyrrell et al (2005)44	Yes	2000–02	Pregnant women and women in the post-partum period	Canada	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	112 617
USA Regional Arctic Investigations Program (2017)*	Yes	2008–17	Neonates, infants, and children	USA	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	109 166
Whitehead et al (2011)45	No	2004–09	Infants	Australia	Regional	Existing database or surveillance systems	All sterile sites	NA
Williamson et al (2015)46	No	2002–12	Children	New Zealand	National	Laboratory results	Sterile site or non-sterile with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis	NA

NA=Not available.

^*Unpublished surveillance data.