Eger 1990.
| Methods | Single‐centre RCT | |
| Participants |
Setting: a hospital in San Francisco, USA Inclusion criteria: patients scheduled for elective total hip arthroplasty, carotid endarterectomy, or transsphenoidal hypophysectomy Participant numbers: 270 randomly assigned; 260 analysed |
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| Interventions | Intervention: patients received isoflurane, thiopental, vecuronium and 60% nitrous oxide/40% oxygen. The concentration of isoflurane was determined by the attending anaesthesiologist. Fentanyl and edrophonium/atropine were administered at the anaesthesiologist's discretion. Ventilation was controlled, and total gas flows of 5 L/min were maintained throughout surgery. Control: patients received isoflurane, thiopental, vecuronium and 100% oxygen. The concentration of isoflurane was determined by the attending anaesthesiologist. Fentanyl and edrophonium/atropine were administered at the anaesthesiologist's discretion. Ventilation was controlled, and total gas flows of 5 L/min were maintained throughout surgery. | |
| Outcomes |
Primary outcomes: Inhospital case fatality rate Secondary outcomes: Pneumonia: based on chest x‐ray Pulmonary atelectasis: based on chest x‐ray Myocardial infarction: new abnormalities in postoperative creatine kinase isoenzymes or Q‐wave development Wound infection: determined by the surgeon in the setting of suspected infection. Length of hospital stay |
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| Notes | — | |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Described as randomized but no further details. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | No details given. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | This was not reported. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Inhospital case fatality rate/length of stay | Low risk | Quote: "All data collection, analysis, and patient interviews were performed by medical personnel blinded to the anaesthetic regimen." |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Complications | Low risk | Quote: "All data collection, analysis, and patient interviews were performed by medical personnel blinded to the anaesthetic regimen." |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Insufficient information. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | All outcomes described in methods section reported. |
| Other bias | Low risk | No other potential sources of bias were detected. |