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. 2022 Dec 6;2022(12):CD013601. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013601.pub2

Mortazavi 2011a.

Study characteristics
Methods Study characteristics

  • Study design: parallel RCT

  • Study duration: September 2008 to May 2009

  • Study follow‐up: 9 months
Participants Baseline characteristics

  • Country: Iran

  • Setting: dialysis centre (1 site)

  • Inclusion criteria: > 21 years; PD at least for 1 month prior; informed consent; no history of carnitine used in the previous 8 weeks; no history of infectious disease or fever in the previous month; KT/V > 0.9

  • Randomised number (intervention/control): 28/27

  • Dialysis modality: PD

  • Mean ± SD (years): intervention group (50.66 ± 17); control group (57.91 ± 13)

  • Mean dialysis duration ± SD (years): intervention group (23 ± 13); control group (28 ± 18)

  • Exclusion criteria: carnitine in the last 8 months; antibiotics for the past month due to an infection
Interventions Intervention group

  • L‐carnitine (oral): 750 mg/day for 9 months


Control group

  • Placebo
Outcomes Outcomes relevant to this review

  • Adverse events

  • Anaemia‐related markers: Hb

  • Death (any cause)
Notes Funding: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "Patients were divided into carnitine and placebo groups by a computer‐generated random number table."
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "The carnitine and placebo were coded by project colleagues and delivered to the project manager in similar packages."
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled" study
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Adverse events Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled" study
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Anaemia‐related markers Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled" study
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Death Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled" study
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Adverse events Low risk No missing outcome data
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Anaemia‐related markers Low risk No missing outcome data
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Death Low risk No missing outcome data
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Pre‐specified outcomes (of interest to this review) were reported
Other bias Low risk Funding: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences