Reduce variation and improve quality in meta-analyses

Ref ID 746
First Author L. Timmermans
Journal ANNALS OF SURGERY
Year Of Publishing 2014
URL https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24253146/
Keywords • Surgery
• Heterogeneity
• Low reporting quality
Problem(s) • Intervention not described / defined
• Inadequate analysis of heterogeneity
Article Type Editorial
Article Subtype Comment/letter
First Author Country The Netherlands
Aim A letter highlighting concerns over the conduct of one systematic review and meta-analysis of triclosan-impregnated sutures on surgical site infection and/or wound breakdown published in 2012.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings The authors of the letters highlight that the randomised controlled trials included in the meta-analysis are highly heterogenous with regards to interventions, types of surgery (cerebrospinal fluid to breast surgery) and patient characteristics (adults and children). The differences between trials highlighted by the letter authors call into question the validity of the meta-analysis and conclusion.
Number of systematic reviews included 1
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 1
Treatment impacted No
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description