Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25188768›Full record

SynthesisThe Cochrane database of systematic reviews2014

Routine versus selective antifungal administration for control of fungal infections in patients with cancer.

Peter C Gøtzsche, Helle Krogh Johansen

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 64 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Guidelines for Antibiotics Prescription in Critically Ill Patients.Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine · 2024
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Guidelines for Antibiotic Prescription in Intensive Care Unit.Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine · 2019
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Peter C GøtzscheThe Nordic Cochrane Centre, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 7811, Copenhagen, Denmark, DK-2100.
Helle Krogh Johansen
Cochrane · DKRigshospitalet · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSystemic fungal infection is considered to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, particularly those with neutropenia. Antifungal drugs are often given prophylactically, or empirically to patients with persistent fever.

objectivesTo assess whether commonly used antifungal drugs decrease mortality in cancer patients with neutropenia. SEARCH

methodsWe searched PubMed from 1966 to 7 July 2014 and the reference lists of identified articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised clinical trials of amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, itraconazole or voriconazole compared with placebo or no treatment in cancer patients with neutropenia. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility and risk of bias, and abstracted data. MAIN

resultsThirty-two trials involving 4287 patients were included. Prophylactic or empirical treatment with amphotericin B significantly decreased total mortality (relative risk (RR) 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50 to 0.96), whereas the estimated RRs for fluconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, and itraconazole were close to 1.00. No eligible trials were found with voriconazole. Amphotericin B and fluconazole decreased mortality ascribed to fungal infection (RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.76 and RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.73, respectively). The incidence of invasive fungal infection decreased significantly with administration of amphotericin B (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.73), fluconazole (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.57) and itraconazole (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.97), but not with ketoconazole or miconazole. Effect estimates were similar for those 13 trials that had adequate allocation concealment and were blinded. The reporting of harms was far too variable from trial to trial to allow a meaningful overview. For the 2011 and 2014 updates no additional trials were identified for inclusion. AUTHORS'

conclusionsIntravenous amphotericin B was the only antifungal agent that reduced total mortality. It should therefore be preferred when prophylactic or empirical antifungal therapy is introduced in cancer patients with neutropenia.

Indexed as

Antifungal AgentsHumansImmunocompromised HostMycosesNeoplasmsNeutropeniaOpportunistic InfectionsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAntifungal Agents

Identifiers

PMID25188768
PMCPMC6457640
OpenAlexW2121103902

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.