Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27491772›Full record

SynthesisJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2016

Blastocyst culture using single versus sequential media in clinical IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ioannis A Sfontouris, Wellington P Martins, Carolina O Nastri, Iara G R Viana, Paula A Navarro, Nick Raine-Fenning, Sheryl van der Poel, Laura Rienzi, Catherine Racowsky

Registry-linked trialAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03497052 (Blastocyst Developmental Rate in Two Different Single Step Culture Media), which is not on this map. Cited by 42 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT03497052 unknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Blastocyst Developmental Rate in Two Different Single Step Culture Media: a Sibling Oocyte Prospective Non-interventional Study

TypeobservationalSponsorClinica Valle GiuliaRan2018 to 2019Enrolled160ConditionsEmbryo DevelopmentArmsIn vitro culture in medium 1, In vitro culture in medium 2
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. ESHRE recommendations on Good Practice in the IVF laboratory†.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy: predictive embryonic factors.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2024
    Article
  13. Embryo Culture Medium Has No Impact on Mosaicism Rates: a Sibling Oocyte Study.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2023
    Observational
  14. Article
  15. Observational
  16. Review
  17. Observational
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ioannis A SfontourisDivision of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Wellington P MartinsDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
Carolina O NastriDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
Iara G R VianaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
Paula A NavarroDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
Nick Raine-FenningDivision of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Sheryl van der PoelHRP (the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction), Geneva, Switzerland.
Laura RienziGENERA Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Clinica Valle Giulia, via de Notaris 2b, Rome, Italy.
Catherine RacowskyDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, 02115, MA, USA. cracowsky@partners.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8961-7896

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this study was to undertake a review of the available evidence comparing the use of a single medium versus sequential media for embryo culture to the blastocyst stage in clinical IVF.

methodsWe searched the Cochrane Central, PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Current Controlled Trials and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to identify randomized controlled trials comparing single versus sequential media for blastocyst culture and ongoing pregnancy rate. Included studies randomized either oocytes/zygotes or women. Eligible oocyte/zygote studies were analyzed to assess the risk difference (RD) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) between the two media systems; eligible woman-based studies were analyzed to assess the risk ratio (RR) and 95 % CI for clinical pregnancy rate.

resultsNo differences were observed between single and sequential media for either ongoing pregnancy per randomized woman (relative risk (RR) = 0.9, 95 % CI = 0.7 to 1.3, two studies including 246 women, I

conclusionsAlthough using a single medium for extended culture has some practical advantages and blastocyst formation rates appear to be higher, there is insufficient evidence to recommend either sequential or single-step media as being superior for the culture of embryos to days 5/6. Future studies comparing these two media systems in well-designed trials should be performed.

Indexed as

BlastocystAdultCleavage Stage, OvumEmbryo Culture TechniquesEmbryonic DevelopmentEmbryo TransferFemaleFertilization in VitroHumansLive BirthOocytesPregnancyPregnancy RateRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBlastocystCultureExtendedMediumSequentialSingle

Identifiers

PMID27491772
PMCPMC5065552

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.