Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34285004›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2021

Reporting of adverse events, conflict of interest and funding in randomised controlled trials of antibiotics: a secondary analysis.

Mina Bakhit, Mark Jones, Jenalle Baker, Ramil Nair, Kylie Yan, Chris Del Mar, Anna Mae Scott

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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.

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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. 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

7 authors.

Mina BakhitInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6162-3362
Mark JonesInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Jenalle BakerGriffith University Faculty of Health, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Ramil NairBond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Kylie YanBond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Chris Del MarInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Anna Mae ScottInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia ascott@bond.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-0109-9001

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTransparent reporting of trials is necessary to assess their internal and external validity. Currently, little is known about the quality of reporting in antibiotics trials. Our study investigates the reporting of adverse events, conflicts of interest and funding information in trials of penicillins, cephalosporins and macrolides.

designA secondary analysis of trials included in a convenience sample of three systematic reviews.

methodsAll randomised controlled trials included in the systematic reviews were included, although duplicates were removed. Eligible trials compared the specified antibiotics to placebo, for any indication. Author pairs independently extracted the data on reporting of adverse events from parent reviews, and data on funding and conflict of interest information from the trial reports. We calculated the overall proportion of trials reporting adverse events, conflict of interest information and funding information, and their proportion before and after the publication of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2001 Statement.

resultsWe included 432 trials. Overall, 62% of trials reported adverse events of any kind, although reporting of deaths or antibiotic resistance was less frequent (20% and 37%, respectively). Conflict-of-interest information was provided in 26% of the trials, and funding information was provided in 66% of the trials. There was no significant difference in reporting of adverse events before and after the publication of CONSORT 2001 Statement (62% vs 62%, p=0.92). Conflict of interest statements were provided more frequently (2% vs 55%, p<0.001) and conflict was present more often (0% vs 14%, p<0.001). There was no difference in the provision of the information about trial funding before (62%) and after (70%) CONSORT 2001 publication.

conclusionsInformation about adverse events, conflict of interest and funding, remains under-reported in trials of antibiotics.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsConflict of InterestRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCephalosporinsHumansMacrolidesPenicillinsAnti-Bacterial AgentsCephalosporinsMacrolidesPenicillinsadverse eventsprimary carepublic health

Identifiers

PMID34285004
PMCPMC8292799

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.