Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40475809›Full record

ReviewCochrane evidence synthesis and methods2024

Quality of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in pediatric surgery: A cross-sectional meta-research study.

Wilson Jiang, Bill Wang, Sandro Sperandei, Aidan Christopher Tan

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cochrane evidence synthesis and methods, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

4 authors.

Wilson JiangSchool of Medicine Western Sydney University Sydney Australia.ORCID 0009-0007-1812-8001
Bill WangSchool of Medicine Western Sydney University Sydney Australia.
Sandro SperandeiSchool of Medicine Western Sydney University Sydney Australia.
Aidan Christopher TanSchool of Medicine Western Sydney University Sydney Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0354-4006

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: There are few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in pediatric surgery, and their risk of bias is unknown. There is also little known about the methodological or reporting quality of systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses) in pediatric surgery. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional meta-research study to determine the risk of bias and reporting quality of RCTs and systematic reviews and meta-analyses in pediatric surgery, and the associations between these outcomes and study characteristics. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, JBI EBP Database, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Web of Science for all RCTs and systematic reviews in pediatric surgery published in 2021. We also searched the 2021 indexes of high-impact pediatric surgery journals. We assessed the risk of bias and reporting quality of RCTs using the RoB 2 and CONSORT tools respectively. We assessed the same parameters for systematic reviews and meta-analyses using the ROBIS and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses tools. Findings: We found 82 RCTs and 289 systematic reviews/meta-analyses published in 2021. More than half ( Conclusions: Recently published RCTs and systematic reviews in pediatric surgery are at high risk of bias and have poor reporting quality. Journals, universities, and research institutions should train authors to conduct and report higher quality studies and develop strategies to reduce risk of bias. However, research with high bias and low reporting does not necessarily lack value.

Indexed as

meta‐analysesmethodological qualitypediatric surgeryrandomized controlled trialsreporting qualityrisk of biassystematic reviews

Identifiers

PMID40475809
PMCPMC11795971

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.