Summary of findings
| Bee venom acupuncture for patients with rheumatoid arthritis | |||||
| Patient or population: patients with rheumatoid arthritis Settings: Korea Intervention: bee venom acupuncture vs normal saline injection as placebo | |||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Number of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (Grade) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | ||||
| Control (normal saline injection) | Bee venom acupuncture | ||||
| Pain (VAS) | 16.9 WMD lower† (26.57 to 7.23 lower) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month −10.40 (−16.47 to −4.33) | |
| Morning stiffness | 12.1 WMD higher† (11.61 to 12.59 higher) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month −0.30 (−1.01 to 0.41) | |
| Swollen joint count | 0.9 WMD lower† (1.97 lower to 0.17 higher) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month 0.50 (−0.70 to −1.70) | |
| Tender joint count | 0.9 WMD lower† (1.97 lower to 0.17 higher) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month 0.50 (−0.73 to −1.73) | |
| Quality of life (HAQ) | 0.3 WMD higher† (0.08 to 0.52 higher) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month 0.20 (−0.06 to 0.46) | |
| ESR | 19.4 WMD lower† (28.51 to 10.29 lower) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month −2.30 (−10.17 to 5.57) | |
| CRP | 1.7 WMD lower† (2.6 to 0.8 lower) | 69 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low‡§ | After 1 month 1.40 (−8.27 to 5.47) | |
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence.
High quality: further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
Low quality: further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
Moderate quality: further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
Very low quality: we are very uncertain about the estimate.
*The basis for the assumed risk (eg, the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
†After 2 months treatment.
‡Poorly reported paper (see ‘Risk of bias’ table).
§Small sample size.
CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; VAS, visual analogue scale; WMD, weight mean difference.