Summary of quality and outcome measures of selected RCTs in reviews Calamita et al, Penagos et al and added Pham-Thi et al 29 32 44
| Review | RCT | Eligible | Jadad score | Reported on asthma symptoms | Reported on exacerbations | Reported on asthma control | Reported on disease-specific quality of life | Reported on lung function (FEV1) | |||
| Randomisation* | Blinding† | Withdrawals‡ | Total | ||||||||
| Calamita29 | Bahceciler et al 54 | Yes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | + | – | – | – | – |
| Hirsch et al 55 | Yes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | + | – | – | – | – | |
| Niu et al 24 | No, conference abstract | ||||||||||
| Novembre et al 56 | No, Italian language | ||||||||||
| Pajno et al 57 | Yes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | + | – | – | – | – | |
| Pajno et al 58§ | Yes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | – | – | – | – | + | |
| Rodriguez Santos et al 59 | No, Spanish language | ||||||||||
| Rolinck-Werninghaus et al 60 | Yes | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | + | – | – | – | – | |
| Yuksel et al 61 | No, Spanish language | ||||||||||
| Penagos32 | Bahceciler et al 54 | Overlap with Calamita | |||||||||
| Caffarelli et al 62 | No, children with asthma not separately analysed | ||||||||||
| Hirsch et al 55 | Overlap with Calamita | ||||||||||
| Ippoliti et al 63 | Yes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | + | – | – | – | + | |
| Niu et al 64 | Yes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | + | – | – | – | + | |
| Pajno et al 65 | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | + | – | – | – | – | |
| Rolinck-Werninghaus et al 60 | Overlap with Calamita | ||||||||||
| Tari et al 66 | No, Spanish language | ||||||||||
| Vourdas et al 67 | No, children with asthma not separately analysed | ||||||||||
| Pham-Thi44 | Yes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | + | + | + | |||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
*1 point if randomisation is mentioned; 1 additional point if the method of randomisation is appropriate; −1 point if the method of randomization is inappropriate.
†1 point if blinding is mentioned; 1 additional point if the method of blinding is appropriate; −1 point if the method of blinding is inappropriate.
‡1 point if the number and the reasons for withdrawal in each group are stated.
§Same patients as Pajno et al 57.
FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; RCT, randomised controlled trial.