What do systematic reviews say?

Open‐entry vs closed entry technique

• Laparoscopic entry techniques 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 715 participants
  GRADE not reported

Open surgery vs ERCP

• Surgical versus endoscopic treatment of bile duct stones 2013 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  8 studies · 733 participants
  Moderate

Open thoracotomy vs thoracostomy drainage

• Surgical versus non‐surgical management for pleural empyema 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 30 participants
  Moderate

Early open repair vs ultrasound surveillance

Early open repair leads to lower mortality ( compared with ultrasound surveillance (high certainty).

• Surgery for small asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms 2020 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  HR 0.99
  2 studies · 2226 participants
  High

Meropenem vs usual care

It is very uncertain whether meropenem changes all‐cause mortality maximum compared with standard care (very low certainty).

• Antibiotic regimens for late‐onset neonatal sepsis 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.42 [0.56, 3.62]
  1 study · 271 participants
  Very low

Early discontinuation of antibiotic treatment vs treatment until neutropenia resolution

Early discontinuation of antibiotic treatment showed no clear difference in mortality compared with treatment until neutropenia resolution (low certainty).

• Early discontinuation of antibiotics for febrile neutropenia versus continuation until neutropenia resolution in… 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.38 [0.73, 2.62]
  8 studies · 603 participants
  Low

Drainage vs no drainage after open appendectomy

Drainage may leads to higher mortality compared with no drainage after open appendectomy (low certainty).

• Abdominal drainage to prevent intra‐peritoneal abscess after appendectomy for complicated appendicitis 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  Peto OR 4.88 [1.18, 20.09]
  4 studies · 363 participants
  Low

Oral vs IV antibiotics

Oral showed no clear difference in mortality compared with intravenous antibiotic therapy (moderate certainty).

• Oral versus intravenous antibiotic treatment for febrile neutropenia in cancer patients 2013 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.95 [0.54, 1.68]
  9 studies · 1392 participants
  Moderate

Adverse events with anti‐gram‐positive antibiotics vs placebo

Mortality with anti‐gram‐positive antibiotics showed no clear difference in overall mortality compared with placebo (moderate certainty).

• Empirical antibiotics targeting gram‐positive bacteria for the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.9 [0.64, 1.25]
  8 studies · 1242 participants
  Moderate

Intervention not reported

It is very uncertain whether the intervention changes overall mortality (very low certainty).

• Granulocyte transfusions for treating infections in people with neutropenia or neutrophil dysfunction 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.75 [0.54, 1.04]
  6 studies · 321 participants
  Very low

Benefits and harms of CSF plus antibiotics vs antibiotics alone

Benefits and harms of CSF plus antibiotics showed no clear difference in overall mortality compared with antibiotics alone (low certainty).

• Colony‐stimulating factors for chemotherapy‐induced febrile neutropenia 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  HR 0.74 [0.47, 1.16]
  13 studies · 1335 participants
  Low

Direct vision entry vs open‐entry technique

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Laparoscopic entry techniques 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Low tidal volume vs high tidal volume

Low tidal volume showed no clear difference in mortality compared with high tidal volume (low certainty).

• Intraoperative use of low volume ventilation to decrease postoperative mortality, mechanical ventilation, lengths of… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.8 [0.42, 1.53]
  12 studies · 1207 participants
  Low

Gastric bypass vs biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (laparoscopic or open)

• Surgery for weight loss in adults 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 107 participants
  Moderate

Pre‐emptive antifungal therapy vs empirical antifungal therapy

Pre‐emptive antifungal therapy showed no clear difference in all‐cause mortality compared with empirical antifungal therapy (low certainty).

• Pre‐emptive antifungal therapy versus empirical antifungal therapy for febrile neutropenia in people with cancer 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.97 [0.72, 1.3]
  6 studies · 1459 participants
  Low

NPWT vs the Bogota bag

It is very uncertain whether NPWT changes all‐cause mortality compared with the Bogota bag (very low certainty).

• Negative pressure wound therapy for managing the open abdomen in non‐trauma patients 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.71 [0.27, 1.88]
  1 study · 40 participants
  Very low

Suprasorb CNP system vs the ABThera system

It is very uncertain whether suprasorb CNP system changes all‐cause mortality compared with the ABThera system (very low certainty).

• Negative pressure wound therapy for managing the open abdomen in non‐trauma patients 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.33 [0.04, 2.89]
  1 study · 34 participants
  Very low

Intervention not reported

The intervention showed no clear difference in all‐cause mortality (low certainty).

• Thrombopoietin receptor agonists for prevention and treatment of chemotherapy‐induced thrombocytopenia in patients… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.35 [0.53, 3.45]
  1 study · 26 participants
  Low

Laparoscopic vs open transhiatal oesophagectomy

It is very uncertain whether laparoscopic changes long‐term mortality compared with open transhiatal oesophagectomy (very low certainty).

• Laparoscopic versus open transhiatal oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  HR 0.97 [0.81, 1.16]
  2 studies · 193 participants
  Very low

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy vs open distal pancreatectomy

It is very uncertain whether laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy changes long‐term mortality compared with open distal pancreatectomy (very low certainty).

• Laparoscopic versus open distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  HR 0.96 [0.82, 1.12]
  3 studies · 277 participants
  Very low