Meta-analyses of clinical trials: are we getting lemonade from lemons?

Karsten Bartels, Daniel I. Sessler

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorialpeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Meta-analyses guide planning of clinical trials and clinical care, but are subject to all the methodologic problems and potential biases present in the underlying trials. Furthermore, publication bias often contributes to overestimated benefit in meta-analyses of small trials, which are often ‘corrected’ by subsequent large trials. Meta-analyses are no substitute for large robust trials.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)233-235
Number of pages3
JournalBritish Journal of Anaesthesia
Volume128
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2022

Keywords

  • anaesthesia
  • bias
  • clinical trial methodology
  • meta-analysis
  • outcomes
  • postoperative pulmonary complications
  • rigour

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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