Network meta-analysis: users' guide for pediatricians

BMC Pediatrics
Reem Al KhalifahLehana Thabane

Abstract

Network meta-analysis (NMA) is a powerful analytic tool that allows simultaneous comparison between several management/treatment alternatives even when direct comparisons of the alternatives (such as the case in which treatments are compared against placebo and have not been compared against each other) are unavailable. Though there are still a limited number of pediatric NMAs published, the rapid increase in NMAs in other areas suggests pediatricians will soon be frequently facing this new form of evidence summary. Evaluating the NMA evidence requires serial judgments on the creditability of the process of NMA conduct, and evidence quality assessment. First clinicians need to evaluate the basic standards applicable to any meta-analysis (e.g. comprehensive search, duplicate assessment of eligibility, risk of bias, and data abstraction). Then evaluate specific issues related to NMA including precision, transitivity, coherence, and rankings. In this article we discuss how clinicians can evaluate the credibility of NMA methods, and how they can make judgments regarding the quality (certainty) of the evidence. We illustrate the concepts using recent pediatric NMA publications.

References

Jan 1, 1992·Annals of Internal Medicine·A D Oxman, G H Guyatt
Nov 12, 1994·BMJ : British Medical Journal·K DickersinC Lefebvre
Feb 1, 1996·Controlled Clinical Trials·A R JadadH J McQuay
Sep 5, 2002·Statistics in Medicine·Thomas Lumley
Feb 28, 2009·Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia = Journal Canadien D'anesthésie·Lehana ThabaneJames Paul
Mar 10, 2010·Statistics in Medicine·S DiasA E Ades
Sep 30, 2010·Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition·L J JonesI Wright
Mar 31, 2011·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Jan O FriedrichJoseph Beyene
Jun 15, 2011·Value in Health : the Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research·Jeroen P JansenJoseph C Cappelleri
Jun 15, 2011·Value in Health : the Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research·David C HoaglinAnnabel Barrett
Aug 2, 2011·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Gordon H GuyattUNKNOWN GRADE Working Group
Aug 2, 2011·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Gordon H GuyattHolger J Schünemann
Aug 16, 2011·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Gordon H GuyattHolger J Schünemann
Jun 22, 2012·Journal of Cystic Fibrosis : Official Journal of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society·Kavi J LittlewoodGerhild Angyalosi
Jun 28, 2013·Medical Decision Making : an International Journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·Sofia DiasA E Ades
Jul 3, 2013·International Journal of Epidemiology·Anna ChaimaniGeorgia Salanti
Jul 5, 2013·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Vishnu SundareshRebecca S Bahn
Jul 17, 2013·Annals of Internal Medicine·Andrea CiprianiGeorgia Salanti
Sep 14, 2013·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Bernardine H StegemanOlaf M Dekkers
Jan 23, 2014·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Xin SunGordon Guyatt
Mar 19, 2014·Value in Health : the Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research·Jeroen P JansenGeorgia Salanti
Jul 6, 2014·PloS One·Georgia SalantiJulian P T Higgins
Jul 10, 2014·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Mohammad Hassan MuradGordon Guyatt
Jul 27, 2014·Injury Prevention : Journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention·Stephanie HubbardAlex Sutton
Sep 26, 2014·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Milo A PuhanUNKNOWN GRADE Working Group
Apr 17, 2015·Critical Care : the Official Journal of the Critical Care Forum·Changsong WangEnyou Li
Jun 5, 2015·World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)·Xinyu ZhouPeng Xie
Jun 6, 2015·Dermatology : International Journal for Clinical and Investigative Dermatology·Xia Huang, Bo Xu
Jun 11, 2015·The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma·Yile ZhaoLuwen Shi
Aug 1, 2015·NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine·Helen K ReddelUNKNOWN Global Initiative for Asthma Scientific Committee and Dissemination and Implementation Committee
Sep 1, 2015·BMC Medical Research Methodology·Joris Menten, Emmanuel Lesaffre
Jan 17, 2016·Pediatrics·Sivakumar ChinnaduraiMelissa L McPheeters
Aug 5, 2016·Journal of Investigative Medicine : the Official Publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research·Hai-Dong FuZheng-Yang Jiang

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 15, 2020·International Journal of Dermatology·Hao YangXiao-Dong Guo
Dec 17, 2020·Journal of the Endocrine Society·Reem A Al KhalifahEreny Bassilious
Aug 7, 2021·Pancreatology : Official Journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... [et Al.]·Katalin MártaPéter Hegyi
Mar 7, 2020·Pediatrics·Laura F Niño-SernaIvan D Florez

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

NMA

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.