Richards S M
ICRF/MRC Clinical Trial Service Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK.
Blood Rev. 1995 Jun;9(2):85-91. doi: 10.1016/s0268-960x(95)90029-2.
The number of meta-analyses or overviews appearing in the literature is rapidly increasing. Because of the problems inherent in non-randomised studies, which are not diminished by using meta-analysis techniques, this paper only refers to meta-analyses of randomised trials. Examples are given of the value of meta-analyses of randomised trials in many different circumstances and the different methods that have been used are discussed. The most reliable type of meta-analysis uses individual patient data and includes all trials fitting the pre-defined criteria, published and unpublished. As with a single randomised trial, large numbers of randomised patients are needed to give reliable results. Well-conducted meta-analyses or overviews are the best method of summarising all available unbiased evidence on the relative effects of treatments.
文献中出现的荟萃分析或综述的数量正在迅速增加。由于非随机研究中固有的问题，这些问题不会因使用荟萃分析技术而减少，因此本文仅涉及随机试验的荟萃分析。文中给出了随机试验荟萃分析在许多不同情况下的价值示例，并讨论了所使用的不同方法。最可靠的荟萃分析类型使用个体患者数据，并包括所有符合预先定义标准的试验，无论已发表还是未发表。与单个随机试验一样，需要大量随机患者才能得出可靠的结果。进行良好的荟萃分析或综述是总结所有关于治疗相对效果的可用无偏证据的最佳方法。
