Table 78Evidence profile comparing broadband vs narrowband UVB

Quality assessmentNo of patientsEffectQuality
No of studiesDesignRisk of biasInconsistencyIndirectnessImprecisionOther considerationsNBUVBSelective BBUVBRelative (95% CI)Absolute
Clear at end of treatment (follow-up to clear or no further improvement)
1
Kirke 2007
randomised trialsno serious risk of biasno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessaseriousbnone28/44 (63.6%)20/41 (48.8%)RR 1.30 (0.89 to 1.92)146 more per 1000 (from 54 fewer to 449 more)⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
Clear at 3 months post-treatment (follow-up 3 months)
1
Kirke 2007
randomised trialsno serious risk of biasno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessaseriousbnone4/25 (16%)8/18 (44.4%)RR 0.36 (0.13 to 1.01)284 fewer per 1000 (from 387 fewer to 4 more)⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
Clear at 6 months post-treatment (follow-up 6 months)
1
Kirke 2007
randomised trialsSeriouscno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessavery seriousdnone1/19 (5.3%)0/13 (0%)RR 2.1 (0.09 to 47.89)500 more per 1000 (from 100 fewer to 200 more)⊕○○○
VERY LOW
Withdrawal due to toxicity (follow-up to clear or no further improvement)
1
Kirke 2007
randomised trialsno serious risk of biasno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessavery seriousdnone3/47 (6.4%)1/42 (2.4%)RR 2.68 (0.29 to 24.8)40 more per 1000 (from 17 fewer to 567 more)⊕⊕○○
LOW
Mean change in PASI (follow-up 10 weeks; better indicated by higher values)
1
Picot 1992
randomised trialsvery seriouseno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessseriousfnone1515Mean change in PASI 78.5% and 73.9% for NBUVB and BBUVB⊕○○○
VERY LOW
Improvement in PASI (follow-up 5–15 irradiations; better indicated by lower values)
1
Storbeck 1993
randomised trialsvery seriousgno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessserioushnone1010Change in PASI: 50.23% with NBUVB; 36.28% with BBUVB (difference = 13.95%)⊕○○○
VERY LOW
Improvement in severity scores (follow-up 8 weeks; better indicated by lower values)
1
Larko 1989
randomised trialsvery seriousno serious inconsistencyseriousiseriousnone2929Change in severity score: 7.64 points with NBUVB; 6.68 points with BBUVB⊕○○○
VERY LOW
a

Used selective BBUVB (UV6: little emission <290 nm)

b

Confidence interval ranges from clinically important effect to no effect

c

High level of missing data (32% in NBUVB and 35% in BBUVB groups)

d

Confidence interval crosses the boundary for clinical significance in favour of both treatment, as well as line of no effect

e

Unclear if allocation concealment performed and high drop-out rate (23.8%)

f

No SD available

g

Unclear allocation concealment and blinding

h

No numerical data available

i

Surrogate outcome for change in PASI

From: 9, Phototherapy

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