Table 81Evidence profile comparing narrowband UVB five times vs three times weekly

Quality assessmentNo of patientsEffectQuality
No of studiesDesignRisk of biasInconsistencyIndirectnessImprecisionOther considerationsNBUVB 5xNBUVB 3xRelative (95% CI)Absolute
Clearance (follow-up until clearance (range: 4.7–23 weeks) or a maximum of 30 treatments)
2
Dawe, 1998 Hallaji, 2010
randomised trialsseriousano serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessno serious imprecisionbnone31/41 (75.6%)34/42 (81%)RR 0.93 (0.74 to 1.17)57 fewer per 1000 (from 210 fewer to 138 more)⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
Mean time to clearance (follow-up to clearance (range: 4.7–23 weeks); better indicated by lower values)
1
Hallaji 2010
randomised trialsseriousano serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessseriouscnone1518-3-times: 13.7 (11.4–15.9) weeks
5-times: 7.9 (6.7–9.0) weeks
⊕⊕○○
LOW
Median time to clearance (better indicated by lower values) (follow-up to a maximum of 30 treatments)
1
Dawe 1998
randomised trialsseriousdno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessno serious imprecisionnone1919-median 5 higher (2 to 11 higher)
3-times: 40 (23–63) days
5-times: 35 (19–43) days
P = 0.007; 95% CI: 2–11
⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
Median time to relapse (better indicated by lower values) (follow-up 12 months)
1
Dawe 1998
randomised trialsseriousdno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessvery seriousenone1919-3-times: 165 days
5-times: 174 days
p = 0.73 from log-rank test f
⊕○○○
VERY LOW
Withdrawal due to toxicity (follow-up to clearance (range: 4.7–23 weeks))
1
Hallaji 2010
randomised trialsseriousdno serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessno serious imprecisionnone0/19 (0%)0/19 (0%)not poolednot pooled⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
Burn (follow-up to a maximum of 30 treatments)
1
Dawe 1998
randomised trialsseriousano serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessno serious imprecisionnone0/33 (0%)0/32 (0%)not poolednot pooled⊕⊕⊕○
MODERATE
a

Unclear if allocation concealment was performed and high drop-out rate (28% for 3-times and 33% for 5-times weekly)

b

Precise according to GDG discussion (confidence interval lies completely within effect estimates that indicate no clinically important benefit/harm)

c

No SD reported

d

Unclear if allocation concealment was performed and not stated if plaques were symmetrical

e

No measure of variance and read from graph

f

Event rate not available so hazard ratio could not be calculated

From: 9, Phototherapy

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NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 153.
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