Appendix: 3.0 Risk of Bias Assessments of Individual Studies

Updated Recommendations on the Use of Chlorhexidine-Impregnated Dressings for Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections (2017)

What to know

Note: Overall risk of bias was calculated by dividing the total number of valuable trial characteristics by the total number of possible characteristics and applying these categories:

  • ≤ 25% = high risk of bias;
  • > 25% to ≤ 50% = moderate risk of bias;
  • > 50% = low risk of bias.

Table 8: Evaluation of Risk of Bias in Studies Using C-I Dressings among Patients Aged ≥ 18 Years with Short-term, Non-tunneled Central Venous Catheters

Studies and risk of bias for patients 18 or over.
Author
Publication Year		 Arvaniti
20124		 Roberts
19985		 Ruschulte
20093		 Timsit
20092		 Timsit
20121
Described as randomized ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Randomization appropriately performed ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Described as double–blind
Outcome assessor blinded ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Study participant blinded
Investigator blinded
Attrition described ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Attrition smaller than 10–15% of assigned patients ✓ n/a ✓ ✓ ✓
Attrition appropriately analyzed ✓ n/a ✓ ✓ ✓
Funding source(s) disclosed and no obvious conflict of interest
Overall Risk of Bias Low Moderate Low Low Low

Table 9: Evaluation of Risk of Bias in Studies Using C-I Dressings among Patients Aged < 18 Years with Short-term, Non-tunneled Central Venous Catheters

Studies and risk of bias for patients under 18.
Author
Publication Year		 Garland
20016		 Levy
20058		 Duzkaya
20167
Described as randomized ✓ ✓ ✓
Randomization appropriately performed ✓ ✓ ✓
Described as double–blind
Outcome assessor blinded
Study participant blinded
Investigator blinded
Attrition described ✓ ✓ ✓
Attrition smaller than 10–15% of assigned patients ✓
Attrition appropriately analyzed
Funding source(s) disclosed and no obvious conflict of interest
Overall Risk of Bias Moderate Moderate Moderate
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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)